Caroline Essers: activities as IAS distinguished visiting fellow

During May and June, the Enterprise and Diversity Cluster (EDC) has had the honour to host Dr Essers as an Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) Distinguished Visiting Fellow. Caroline is an Assistant Professor in Strategic Human Resource Management at the Radboud University Nijmegen and Faculty of Management and an Associate Professor Entrepreneurship at VU University Amsterdam. Caroline’s research focuses at the social dynamics of entrepreneurship, such as the identity constructions of female migrant entrepreneurs and their networking.

During her stay Caroline has contributed to the Birmingham Business School by giving a seminar presentation on Critical Entrepreneurship Studies on the 20th of May. In her presentation, Caroline reflected upon how entrepreneurship, rather than forming a value-neutral means for promoting wealth and prosperity, is a gendered, classed, and socio-economically situated activity with distinct political and ethical implications and ramifications.

She also delivered a seminar, The “Other” Entrepreneurs on the 9th of June. During this interactive session, Caroline discussed the desirability of comparing male and female entrepreneurs, and elaborated on typologies of female entrepreneurs. This enabled the participants to deconstruct perceptions of the ‘female entrepreneur’.

During her stay, Caroline has carried out mentoring session with some of the Business School academics, as well as collaborating to develop future research with the school.

• More information about Caroline Essers