Enterprise set to reach new heights at Southampton

One of the country's leading pioneers of the development of Entrepreneurship has been appointed Director of the University of Southampton's new Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Professor Elizabeth Chell has moved from UMIST where she held the Chair in Enterprise and developed a Master of Enterprise programme. At Southampton, she plans to establish a Masters degree in Business Venturing alongside undergraduate modules in entrepreneurship, initially in science, engineering and medicine.

One of her challenges will be convincing the sceptics that entrepreneurship can be taught: "We can't guarantee that every student will end up setting up a major company but we can give them the knowledge and skills, tailored to their needs, that will make them more likely to succeed. The Masters degree is likely to appeal to people with some years experience in their field who have a business idea or a piece of intellectual property they want to exploit."

Experts from the business world will join academics in teaching on the courses.

Professor Chell started out as a biology student but soon realized her deeper interests were in the field of business and especially entrepreneurship. While studying for a higher degree in Edinburgh, she examined the export potential of small firms in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland then became Professor of Management at the University of Newcastle before moving to Manchester.

She said: "I'm looking forward to this opportunity to explore my own vision of entrepreneurship at Southampton which already enjoys an excellent reputation in this field."

Digital image of Professor Chell is available.