Tag Archives: Jens Holscher

BU team to deliver finance seminars after winning ESRC bid

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A team from Bournemouth University has won a research bid to provide seminars addressing access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The seminars will bring together keynote speakers from academia, government agencies and industry in order to discuss the most pertinent issues of SME finance and of credit risk, with a view to develop new research and policy agendas relevant to lenders and regulators.

The Access to Finance for SMEs workshops will be delivered after a successful bid to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the UK’s leading research and training agency addressing economic and social concerns.

Lending to SMEs is at the top of the agenda for governments around the world. With various political and economic incentives introduced to support SMEs, it is important not to overlook the practicalities of institutional arrangements for access to finance, especially in the environment of prudent lending.

The project team consists of BU’s Professor Jens Hölscher (Principal Investigator), and Co-Investigators Professor Andrew Mullineux and Professor Dean Patton, with colleagues from the University of Brighton, Aston University and the University of Nottingham.

In addition, the project team will collaborate with Professor Andreas Horsch and his colleagues from the Technical University of Freiberg in Germany, who will contribute on access to finance from Germany.

BU Accounting Professor receives Lifetime Achievement Award

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A Professor from Bournemouth University (BU) has received a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for the contribution she has made to the accounting and finance industry.

Stella Fearnley, a Professor in Accounting in BU’s Business School, received the award from the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA).

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals who have made a substantial or direct contribution to the UK accounting and finance industry through teaching, research or public service.

Stella, who has worked at BU since 2007, has published over 100 journals, books and articles – as well as speaking as part of various government committees looking at accounting and standards.

She said: “The award did come as a complete surprise for me because I don’t fit the stereotype role for an academic.

“As there are getting on for 300,000 accountants in this country, my passion has always been to do research which will be of value to practitioners and public policy, not just to other academics.

“I am paid mainly out of taxpayers’ money so society deserves to benefit from academic work. Besides which I have had a lot of fun.”

The award was given to Stella at the BAFA Annual Conference in London, but was also celebrated with an event at BU, attended by colleagues and industry representatives.

A tribute to Stella was given by Professor Jens Holscher, Head of the Accounting, Finance and Economics Department at BU.

He said: “What is unique about Stella is her close engagement with industry practice and regulation.

“This is a great achievement for not just the department or the Business School but for the whole institution.”

There was also a Question and Answer session with Stella, who spoke about her experiences and achievements, and gave her thoughts on the accounting and finance industries.

She said: “I have had a lot of fun interviewing people – I’ve worked very hard at chatting up the people at the top of the organisations, and making professional contacts to get access. They won’t do it unless they trust you.

“If you engage with businesses, you inevitably have fun. You engage with so many people that you come away having enjoyed it.”

Stella, who has become known for her quick wit and controversial comments about leading industry figures and bodies, added: “If you are going to be really rude about something, make them laugh. You can get away with it without insulting them too much, which is very important.”

This is the second major industry prize that she has won – in 2007, Stella was given the Wildman Medal Award by Deloitte and the American Accounting Association, which recognises leading edge research and innovative teaching methods.