Vision:

 “To provide today’s students with the skills required to transform tomorrow’s businesses such that the values of socio-economic sustainability are at their core”

Why is there a need for the business course?

There has recently been a dearth of entrepreneurship in the U.K. and this is partly because for many students – especially those from a non-business background – the daily operations of a business are a black box. While Cambridge is a brilliant university for building academic skills, the resources to teach students the skills necessary to succeed in business aren’t always readily available.

We believe the business course will help equip the students with the basic skills they need to start thinking about running a business, or skills that will be highly valued in any career they choose to join. Furthermore, we hope to teach the students how to use the skills in an economically and socially sustainable manner.

Lent 2012 Business Course Schedule

23rd January: Companies and Markets – Ignacio Pérez Hallerbach (McKinsey and Beyond Profit)

• The different types of businesses
• The spaces in which they operate

30th January: Sustainability – Aurélie Dumont (Veja)

• What does it mean to be sustainable?
• The importance of sustainability
• How to strive for it
• Brief for final week competition

6th February: The Important Numbers – Julia Fan Li (Africa Innovation Prize and Institute for Manufacturing)

• Doing the accounts
• Exploring the risks and returns
• Methods specific to enterprises ‘beyond profit’

13th February: Web Technologies and Enterprise – Sobia Hamid (DataGiving)

• The different uses of technology
• Getting the most out of the internet
• Apps to push boundaries to make the world a better place

20th February: Marketing Workshop – Matt Kepple (Make Worldwide)

• Why good marketing is essential
• Marketing tools and tips
• Promoting the good you do

27th February: Negotiations Workshop – Mark de Rond (JBS)

• What is negotiation?
• Traps and pitfalls and how to achieve your goals
• Developing skills of communication and co-operation

5th March: Networking – Shai Vyakarnam (JBS CfEL)

• Common misconceptions
• How to ignite and foster lasting and productive relationships
• A chance to put it into practice!

12th March: Final Week Competition – Tom Rippin (On Purpose), Guri Hummelsund (UnLtd)

• The chance to use the skills you have acquired to present your entrepreneurial remedy to the social problem you identified in week 2
• A panel of judges will be on board to provide feedback, give advice on how to proceed and choose a winner