On 14th January 2025, a dynamic and collaborative event took place at the University of Gloucestershire. The ECSB-funded interactive colloquium, supported by Enterprise Educators UK (EEUK) and the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), brought together both academics and practitioners to explore key topics within extra-curricular enterprise and entrepreneurship education.

The event, titled “Bridging the Gap,” set out to facilitate meaningful dialogue between researchers and those on the frontlines of university enterprise education. It provided an invaluable platform for both established and emerging academics and practitioners from various enterprise and entrepreneurship roles within universities to discuss how to enhance research and better impact practice. The day’s agenda was filled with engaging discussions, workshops, and case studies that encouraged participants to examine the intersection of theory and practice in the development of research-informed curricula and continuous improvement of extra-curricular enterprise activities.

Director of EEUK Dr Catherine Brentnall said: “It was fantastic to be part of an event that facilitated face to face conversations between academics and practitioners to explore how research can be used in practice. I truly believe that we can all learn from each other to progress our extra-curricular enterprise and entrepreneurship education.” Catherine’s perspective On Realist Evaluation resonated with participants, underscoring the need for collaboration between academics and practitioners to ensure the impact of research..

The event culminated in the creation of an impact evaluation framework for extra-curricular enterprise initiatives. The workshop emphasised the importance of not only designing impactful initiatives but also measuring their success to inform ongoing development. “Building frameworks that measure real impact is essential,” said Dr Emily Beaumont, Chair of the event,“It’s about understanding how to evaluate initiatives so that they can continue to evolve and better serve the needs of our students.”

The day’s conversations and shared insights proved that, together, academics and practitioners can create an enterprise education ecosystem that is both research-informed and practically impactful. The event also provided a clear reminder of the importance of continuous dialogue and collaboration to enhance the student experience and foster a culture of enterprise. In recognition of this, the event organisers; Dr Emily Beaumont, Dr Sarah Preedy and Dr Michael Breum Ramsgaard are continuing their work in this area so watch this space for outputs and further calls to action!