De Montfort University, United Kingdom

De Montfort University is a major public university centred in Leicester, United Kingdom. It was named the first University of the Year for Social Inclusion in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019, and is strongly committed to widening access to higher education and supporting students from diverse backgrounds to enable them to achieve their full potential. The university has a strong social and community mission and works closely with the United Nations (UN) as a member of the UN’s Academic Impact programme, and as a designated hub for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 – to promote peace, justice and strong institutions. There are over 25000 students enrolled and over 3000 staff in 2018-19. The Faculty of Business & Law is the largest of the four faculties at DMU and provides undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral education in a broad range of business, management, law, social sciences and political studies programmes. There is a long experience of participation in Erasmus+ and other related European Union programmes. The Centre for Enterprise and Innovation (CEI) was launched in 2018 as the research centre within the Faculty committed to the advancement of research in enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation. Our purpose is to produce and share knowledge which advances transformative social value through entrepreneurship and innovation. We have a unique perspective on entrepreneurship as an intercultural phenomenon, which enables people from eclectic backgrounds to co-operate in addressing shared challenges and creating innovative responses through our research. Our philosophy is that entrepreneurship must be Open: accessible to all, transparent, and challenging barriers to human learning, development and participation is society. The institute is producing leading research excellence in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation, developing a global reputation with an innovative approach, and demonstrating impact in many ways. The centre’s philosophy of intercultural entrepreneurship is an essential dimension for inclusive economic, social, and educational growth and development in civil society worldwide. This is based on shared values which reflect the diverse city of Leicester, as well as DMU’s students and staff. It builds on enduring foundations of international, intersectional and ethnic minorities research. Our members, partners and co-researchers are forging strong connections with regional, national and international enterprise researchers in universities, economic development, business, policy, and other networks. For example, the African Entrepreneurship Cluster connects with partners and institutions across the continent, which led to the first International Conference on African Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2019. Looking to the future, CEI is making valuable contributions to the DMU strategies for Enterprise, Research, Local and global development, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Our postgraduate and doctoral students are at the heart of our work, developing their own unique contributions to knowledge through partnership with our academic colleagues as research supervisors. Through them, our research is co-creating new perspectives and value in intellectual, practical, social, educational and policy dimensions For more info please click https://www.dmu.ac.uk/home.aspx

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COORDINATOR

Professor David Rae, Leicester Castle Business School

David Rae is a leading innovator, researcher and expert in entrepreneurship and small business leadership, learning and management. He has a significant track record in the leadership of business and enterprise in Higher Education as a key member of the Senior Leadership and Executive Management groups in four Universities, where he has developed new opportunities and income streams based on enhancing innovation, research, enterprise and learning. He has held senior roles as Executive Dean, Research & Knowledge Exchange at Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln; and as Dean of Shannon School of Business, Cape Breton University, Canada. Previously he was Professor of Business & Enterprise, Head of Postgraduate Programmes and Director of Enterprise & Innovation at the University of Lincoln Business School, between 2006-14; and Director of Enterprise Development and Head of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Management at The Derbyshire Business School, University of Derby from 2001-2006. He gained his PhD in Entrepreneurial Learning from the Nottingham Trent University, and has led innovative research in this area since 1999, gaining recognition through numerous publications and awards for research excellence. His 2007 book ‘Entrepreneurship – from opportunity to action’ influenced entrepreneurship education practice internationally and the 2nd edition, ‘Opportunity-Centred Entrepreneurship’ was published in 2015. His pre-academic career included running a management development and consulting practice; working in Government in training & enterprise policy; and multimedia publishing. He has achieved professional and academic recognition at international level for his contributions to entrepreneurship research, education, policy and regional development, and as an inspirational keynote speaker at international and professional conferences. A key skill is his ability to connect academic, business, professional and community, and policy leaders and audiences, to engage and develop them through proactive innovation, learning and change. Effective communication, including use of new media, enables him to develop his profile and impact as an academic expert in entrepreneurship and related topics with a strong media profile, featured articles, online presentations and Twitter. Job: Professor of Enterprise, School/department: Leicester Castle Business School, Address: Hugh Aston Building, De Montfort University, T: +44 (0)116 257 7911, E: david.rae@dmu.ac.uk, W: http://davidrae.org.uk/

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RESEARCHERS

Professor Malcolm Hoare, Leicester Castle Business School

Malcolm is Visiting Professor of Enterprise Education at the Centre for Enterprise and Education at De Montfort University. Malcolm taught in secondary schools for 23 years before moving into Higher Education , first at Durham University Business School and then at the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick. He has also been a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby and Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland. Malcolm has served as an adviser to Government departments in the UK , the European Commission and to OECD. He was also a member of Lord Young’s Number 10 Downing Street Review of Enterprise Education in schools and colleges. His current research focuses on developments in European enterprise education policy over the past two decades and supporting new technology start-ups.

Dr Regina Frank, Leicester Castle Business School

Dr Regina Frank is Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Leicester Castle Business School, De Montfort University (DMU), where she enjoys fostering critical thinking and entrepreneurial mindsets and skills of students of all levels (from UG to PG and Exec Ed), all the while encouraging activism in relation to global sustainability matters and UN SDGs. Regina has a distinctively international educational and professional background, having lived and worked in Portugal, Brazil, Switzerland, France and the UK. Her multicultural work experience encompasses both academic and commercial worlds, in a variety of contexts. Prior to joining DMU, Regina worked for over a decade at triple-accredited business and management schools, such as Loughborough University (Loughborough, London, and Singapore) and ESCP-EAP European School of Management (now ESCP Europe) in London and Oxford, as well as in industry and HEIs abroad. In academia, Regina has always particularly enjoyed interdisciplinary work. Today, her primary research interests include social innovation and entrepreneurship for poverty alleviation, for and with marginalised communities, and in emerging markets; and education for sustainable development. Current projects range from critical perspectives on entrepreneurship (research) to art and entrepreneurship for social inclusion. In the past, her dual exposure to corporate finance and strategic management led to her interdisciplinary PhD research on ‘Synergy valuation in bank mergers’. Subsequently, her work focused on high growth venture creation in the context of commercialisation of university science and research, and cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship education, for which she was awarded EU and US funding as Principal Investigator, while collaborating with a number of US American and Portuguese universities. Regina’s interest in applied research originates from her experience outside academia: Prior to returning to academia full-time, Regina worked in corporate finance and strategic advisory. At Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, UBS and Investcorp, her projects ranged from financial modelling of MBOs, valuations of cross-border acquisitions, to the management of a multi-billion dollar project in Brazil. Regina further consulted on business start-ups and family firms, and participated in the UK launch of Citigroup focusing on new models of financial education. Outside work, music has been a long-lived passion and source of inspiration in Regina’s life. Looking ahead – in entrepreneurial spirit – she plans to exploit synergies between music and management theory and practice. Additional roles at DMU: University Advisor of Enactus DMU, Employability Lead (for Enterprise Subject Group), Member of 'Education for Sustainable Development Forum' ('ESD Forum'). Summary: Researcher, educator and business adviser experienced in international and interdisciplinary settings. Fluent in German, Portuguese, English and French.

Contact Person
	Professor David Rae	david.rae@dmu.ac.uk