Title: Philosophy Social Enterprise Competition 

Department: Philosophy

Staff Lead: Lorenzo Serini

Overview:

Students were invited to pitch and present their own social enterprise ideas, grounded in philosophical concepts, that demonstrate how the discipline of philosophy and philosophers can make a difference within their local community. Students were invited to join a team of five to develop a social enterprise that would not only benefit the wider Coventry and Warwickshire community, but also encourage them to consider different opportunities that are available, and the many types of roles students can be involved in who study philosophy. 

Outcomes:

There were three finalists, Jude, Giles, Elif, Robert, and Isaac with Café Philosophique, Ryan, Yit, and Kenneth with the First Principles School Programme, and Harry and Kieran with Per|Spective. Multiple stakeholders across the university were invited to participate, including academics from the philosophy department, members of Warwick Enterprise, and the student opportunity team. Students were invited to consider the philosophical approaches, methodology, and considerations within their approach. Congratulations to Ryan, Yit, and Kenneth who are working on introducing the First Principles School Programme into schools across the West Midlands for the Autumn Term.  

Evaluation:

The event was a success, with students being able to share their ideas. In the future, students wanted more judging criteria to be made available to help them understand what specifically they were being assessed on. Introducing the competition earlier to fit around the academic schedule was advised in order to make the event accessible to multiple students. Introducing guidance and possible training to help people understand social enterprises in more detail was highly recommended. 

Embedding:

We anticipate running the event again with a longer run-up time and possible training and support to help students understand how to setup a social enterprise business. Advertising should take place earlier in the year to allow students enough time to develop their ideas.