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Institute of Directors holds first Dorset conference at Bournemouth University

5 December 2012

Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of BU, opens the conference.

Day-long conference looked at relationship and tensions between the public and private sectors

Bournemouth University played host to the first Dorset Institute of Directors (IoD) conference today.

The Institute of Directors aims to support businesses and the people who run them, and the day-long conference - which took place in Kimmeridge House, on Talbot Campus - addressed the tensions between the public and private sectors.

The conference was organised in association with Bournemouth University, Align and Business Solent, and speakers included Tobias Elwood, MP for Bournemouth East, and Debbie Ward, CEO of Dorset County Council.

Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of BU, opened the conference.

He said that there was an "interesting dialogue between higher education and businesses in the region."

He added: "We are working closely with the Institute of Directors to support students and develop the leaders, entrepreneurs and talent for the future."

Professor Matthew Bennett, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Enterprise and Internationalisation at BU, was one of the speakers at the conference - talking about Higher Education and its links with business.

He said that Bournemouth University had a national and international reputation, and added hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy.

He added: "We are the core of the Dorset knowledge economy and I would argue that is the key to economic growth."

Leslie Spiers, Dorset IoD Committee Member, said that he hoped the conference would be the start of a "great partnership" between the university and business.

"I think there are great opportunities at Bournemouth University and this conference is a good springboard," he said.

Photograph by Douglas Benge

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