The programme aims to increase accessibility to leadership positions in business by placing students in a start-up, scale-up or SMEs.
Liber is an eight-week programme open to University of Oxford undergraduates from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds with the aim of increasing accessibility to leadership positions in business. The programme launched this week, it will provide experience in varied and fast-paced business environments, access to networks and personal development coaching for the participating students.
- Liber is a programme run by the Entrepreneurship Centre, Oxford Saïd and supported by Santander Universities.
- The focus of the Liber programme this year is to provide University of Oxford undergraduates from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds the opportunity to increase their accessibility to leadership positions in business.
- Developed in response to the fact that people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds face huge barriers in the workforce, resulting in an underrepresentation in leadership positions across many organisations. As of July 2021, just three Black CEOs, and only two Black women have ever led a Global Fortune 500 company (i).
The Liber Programme was originally launched in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 crisis where it served as a unique way to share knowledge, expertise and to support one another through difficult times.
Since its inception, Liber has grown to connect 210 Oxford students and alumni with 54 UK start-ups, scale-ups, and SMEs through a highly collaborative programme.
By becoming a Liber Fellow students will:
- Complete an eight-week summer placement project in a start-up, scale-up or SME sourced by the Entrepreneurship Centre at Oxford Saïd.
- Benefit from exposure to the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem through various networking sessions.
- Receive personal development coaching from qualified experts.
- Benefit from a £3,000 financial bursary.
Miranda Townsend, Programme Manager, Entrepreneurship Centre at Oxford Saïd commented:
'Liber offers Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic undergraduates here at Oxford the chance to immerse themselves in the busy and varied start-up ecosystem. By working alongside entrepreneurs and receiving tailored coaching from experts, Liber Fellows will build on their personal and professional development goals. The Entrepreneurship Centre is proud to be delivering this initiative for the third year and I am really looking forward to working with the 2022 cohort of students and businesses.'
Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities UK, said:
'Over the past decade, Santander Universities has collaborated with its network of university partners to ensure students from diverse backgrounds are supported into university, work and self-employment, so we’re delighted to support the Saïd Business School at The University of Oxford in creating entrepreneurial opportunities offered by this year’s Liber Project programme.'
Programme components
- Work project for Liber Fellows: Starting in July 2022, Oxford University undergraduate students from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds – to be known as Liber Fellows – will undertake funded eight-week placements with high-growth start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs or innovation departments. Liber Fellows will commit to the programme full-time (37.5 hours per week). Most of their time (30-35 hours per week) will be spent working with each venture on a pre-defined project. The rest of their time will consist of participation masterclasses, networking events and 1-1 personal development coaching. The resources, networks and training opportunities that all Liber Fellows will have access to for the duration of the eight-week programme will support their personal and professional development and help them build practical skills that can be applied to successfully deliver on the objectives of the placement project with each venture.
- Personal development coaching: Through Liber, student fellows will have access to leadership coaching to support them in furthering their careers post-study. To allow enough time for the fellows to benefit from this coaching, each student will have four sessions of one-hour each.
- Access to content: Student fellows and businesses will benefit from industry clinics and entrepreneurial masterclasses delivered by Oxford academics, practitioners and industry experts.
- Community building: Liber enables participants to build a network of like-minded entrepreneurs, students, and experts. The programme will achieve this by facilitating networking events with the fellows, businesses and mentors. This also provides an opportunity for Santander to engage with both student fellows and businesses.
- Liber Fellow showcase: The fellow showcase will officially bring Liber 2022 to a close, by welcoming investors, business practitioners, Oxford Saïd faculty, students and alumni. The event will provide a platform for the student fellows to present their achievements and to highlight their entrepreneurial journeys through the programme. The event will be a celebration of talent and will be a rich opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and growth.
- Access to Santander platforms for Liber Fellows: Student fellows within the Liber cohort will have access to Santander’s scholarships platform to further their learning throughout the programme.