Development Programme for Leaders of Engagement (DPLoE) 2023-2024

DPLoE supports those leading, or aspiring to lead, on engagement within their institution to develop their leadership and strategic capabilities to manage engagement performance, strategy, and funding in a rapidly changing engagement landscape. This programme has been designed for both academics and those working in professional services within the global business school community, and aims to create a self-sustaining international cohort through a combination of expert input, peer support and networking opportunities.

The programme consists of 3 in-person and 1 online session to facilitate inclusion of international delegates.

The new DPLoE is delivered as four sessions intended to explore and inspire participants to think imaginatively about how they lead engagement in their own business schools, by creating a culture that encourages, enables and supports colleagues to engage with individuals and organisations in what they do. The programme is structured around the following topics:

What is engagement and where does it take place?
Engagement as strategy
Engaging with who, why & how
Supporting and scaling engagement
Embedding engagement

Testimonial:

"Being part of this programme has been transformative for me in several ways. Firstly, it clearly convinced me, and indeed others within my own institution, that engagement is becoming ever more important within Business Schools and Universities. Secondly, the access to Vice Chancellors, Deans and key senior voices within the academic engagement environment such as UKRI has been seriously impressive - they’ve provided me with strategies and concepts that can help my engagement work to have a greater institutional impact. Thirdly, the cohort itself provided a wealth of different ideas and points of connection which I will undoubtedly call upon in the future, let alone being the support network required when pursuing ‘the third mission’!

I recommend this programme to anybody who is keen to learn more about the power of increasing engagement activity within their institution and critically, how to actually achieve it. You’ll learn a lot, meet all the right people and be energised to powerfully use University engagement activity with new passion and inspiration."

Sarah Lethbridge, Pro Dean of External Engagement, Cardiff University

Participant comments from the inaugural cohort:

'Loved hearing from delegates about the other areas of engagement.'

'These sessions are generating loads of ideas for me!'

'Some really great access to key thoughtleaders in the field'

Testimonials

"The best aspects of the DPDoE programme were the opportunity to connect, share and learn from peers across the UK as well as gain access to knowledgeable and candid guest speakers from various HEI stakeholder groups. It was helpful to temporarily step away from the day job, reflect on the topics discussed, and I came away with a long list of ideas to help deliver my strategic plans."

Hazel Kennedy, External Engagement Manager, The University of Liverpool

'Participating in this training was transformative; it crystalized my understanding of engagement's pivotal role in academia, equipping me with invaluable insights that I now apply in my role as Director of Engagement'

Annelies Clusters, Director of Engagement

Facilitator - Prof Tim Vorley OBE

Professor Tim Vorley is Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School and leads on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise cross the University. His research is on entrepreneurship, enterprise and regional economic development. He works extensively with government departments and has been involved in a number of projects examining the impact of Covid-19 on small and micro businesses.

Tim has led and participated in several large projects funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK, UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), and Horizon Europe. He currently leads the Innovation Caucus funded by ESRC and Innovate UK, was Co-Director of the ESRC funded Productivity Insights Network, and PI of the NextGenPSF project funded by UKRI to accelerate AI Readiness in law and accountancy firms.

Tim is a member of the ESRC Strategic Advisory Network, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Skills and Talent Advisory Group, and chairs the ESRC’s Transforming Business through Social Science advisory group. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Small Business Charter, created by Lord Young, which is leading the delivery of the Help to Grow Management programme through business schools across the UK.

Tim is also Vice-Chair of the Small Business Charter, created by Lord Young to recognise business schools that play an effective role in supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurship.

Speakers from Previous Programme

Who should apply?

Engagement is an activity that has relevance to all portfolios, so whether leading or aspiring to lead the engagement portfolio or looking to better understand more about how engagement enhances teaching and research, the DPLoE programme will add value and provide actionable insights.

This programme has been designed for participants within the global business school community both professional services and academics.

Programme

Session 1: Engagement as Strategy (in-person)

Date: Thursday, 23rd and Friday, 24th November 2023

Venue: MYO - Liverpool Street, 69 Old Broad Street, London, EC2M 1QS

Session 2: Engaging with Who, Why and How (Online)

Date: Thursday, 25th and Friday, 26th January 2024

Venue: Online

Session 3: Supporting and Scaling Engagement (in-person)

Date: Thursday, 11th and Friday, 12th April 2024

Venue: The Royal Pavilion, King William IV Room, 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE. Including complimentary tour of The Pavilion on Day 2.

Session 4: Embedding and Evaluating of Engagement (in-person)

Date: Thursday, 13th and Friday, 14th June 2024

Venue: Soho Works, 180 Strand, London, WC2R 1EA

Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions. A participant will not be awarded a certificate of completion if they fail to attend more than one session.

All modules are 24 hour 'lunch-to-lunch' sessions, the usual format being:

Day one

12:00 Registration & lunch

13:00 Day One session starts

The programme will include break(s)

17:00 Day One session concludes

19:00 Dinner

Day Two

08:30 Refreshments

09:00 Day Two session starts

The programme will include break(s)

12:00 Day Two programme concludes

>>The programme fee includes Dinner at a local restaurant on the evening of day one<<

Fees and Enquiries

Programme fee: £4,150

Please note: Due to the nature of the programme which focuses on personal development and encourages frank and open discussion, it may not always be suitable for two participants to attend from the same institution. If we receive more than one registration from individuals at the same institution we will notify the institution and the participants, taking account of when the registrations were received, and ask for guidance on whether one or both can attend in the same cohort. The cohort is limited to a maximum of 25. Once all places are taken, applicants will be placed on a waiting list.