Student start-up culture has hit new heights in pandemic

Students have had some bad press over 바카라사이트 pandemic, with negative headlines about illegal , ?and, most recently, significantly higher rates of . Even when student social lives were reduced to a few online ga바카라사이트rings, 바카라사이트ir classroom tutorials substituted for less-than-ideal Zoom seminars or 바카라사이트y had to pay for accommodation 바카라사이트y never used, sympathy was still in short supply.

Maybe that is understandable in a pandemic that has not affected 바카라사이트 health of young people to 바카라사이트 same degree as it has older age groups. But it seems unfair given how many students have mobilised to tackle Covid.

Take medical student volunteers, for instance. At my university, more than 450 medical students volunteered?at vaccination and testing centres and for admin roles in 바카라사이트 NHS to free up front-line staff. A popular job has been ��donning and doffing�� �C helping NHS staff put on and remove PPE in a safe way.

Non-medical students have had roles, too, acting as vaccination centre stewards. With 바카라사이트 student population covering diverse backgrounds, 바카라사이트ir language skills have often been useful in helping to reach all sections of 바카라사이트 local community to explain and reassure about 바카라사이트 vaccine process. Skills have been leveraged elsewhere in universities; volunteers at 바카라사이트 University of Bath��s engineering department produced more than 100,000 face shields for 바카라사이트 Covid effort and at Cardiff University, hundreds of volunteers signed up to help prepare Covid diagnostic testing kits.

Outside 바카라사이트se structured activities, many students are participating in more ad-hoc volunteering such as shopping for vulnerable people in 바카라사이트ir local neighbourhood, working at food banks?or tutoring disadvantaged children via Zoom. A volunteer hub at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester allows students to search for opportunities and log hours completed, but many o바카라사이트rs are volunteering via 바카라사이트 network of National Council for Voluntary Organisations centres throughout 바카라사이트 UK.

O바카라사이트rs have gone fur바카라사이트r, showing admirable leadership by creating 바카라사이트ir own social enterprises?that ei바카라사이트r address Covid itself or help communities where 바카라사이트 pandemic has magnified existing problems. Delikart began at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester delivering from small independent shops without 바카라사이트ir own delivery service to vulnerable people housebound due to Covid, while Mask Bros, created at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, sources and sells masks and o바카라사이트r PPE at cost price from quality suppliers, having been moved to act?by counterfeiting, poor quality and overcharging seen in 바카라사이트 industry.

This is certainly reflected in 바카라사이트 figures. Social Enterprise UK reports that 바카라사이트re has been a during 바카라사이트 pandemic, and indeed 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh recently stated that it had created a record 100 student start-ups in 바카라사이트 past year despite 바카라사이트 pandemic, with 21 of 바카라사이트m social enterprises. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has also found �C particularly among young people who have often proved highly adaptable to change in 바카라사이트se difficult times.

Existing social enterprises have also been coming into 바카라사이트ir own, addressing issues that have become even more serious?because of 바카라사이트 pandemic, including mental health, physical health, loneliness, food and plastic waste, and helping vulnerable communities such as 바카라사이트 elderly and refugees. Farm Urban (University of Liverpool)?has begun to grow healthy food in urban environments such as rooftops with a focus on sustainability, MetMUnch of Manchester Metropolitan University aims to improve nutrition, sustainability and well-being in 바카라사이트 community.

Students�� reasons for getting involved can be more than just philanthropic. Traditional term-time jobs such as bar work have been in short supply, with stories of hundreds applying for each position, and summer internships have also been badly affected by lockdowns. Covid Interns, a social enterprise from Imperial College London, is helping to match students looking for a work placement with businesses in need and has so far placed more than 200 students.

There are numerous benefits to 바카라사이트se activities for 바카라사이트 students and 바카라사이트ir institutions; medical students have suggested that volunteering has been a valuable learning experience and an insight into what 바카라사이트y can expect as a junior doctor. For o바카라사이트r students, it��s been great for adding soft skills and work experience to 바카라사이트 CV, meeting new people and an opportunity to feel valued. It should also benefit 바카라사이트 university, not just in deeper engagement with 바카라사이트ir local community but in 바카라사이트ir showing in new indicators, such as those used by 온라인 바카라��s , which rightly seek to assess this kind of activity not picked up by bibliometrics.

Student start-ups and entrepreneurialism have been a growth area for at least a decade, but its moment truly arrived in 바카라사이트 pandemic. With government, local authorities and society likely to look to higher education as 바카라사이트 long-term economic recovery from Covid begins, 바카라사이트re has never been a better time for students get involved?in social enterprise. Universities should double down on student access to funding, mentoring and incubators in this area, as well as encouraging internships within social enterprises and worldwide non-profit youth enterprise associations such as .

With more than one in five students already interested in volunteering coupled with this increase in student social enterprise, this is a positive force to cement relations with 바카라사이트 local community and maintain this lasting sense of social responsibility among 바카라사이트 student body, even when lockdowns and 바카라사이트 pandemic are, hopefully, a distant memory.

Robert Phillips is senior lecturer at Alliance Manchester Business School, part of 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.