Dr Giles Russell

I head up the Entrepreneurship pathway for the MBA programme comprising two modules. The first allows students to explore ideas for a business and the second is project based to develop a plan that would hold up to scrutiny by stakeholders such as investors that could be rolled out. The unique aspect of our course is that many students are looking to create new strategic business units for their family enterprises.

This contrasts considerably from my previous experience of university taught entrepreneurship based on a stand-alone tech based start up and indeed my own experience with building businesses based around analytical instruments and medical device instruments.

I base my teaching and research experience on a career starting in scientific research in which I had to design new instruments for the analysis of materials as a physicist. These were then either commercialised or licensed involving technology transfer and working with collaborating partners on the industrial side. I then went into creating and developing a company for manufacturing and selling bespoke instruments. On exiting that I then advised the UK government and industry on strategic export control issues involving military or dual use technologies.

In the last dozen years or so I returned to starting up businesses, consulting and university teaching of engineering, mathematics and business management. I have been with the University of East London since early 2021.