News

Encouraging a Spirit of Entrepreneurship

(6 November 2002)

Graduates who have achieved enormous success in setting up and running their own businesses aim to inspire others to follow in their footsteps at the University of Durham's first Entrepreneurship Fair at Sir James Knott Hall, Trevelyan College, on Tuesday 19 November from 2p.m. to 4.30 pm.

Sharing their business expertise with students and graduates are successful graduate entrepreneurs, Steven Bell, Raoul Morley and Joanne McDonald who will be speaking about their thriving businesses providing online internet training, designing and manufacturing bespoke mountain bikes and producing and marketing teddy bears.

Rachel Orange, Enterprise Exchange Manager and one of the event organisers said: "This is the first time the University of Durham has held a career event dedicated to business start-up. An increasing number of students are choosing to be their own boss after graduation, and we aim to support as many of these budding entrepreneurs as possible."

Organised jointly by the University's Careers Service and the Enterprise Exchange, the event is designed to provide business start-up support to current students as well as graduates who may be interested in returning to the North East region and setting up their own businesses.

The Entrepreneurship Fair will be opened by Jonathan Jenkins, Communications Director of Ofex, the off-exchange share-trading platform provider based in central London, who is keen to encourage and support student enterprise. Jonathan will welcome fellow guest speakers Simon Parker, Professor of Entrepreneurship with the Barclays Centre for Entrepreneurship based at Durham Business School, the University of Durham, and Ted Fuller, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Foresight at Teesside Business School, the University of Teesside.

Sponsored by the North East Centre for Scientific Enterprise, Max Robinson, Enterprise Education Manager at the North East Centre for Scientific Enterprise said: "We hope that this event will stimulate and crystallize the excellent business ideas that we know exist within our student community. We are committed to encouraging this entrepreneurial spirit wherever possible."

Exhibitions of start-up and funding support, and three seminars running concurrently offer participants the opportunity to put questions relating to all aspects of business start-up to panels of 'experts' and graduate entrepreneurs from within the region.

Brenda Turnbull, Careers Advisory Service Employer Relations Manager and another of the event organisers said: "The event will highlight some of the opportunities and practical help available to anyone thinking of starting their own business as a career option, as well as the chance to talk to those who have already taken the entrepreneurship plunge. It is hoped that this will become an annual event."

Students and members of staff from other universities in the region are also invited to attend the event.