The University of Birmingham would like to invite you to a Birmingham Policy Lab workshop to explore the theme of diversity and minority ethnic entrepreneurship in the West Midlands. The event will be held from 12:00 – 16:20 (including lunch) on Tuesday 15 May 2018 at the Nishkam Civic Association in Handsworth.
Overview
This Birmingham Policy Lab will look at the economic and social contributions of minority ethnic entrepreneurs in the West Midlands. More broadly, it will look at the ‘economics of diversity’ in the region, in other words the potential impacts of diverse communities on, for example, productivity, innovation and trade. The workshop will bring together a range of individuals and partner organisations to share good practice, exchange insights and to forge closer connections on this topic.
This session will explore:
- How well do we understand these issues in the West Midlands context?
- What can policymakers (the Mayor and WMCA, LEPs, local authorities) do to develop policy levers to maximise economic gains and minimise trade-offs?
- Where does this agenda sit?
The session will set these questions against larger policy agendas in the region and in the UK, such as the inclusive growth agenda and the UK Industrial Strategy and development of the local Industrial Strategy.
About the Birmingham Policy Lab
This workshop is part of the University of Birmingham’s Birmingham Policy Lab series, these are thematic workshops which bring together the latest academic, policy and practitioner thinking on a given challenge facing the city and wider region, to explore what some of the innovative solutions and partnerships could be.
#bhampolicylab
Agenda
| 12.00 | Arrival – lunch and networking |
| 13.00 | Welcome and introduction by Anne Green (Chair), Professor of Regional Economic Development, University of Birmingham |
| 13.10 | The regional context: WMCA and inclusive growth, Dr Henry Kippin, Director of Public Service Reform, WMCA
Questions |
| 13.40 | Dr Max Nathan, Senior Birmingham Fellow (Regional Economic Development), University of Birmingham and Deputy Director of the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth. Max will talk about the ‘economics of diversity’ and how migration and demographic change shape urban economies.
Questions |
| 14:10 | Professor Monder Ram, Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME), University of Birmingham. Monder shares his experiences of working on a novel cross-sector project on the provision of business support to firms in disadvantaged areas.
Questions |
| 14.40 | Coffee and networking |
| 15.00 | Reflections and panel discussion:
· Dr Henry Kippin, Director of Public Service Reform, WMCA · Ian Mclaughlin, Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP Growth Hub · Saidul Haque, Citizens UK · Sarah Crawley, CEO of iSE, supporting social entreprises |
| 16.10 | Concluding remarks by Anne Green (Chair), Professor of Regional Economic Development, University of Birmingham |
| 16.20 | Close |
Please RSVP by return email to publicaffairs@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.
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