Help to Grow alumni network expands with new events

The Dean of Business School from Huddersfield University opened the session with statistics on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), such as their contribution to overall UK economy & employment. According to the data Yorkshire and Humber was on the lower side of the graph (no. of SMEs per 10,000 people) and hence has wider scope of growth. The Dean also highlighted the importance of Business Schools collaborating with SMEs through KTPs and applied research.

The keynote speaker Professor Adrian Furnham delivered a masterclass on Leadership and Motivation. He shared interesting insights on how to engage and retain employees, which many of our alumni found inspiring. Recruitment and retention is a major problem for many SMEs in the region. 

The discussion panel on Digital Transformation, where Dr Alan Shaw represented Leeds Business School discussed the key aspects of Digital Transformation. The other panellists were Professor Sankar Sivarajah (Dean of School of Management, Bradford), Jon Brunton (Growth Hub Manager, Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership) and John Palfreyman (Lecturer at Leeds University School).

The second event, held at Leeds Beckett, took place on 25 January and was intended for our internal network of Help to Grow Alumni and consisted of a Futures & Foresight workshop. The day used this famous methodology to introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and how to anticipate and incorporate related adaptation strategies for this technology in the future. The workshop was delivered by Dr Karen Vollum-Dix, Dr Niki Kyriakidou, Dr Joy Ogbemudia & Dr Nick Beech. The academic team delivering the day are all members of the Futures Research Group. 

The workshop was divided into three short sessions focusing on:
1. Critical analysis phase involving detailed analysis of the current situation/technology
2. Visionary phase where future visions are built upon the analysis in the first phase; these are then subject to a reality check.
3. Implementation phase where the visions are turned into actions
Participants were divided to smaller groups to brainstorm about various approaches and implementations of AI & Machine Learning to their respective businesses. 

All attendees were given ample scope to network and share their experiences

The workshop was well received by participants. Many commented that they found this way of thinking about their business strategy innovative and are likely to embed this process into their future business planning.