Birmingham City University, The United Kingdom

With around 23,500 students from 80 countries, BCU is a large and diverse HEI. It is the second largest of 5 universities in Birmingham. With roots dating back to 1843, BCU was designated as a polytechnic in 1971 and gained university status in 1992. It has 3 main campuses serving 4 faculties, and offers courses in art and design, business, the built environment, computing, education, engineering, English, healthcare, law, the performing arts, social sciences, technology. BCU puts £270 million into the regional economy and supports thousands of jobs in the area. Roughly half of the university’s full-time students are from the West Midlands, and a large percentage of these are from ethnic minorities. The university runs access and foundation programmes through an international network of associated universities and has the highest intake of foreign students in the Birmingham area.

BCU is active in knowledge triangle practices and programmes. Its Research, Innovation & Enterprise Team implements the EU-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnerships between enterprises and the HEI and partakes in the Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Network designed specifically to help West Midlands based SMEs achieve profitability and growth through working with a regional university. BCU runs an Innovate for Advantage support programme for enterprises and a Cross Innovation support programme targeted at enterprises seeking internationalisation in EU and cross innovation brokerage. It collaborates with 2 other universities in running the Innovation Vouchers scheme for SMEs. BCU collaborates with enterprises also through bespoke services such as student placements, sponsored degrees, consultancy, training and development, facilities hire

Dr. Charlotte CAREY Position: Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries Marketing Dr. Carey has a creative background including working as a freelance artist and film-maker followed by seven years co-running an internet consultancy. For the past 14 years she has worked, first as a researcher and now Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries Marketing at Birmingham City Business School. Through her research, including PhD, she has acquired an in-depth knowledge of the creative industries sector, a sensitive appreciation of business issues, alongside a deep understanding of the parameters and barriers faced by individuals accessing these industries. Since 2010, she has been a Fellow of Higher Education Academy. In the recent past, she has been involved in research work related to cross innovation (2013-2014) and has been an innovation mentor carrying out consultancy on behalf of the university with local SMEs (2006-2007). She is a member of the Institute of Small Business and Enterprise (ISBE) (2004-present) and chairs the Creative industries Entrepreneurship track for the annual international conference.

Dr. Thomas DOMBOKA Position: Associate Professor at Birmingham City Business School Dr Tom Domboka comes from a strong entrepreneurial background with experience in starting and running new enterprises in Africa and in the UK. He has worked in a variety of organizations in the UK and overseas, and has held many managerial and directorship positions in both large and small organizations. Over the years, Dr. Domboka has supported and provided advice and consultancy to SMEs run by ethnic minority entrepreneurs. He completed his PhD in Leeds Metropolitan University in 2013. His research was on the entrepreneurial experiences of 1st generation female migrant entrepreneurs from Sub-Sahara Africa. A holder of the Cert.Ed. Teaching qualification and a Senior fellow of the Higher Education Agency and Senior Lecturer in entrepreneurship and management, Tom is the course Director of the International MBA Programme. He is also the module leader of a number of entrepreneurship related modules. Apart from teaching, Tom also supervises a number of post graduate research and internship projects and dissertations including PhD students.