28th November 2006

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The Northern Ireland Centre For Entrepreneurship (NICENT), a partnership between the University of Ulster and Queen's University, has gained national recognition for leading the way in fostering business enterprise.

University-sector representative body Universities UK have featured the unique project in their top level briefing document Higher level learning: Universities and employers working together released today. The report showcases how universities are working with employers to develop new business-focused degrees, and to enhance graduate employability.

Higher level learning pulls together case studies from 26 universities across a range of industries including financial services, computing, media and fashion, the public sector, construction and sport and leisure. It also looks at how universities connect with SME's and help instil entrepreneurship.

NICENT was featured in the publication for its work in developing a new culture of entrepreneurship in the local community. The centre's primary focus is to embed the spirit of entrepreneurship in the science, engineering and technology departments in universities in Northern Ireland.

Director of the Centre is Dr Pauric McGowan, who said:

"Our efforts within NICENT to promote appropriate entrepreneurial attitudes among students at all levels within the Centre's partner institutions and indeed amongst staff reflects our belief that entrepreneuerhsip is not just about starting a new business. We within the NICENT partnership seek to engender a change in attitude among students that no longer sees issues such as fear of failure or fear of debt as barriers to their ambitions to make a difference and to live their dreams."

NICENT has developed a partnership with Babson College in Boston, one of the leading centres for entrepreneurship in the United States. One of the main lessons has been to recruit teams of academics from different disciplines working with business people who have become champions for the team.

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young