The University of Northampton is today officially launching its new institutional strategy – it wants to become the UK's leading university for social enterprise.
The launch in the House of Lords will be supported by UnLtd (the world's largest social enterprise start-up programme supporting 8,000 entrepreneurs), The Young Foundation, Northamptonshire County Council, and Universities UK.
There are other UK universities which target the social enterprise sector, but we are the first university to make social enterprise our strategic mission: and by 2015 we aim to be the top university in the UK for social enterprise.
But how are we going to do it? And should other universities consider following our lead?
We chose this path for two reasons. Firstly, we strongly believe that we must provide an education that prepares our graduates for the new world of work, a world in which social enterprise is an increasingly important part. Secondly, because we are committed to playing an active part in the improvement of our local community.
The University of Northampton's social enterprise strategy has three main elements: a new student offer; the integration of social enterprise into teaching, learning and research throughout the University; and a long-term strategic project with local authorities, businesses, the third sector, and individual citizens in Northamptonshire. We aim to delivering significant improvements to the county. We will support decentralisation via social enterprise, and promote the building of social capital.
Our new student offer means that, from October 2011, all our students will have the opportunity, as part of their degree courses, to work in a social enterprise - either one we have set up, one we support them to set up, or one operating in the local community. Delivering this offer will develop new entrepreneurial competences in our student population, significantly enhancing their employability. In addition, many of our students will be able to earn money through their work in social enterprises.
All our research centres are currently identifying how social enterprise can be integrated with existing research projects; and all new research projects are considering how social enterprise can be included. However, we also recognise that social enterprise is not relevant for some areas of research. But we are not unquestioning about or uncritical of social enterprise, many of our research projects are actively questioning whether social enterprise and decentralisation are the way ahead for some sectors.
After all, we are a university, and asking difficult questions is what we are good at.
The third main element of our strategy is the Inspire Northamptonshire initiative, which is delivered in partnership with Northamptonshire County Council and social enterprises, businesses, and public sector organisations throughout the county. Inspire supports the county's new and existing social enterprises and community and voluntary organisations by providing them with training, development and expert support so they can become more professional and take advantage of the opportunities that are emerging as a result of the decentralisation agenda to deliver public services.
Our aim for the Inspire project is unashamedly ambitious; we want Northamptonshire to be the Silicon Valley of social enterprise in the UK.
The University of Northampton's new social enterprise strategy marks out a new role for a university in the UK. We know that there is some excellent work going on in many other universities that prepares their students to be social entrepreneurs. However, our institution-wide approach makes us, we think, more relevant to our community than we have been and many other universities are.
We want our students and graduates to be socially enterprising, continually looking for ways in which both they, and their future employers, can contribute to a better society.
Will other universities follow our lead? Possibly - if they share our analysis that the social enterprise sector will become increasingly important, then to prepare their graduates for gainful and responsible employment in the sector, new engagement initiatives and new courses will be developed. With over 120 universities in the UK there is definitely room for diverse strategies and provision. Social enterprise will be an increasing part of that provision, and Northampton is there first.
Simon Denny is social enterprise development director at the University of Northampton
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