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Winchester University sees part
of it job as encouraging entrepreneurs. To help
students who want to start a business, it is increasing
its enterprise education.Inspiring speakers at
its thrice-a-year Enterprise Lectures for students
and the community have included Greg Dyke and
Sir Terence Conran.
The university has also made grants
available to help students and graduates to launch
their own businesses. Now it is extending its
commitment to entrepreneurship beyond its academic
precincts by sponsoring the Entrepreneur of the
Year category of the Winchester Business Excellence
Awards.
The decision to back up-and-coming
entrepreneurs in the wider community follows the
university's sponsorship last year of the Business
in the Community award category, which was won
by the Slug and Lettuce.
"We want to communicate with the
community, specially business," said Trish Kernan,
the university's business development manager.
We're particularly interested in new businesses."
" The university spent £15,000 last
year on grants to five companies started by current
and former students. They were the Platform School
of Dance; the Lifetime company, lifestyle managers;
Pure Sport, specialist equipment supplier, and
two theatre companies - Wet Picnic and The blueprint
Project.
The business start-up scheme currently
has a further £25,000 available. "We want to support
our graduates and we want to encourage them to
stay in the area," said Trish.
On Winchester Business Excellency
Awards, she said the testimony of previous entrants
showed that competing brought benefits. Dr Loykie
Loic Lomine, of the university's enterprise unit,
agreed. He said the judging process provided a
useful time of reflection for entrepreneurs.
"Whether or not they are successful
in terms of the award, they will have benefited
from the process. It highlights at what stage
they are, and what they can do next." Dr Lomine
said Winchester Business Excellency Awards raised
the profile of Winchester as a dynamic business
community.
Winchester University has 3,000
full-time and 2.500 part-time students. Most are
undergraduates, but a growing number are on masters
and doctoral-level courses. The institution began
as a Church of England college in 1840 and has
been centred on the same King Aflred campus in
Sparkford Road since 1862. It became a university
last year. Courses span the humanities, arts,
social sciences, teacher education, health and
applied social studies, as well as business. The
university contributes to the life of the city
through research, consultancy, professional development
and training, networking opportunities and other
services.
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