St Mary’s University enters formal partnership with social entrepreneurship organisation, SEED

St Mary’s University, Twickenham, has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pakistan-based social entrepreneurship and equity development organisation, SEED.

The new partnership is aimed at instilling entrepreneurship in students and inspiring innovation and new business models that help to deliver positive social and economic development in the UK and abroad.

Through the agreement, SEED will act as a strategic partner to St Mary’s in the launch of a new Centre for Global Public Service and Social Innovation at the University and the planning and delivery of a new Masters programme in Global Public Policy and Social Innovation.

The Centre for Global Public Service and Social Innovation will focus on public leadership and management at the intersection of market, state and civil society, and the implications for how policy is made, services delivered and enterprise unleashed. SEED will assist with particular strands on social enterprise, innovation and enterprise at the bottom of the economic pyramid, with the organisation’s CEO and Co-founder, Faraz Khan, joining St Mary’s as a Visiting Professor in Social Enterprise and Innovation.

In collaboration with others, the partners will also work together to plan and deliver the University’s new Master of Science programme, with SEED providing access to networks and contributing expert staff who will also help to deliver entrepreneurship modules within the University’s School of Management and Social Sciences. 

In turn, the Director of the Centre for Global Public Service and Social Innovation will assist with SEED’s intended growth into Africa and Asia, harnessing existing links to faith-based universities, donor organisations and other NGOs. 

Speaking about the partnership, Professor of Social Justice and Innovation at St Mary’s, Francis Davis, who will lead the new Centre, said:

“We are delighted to be working with SEED as part of the exciting new programme of work we are developing at St Mary’s. We hope that the knowledge-sharing derived from this partnership will not only allow our students to benefit from SEED’s experience in facilitating entrepreneurship at a range of levels in Pakistan, but will also provide high quality research and education opportunities for addressing some of the complex challenges we face globally.”

CEO & Co-founder of SEED, Faraz Khan, said:

“Building global partnerships at every level – from government to business – that are mutually enhancing will be key to securing successful futures for developed and emerging economies alike in a time of unmatched disruption. We are delighted to work with St Mary’s to develop a generation of leaders that have the expertise, outlook and adaptability to build those partnerships and shape the future, acting both globally and hyper-locally. We believe the nature and delivery of SEED’s partnership with St Mary’s will itself prove the long-term value of bringing together skills from different sectors and experiences from developed and emerging countries.”