Neil Coles joins Dave Jarman on the honours roll call at Enterprise Educators UK (EEUK), which advocates for entrepreneurship education and supports best practice among staff across its member institutions.
Neil is currently External Partnerships Manager at Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which has a mission to build the business starters of the future.
Recent graduates have remodelled the gaming market and developed the UK’s first female urinal. Current students are creating a business that enables sporting connections across campuses.
Neil said: “It’s a huge honour to join the distinguished ranks of EEUK’s Honorary Fellows.
“Enterprise is now seen as an integral part of university education and Bristol has led the way in that mission, developing students who will become the next generation of innovative and progressive business builders.”
Students at the Centre take one of 14 regular subjects but combine their studies with Innovation units, eventually graduating with an integrated masters in that subject and Innovation. Postgraduates can join one of five tailored Innovation and Entrepreneurship Masters.
All courses encourage students to use what they learn to find creative solutions to social issues or to develop commercial opportunities.
Neil joined the EEUK Board in August 2017 and was elected Treasurer the following year. During his time on the Board, he restructured the financial infrastructure of EEUK and managed their accounts through the pandemic.
He also took responsibility for elements of the new Governance Structures and helped remodel the National Enterprise Educators Awards. EEUK announced him as an honorary fellow this week.
Tansy Jessop, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education at the University of Bristol, said: “We launched the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in response to a survey which found that 30 per cent of students planned to become entrepreneurs after leaving university. The Centre has won numerous national awards, most recently for delivering exceptional entrepreneurship education.
“Neil has been a big part of the Centre’s success over the past six years and his appointment is testament to his hard work with both the Centre and EEUK.”
Dave Jarman is currently a Senior Lecturer and Post-Graduate Programmes Director at Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He was appointed an EEUK Honorary Fellow in 2014.