Zayed Future Energy Prize Awarded to Saïd Business School Alums’ Venture
The Skoll Centre and The Skoll Foundation joined in congratulating M-KOPA Solar, a venture founded by a team of Skoll Scholars and Saïd Business School alumni, on being awarded this year’s Zayed Future Energy Prize for Small and Medium Enterprise. The $1.5m cash prize was awarded during the opening ceremony of the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in mid-January
M-KOPA Solar is a high quality solar energy provider which offers a mobile installment method of paying for solar energy, making high quality solar affordable for everyone. The company has pioneered a better way to supply safe power to millions of off-grid homes. It sells solar home systems on an affordable mobile money payment plan, enabling customers who complete the payment package to own a world-class solar home system, with multiple lights, phone charging and a radio.
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Saïd Business School Research Highlighted by Richard Branson and Others at World Economic Forum
Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, led an event at the World Economic Forum yesterday that unveiled initial findings from new research by EY and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
The findings, which reveal how leading companies are transforming with a purpose to drive innovation and growth, were discussed by distinguished panelists that included: Arianna Huffington, President & Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post Media; Antony Jenkins, Group CEO, Barclays; Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever; Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman & CEO, Mondelez International; and Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO, EY.
Saïd Business School Dean’s Research Drives American Savings Promotion Act
On December 18, 2014, President Obama signed the American Savings Promotion Act (ASPA) into law. The Federal bill grew out of pilot testing and research conducted over the last eight years by Peter Tufano, Dean of Saïd Business School, working in collaboration with Doorways to Dreams (D2D), the social enterprise that he co-founded in 2000 to support the finances of low income Americans by developing innovative financial products and public policies.
The bill removes US federal prohibitions on banks offering Prize Linked Savings (PLS) products, which are savings vehicles where the collective interest of savers is redistributed via a raffle-like draw – similar to National Premium Bonds in the UK.
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Saïd Business and Oxford Martin Schools Launch Cybersecurity Capacity Portal
The Cybersecurity Capacity Portal has been created by the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre, based at the Oxford Martin School, in partnership with Saïd Business School – both at the University of Oxford. It gives information on a wide range of essential elements of cybersecurity – from national policies, regulation and protecting against cybercrime, to encouraging responsible cyber culture and building skills in the workforce and leadership – to a wide constituent base.
Content is collated by a team of researchers at the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre. They bring publically-available material (including government directives, case studies, articles, videos and industry insights) together within the portal to act as a central point of reference. Users can also join discussion groups or suggest new content to ensure that the portal contains the latest thinking on threat-related issues.
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8th Oxford India Business Forum Held in Mumbai
The 8th Oxford India Business Forum was held on December 9th in Mumbai, focusing on the theme of Responsible Business – an area that is being championed across research, events, teaching and student and alumni initiatives at Saïd Business School. Representatives from various Indian professional sectors jointly explored what responsibility means, the role of business in economies and society, and how that role will be defined under the new government and recent legislation.
In his opening keynote, UK Sinha (Chairman, SEBI) explained the role regulators already play in India by insisting on explicit policies and practices covering shareholder democracy, transparency, and minority protection structures. The main role, he asserted, has to be played by corporations building a culture of responsible business from within.
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New Oxford Executive MBA Partnership Supports Job Creation In Rural India
A social venture, working to address mass unemployment in rural India, inspired a new initiative set up by three Executive MBA students from Saïd Business School. Inclusive Ventures Limited (IVL) is creating sustainable jobs for underprivileged rural communities in a number of locations around the world. The initiative is inspired by the experience and success of RuralShores, an Indian social venture which provides skills and employment to more than 5,000 people in 25 centres in India, servicing 30+ client firms and government departments.
The partnership with IVL will follow the RuralShores’ model and invest in up to 5 centers across rural India. IVL and RuralShores will also explore opportunities for IVL to invest directly into RuralShores when such possibilities arise and to expand the model outside India.
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