Business Skills and the Low Carbon Economy is a three-day course for early-stage researchers – both postgraduate and post-doctoral level – designed to equip you with an understanding of climate change and its impact on the economy and business. It is being run through Vitae, the national organisation championing the career development of researchers, and will take place at University of East Anglia from 7th – 9th September 2010.
Designed for both early career researchers (PGRs and Research Staff), our 3 day residential bespoke programme ‘Business Skills and the Low Carbon Economy’ offers you the chance to build on your career portfolio. The programme will equip you with:
- an awareness of the current climate change debate
- an understanding of the low carbon economy
- the implications for business of international and UK policies and regulations for reducing carbon emissions
- business basics – markets and customers, finance, project management
- an awareness of the implications of the LCE for your research
A linking theme throughout will be the ‘Build Your Own Company’ exercise where you will work in groups to develop a business case with carbon reduction as a key element.
The programme will take place at the University of East Anglia, home to one of the world’s premier Environmental Science Schools which was recently ranked 5th in the world for geosciences (Thomson Reuters’ Essential Science Indicators database ). Dr Kevan Williams, UEA Norwich Business School, will lead the course with input from staff from the UEA School of Environmental Sciences and the Norwich Business School. Kevan is the inaugural Course Director of UEA’s MBA Strategic Carbon Management and Director of Norwich Management Development Centre and has a wealth of business experience. Dr Sue Jickells, UEA Centre for Staff and Educational Development and ex Senior Lecturer King’s College London, is the Programme Manager and will be on hand during the programme to offer expertise and advice.
The programme is funded under the Vitae Innovate Scheme. The scheme is designed to encourage innovation in the personal, professional and career development of researchers. Our programme ‘Business Skills and the Low Carbon Economy’ was one of only seven proposals selected for funding from 190 bids submitted to the scheme in 2009. The panel clearly recognised our innovative programme and the importance of raising researcher awareness of the low carbon economy.