A NEW programme to support business development through higher education is under way this week.

Southampton Institute's Business School is leading the higher education regional development project under contract for the Government Office for the South East, in partnership with Southampton University.

The first of several initiatives, a conference supporting entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprise development, is to be hosted by the institute tomorrow.

The conference will be followed by a one-week residential enterprise development course at the institute from July 5, looking at business teaching practice.

Also during the summer will be the launch of a comprehensive website Sesame which will provide a nationwide directory of business development courses, a series of local case studies offering examples of business developments by firms in the region, academic and research contacts and a programme of business development conferences around the world.

The business school's Professor David Watkins is managing the project with development by Gareth Stone.

"This project consists of a number of related initiatives to increase our regional capacity to provide enterprise development support through the higher education sector,'' said Professor Watkins.

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