New membership expands support for business founders

In recent years, The Open University (OU) has been growing its teaching and research to support individuals starting new businesses – and a new membership will help this impact to expand further.

The Open University is now a member of the Babson Collaborative, a global membership organisation for educational institutions focused on advancing entrepreneurship education and research. It was founded by Babson Academy, part of Babson College – globally renowned for entrepreneurship education.

Supporting entrepreneurs

In recent years the OU has been expanding its focus on support entrepreneurialism. Open Business Creators aims to create the UK’s largest and most inclusive entrepreneurial learning community for those aspiring to start or grow their business.

The Business Export Exchange Programme, in collaboration with TIN Ventures, aims to help founders expand their businesses into global markets with education and support. Furthermore, the OU’s triple-accredited business school offers a range of other undergraduate and postgraduate programmes which build entrepreneurial skills.

Bringing global expertise to the OU

Dr Aqueel Wahga, Director, Centre for Social and Sustainable Enterprise at the OU’s Business School explained that membership of this prestigious organisation will have a wide range of benefits for the OU, its students and employer partners in the entrepreneurial space.

This membership allows our academic community to connect with world leaders in entrepreneurial education and research. The knowledge exchange facilitated by the Collaborative will significantly help our capacity building and staff development within the university and give us access to world-class workshops, conferences and resources.

Dr Aqueel Wahga
Director, Centre for Social and Sustainable Enterprise, OU Business School

“As our relationship develops, we hope to offer opportunities for student and academic exchange, and potentially put forward winners of our Open Business Creators funding competitions into prestigious competitions organised by Babson Collaborative.

“We are excited about possibilities this membership brings to our work and expect to see this reflected as we grow our teaching and research impact in the field.”

I’m absolutely delighted that The Open University Business School has become a member of The Babson Collaborative. This partnership will not only enhance our international reach but it will provide our students and staff with unparalleled access to cutting‑edge entrepreneurship education, world‑leading workshops and collaborative networks. It’s a significant milestone in our mission to support business founders and enrich our teaching and research impact globally.

Prof Keith Schofield
Head of The Open University Business School

Dr Andrew Gilbert, the Faculty of Business and Law (FBL) Associate Dean, Curriculum and Partnerships, said: "Colleagues have commented on how much we stand to gain from our alliance with Babson – and I echo those comments 100% – but I’m also looking forward to what the OU Business School will bring to the Collaborative. I’m sure our unique experience of successfully delivering business education by supported open learning for more than 40 years is something other schools will want to learn from."