About the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship
Endowed by alumnus, entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, we are one of the first and most significant social investments made by the Hunter Foundation. Sir Tom's support of the Hunter Centre is based on the simple premise that education changes lives in many ways, including: aspirations, sense of purpose, employability and what they can ultimately achieve.
The Hunter Centre represents over two decades of sustained investment which has resulted in one of Europe’s leading academic centres for research, teaching and engagement in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and strategy within the context of SMEs and entrepreneurial ventures. The Hunter Centre is home to our staff of 25 scholars and professional team together with extensive networks of entrepreneurs, practitioners and policymakers supporting our external engagement as a place of useful learning. Our excellence recognised by the Small Business Charter Award, from the Chartered Association of Business Schools (2015; 2019), and Entrepreneurial University of the Year, from the Times Higher Education Awards (2013).
We are committed to engaging in, and drawing from, our world-class research to inform the design and delivery of a growing portfolio of programmes from undergraduate study on the BA Business Enterprise, through postgraduate study on the MSc Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology, to our PhD programme.
The Hunter Centre also offers programmes to leaders of ambitious growth-focused businesses in the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem. Including, the pioneering Growth Advantage Programme (GAP), which is unique in Scotland and offers a fresh approach to entrepreneurial learning through a proven format designed to deliver relevant, accessible and practical learning and Productivity through People (PtP), which helps leaders create a high-performance workplace with a fully-engaged, productive workforce. Delivered in collaboration with and subsidised by five world-class organisations, GSK, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Leonardo and The John Lewis Partnership, the programme is endorsed by Be the Business, the business-led organisation created to boost management skills and close the UK’s productivity gap.
Through our research we contribute to the global community of scholars in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and strategy through high-quality publications and by being at the heart of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) research programme, an annual assessment of levels of entrepreneurial activity and participating in the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey (GUESSS), an international investigation of the entrepreneurial intentions and activities of students. Our staff hold research awards from the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), European Union’s Horizon 2020 (EU H2020), Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
We are an ambitious and growing community of leading scholars and welcome inquiries about our research, teaching and engagement activities.
Professor Jill MacBryde Head of Department
Sharon Locke Department Manager
