Research and Policy

We foster graduate and PhD level research and therefore welcome individuals, particularly African scholars who have a career or interest in entrepreneurship and leadership to apply to our PhD programme.

Individuals without the relevant qualifications can also enrol in our masters MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship and MA HRM and Leadership courses as routes to undertaking a programme of research leading to an MPhil or a PhD within the University. To this end, those interested in pursuing a fulltime or a part-time doctoral programme attached to the Centre are encouraged to apply.

Support for CAEL research students

The university through its Doctoral College provides a wide range of opportunities and facilities for research students to acquire skills that will help strengthen the quality and rigour of their research, and strengthen their overall preparation for academic career. There are more than 25 topics/sessions in our Research Skills Development programme, and the topics include:

• Managing and sharing information
• Developing a research publication strategy
• Poster presentation and Visio for poster design
• Introduction to SPSS
• Using QMethodology in your Research
• Questionnaire design
• Structural equation modelling

In addition to these, the Doctoral College organises conferences and events where research students are able to network and share ideas with their peers as well as other established researchers and staff within the university.

The university also provides all post graduate research students with opportunities to undertake teaching skills training that enables them to be recognised as Associate Fellows of the Higher Education Academy, UK. There are, along with the teaching skills trainings, opportunities to undertake teaching and/or demonstrating as appropriate within the faculty.

Within the Business School and the Faculty of Social Sciences, there are additional training and networking opportunities in seminars and workshops, all contributing to an enriching learning and social experience of our CAEL doctoral students in the university.

We undertake contract research in form of a consultancy on behalf of institutions, businesses, governments and donor agencies interested in developing knowledge and policy in any aspect of entrepreneurship, leadership, corporate social responsibility and governance.

Our expertise has been in undertaking impact case study and surveys for policy and implementation related to

• Entrepreneurship education.
• Development of graduate and business start-up schemes.
• Agribusiness programmes.
• Establishment of entrepreneurship centres.

The University is a member of Universities UK and subscribes to The Concordat. We are committed to the fulfilment of our contractual obligations to clients as defined by specific stipulations and conditions detailed in a contract, including meeting defined deliverables and due dates, ownerships, patents, licensing agreements and provisions for confidentiality and ethical use of information supplied and created in the process of fulfilling such obligations as may be required and defined within a contract.

Our collaborative membership is specifically designed for established and early career researchers and individuals from Africa that have an approved research grant or funding.

Members would need to demonstrate a clear research focus in respect of Africa SMEs, Africa’s Informal Economy/Informal Sector, Leadership and Governance in Africa, Human Resource Management and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Membership is administered through our International Research Network (IRN) and the aim is to provide members with access to our University’s state-of-the-art Learning Centre and E-innovation facilities to undertake their research in a world-class intellectual environment. Members would need to demonstrate a clear research focus along Africa SMEs, Africa’s Informal Economy/Informal Sector, Leadership and Governance in Africa, Human Resource Management and Corporate Social Responsibility.

CAEL has no funds to support memberships. It is expected that members will be self-supporting, funded by their own institution, or by a grant/fund held by the individual/group.

CAEL operates a two-tier bench fee, determined at the Director’s discretion. In general, members would need to demonstrate a clear research focus and link with the mission of CAEL and/or our partner institution in Africa. Members would be willing to support our mission and agenda in Africa in a clearly defined way, through association with a specific project and/or with a defined member of CAEL and/or University staff.

Application to CAEL’s collaborative membership can be obtained through

1) Collaborative Fellowships,

2) Visiting Professor,

3) Visiting Scholar,

4) Honorary Visiting Fellow 

5) Sabbaticals.

For further enquiries please contact CAEL@wlv.ac.uk.