Skoll World Forum

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An annual gathering where the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs and thought leaders come together to exchange ideas for a better world.

About the Skoll World Forum

Visit the official website

The Skoll World Forum is the premier international platform for advancing entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

The purpose of the event is to accelerate the impact of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs by uniting them with essential partners in a collaborative pursuit of learning, leverage, and large-scale social change.

This event is run by The Skoll Foundation. The Skoll Centre traditionally hosts the event at Saïd Business School, also running its own events alongside it. However, this year we invite you to join us virtually on 13-15 April.

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Skoll World Forum 2021

Join global change leaders for plenaries, sessions and networking on 13-15 April for the virtual Skoll World Forum.

The theme for this year’s Forum is ‘Closing the Distance’ exploring local and global divides as we work together to build bridges. The programme will be a mix of plenaries, sessions, networking activities, a Community Hub, and more. 

Each year, the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship organises topical sessions as part of the main Forum programming. This year, the Skoll Centre will look at ‘the who’ and ‘the how’ of systems change work, bringing together different perspectives from our Oxford community, and beyond, to unpack this topic. These two sessions are: 

  • Agents of Change: Aligning system perspectives for action  
  • Cultivating System Leaders for an Age of Pandemics. Using the lens of leadership lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic

Within the virtual conference space, the Skoll Centre will be hosting a Community Hub Booth where delegates can engage with the Centre about our work, chat to staff, share ideas and network.

Join the Forum as a platform for learning, sharing work, and, ultimately, advancing social change. With renewed calls for equity and progress amid a continuing pandemic, active participation is more important than ever. Registration is free and open to everyone as space allows.

Register

What is social entrepreneurship?

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Business schools and social entrepreneurship

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Virtual Skoll World Forum 2020

In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Skoll World Forum Week moved online. While official programming in Oxford was cancelled, over 160 community-hosted public events went virtual from March 30-April 3. The 2020 theme, Collective Strength, felt particularly resonant during this time, as the community came together to connect, inspire and learn from each other. The Skoll Centre hosted four of our own ecosystem events as part of the programme, which are now available to re-watch.

The Skoll Centre’s 2020 sessions

Skoll World Forum 2019

Peter Drobac with a background of greenery, speaking on stage. The image has an orange overlay with the words: "Possibility begins when we refuse to accept injustice"

In April 2019, the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship returned to Oxford for its 15th year.

The Forum has grown from a humble delegacy of 250 to 1200, thanks to The Skoll Foundation whose expert curation made this the largest and most diverse Skoll World Forum yet. Not to mention all those who flock to Oxford for the many fringe events that happen during Skoll week. The theme for 2019 was Accelerating Possibility. Peter Drobac had the privilege of raising the curtain at the Opening Plenary. ‘Social entrepreneurship begins with a recognition of possibility, a way to overcome an obstacle, breaking a vicious cycle, exposing an injustice.’ Peter told the New Theatre audience, ‘accelerating possibility begins when we refuse to accept an unjust status quo.’

 

The Skoll Centre's 2019 highlights

Perspectives from the Forum

Each year the Skoll Centre invites a small number of Oxford students to the Skoll World Forum. During this time they share their unique perspectives of the sessions and events that unfold during this magical time in Oxford. Read a select view from 2019.