Associate Professor joins community of global leaders

Peter Rudge, Associate Professor of Film at Staffordshire University, has been appointed as Senator for World Business Angels Investment Forum.

Associate Professor Peter Rudge

I think this fits particularly well with our commitment to being a civic university in its widest sense – working closely and strategically with local partners and communities but always connected to the global issues that will define the coming decade.

Peter Rudge, Associate Professor of Film

Peter is currently Chair of Platform, the Moving Image Cluster for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, which supports creative talent in the region. He also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network and the United Nations Expert Group on Creative Economies.

This new appointment will see the UK join the largest forum of the world’s equity markets, giving UK based angel investors, private equity funds, accelerators and entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with global leaders in the same field.

In his new role, Peter will join other Senators and world leaders such as Swati Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, 6th President of the Republic of Mauritius.

He said: “I’m honoured that I’ve been invited to join the WBAF as Senator for the UK and to be part of a global community of extraordinary leaders that represent more than 90 countries – it’s not everyday that you get to chat to a Mandela!”

As Senator for the UK and part of the World Leaders Programme, Peter’s role is to engage with regional and national government around policy development to support these goals, build strong and inclusive innovation and financial ecosystems with entrepreneurs, investors and institutions, particularly in those regions outside the major cities, and to then connect to the global innovation and financial system.

Peter added: “I think this fits particularly well with our commitment to being a civic university in its widest sense – working closely and strategically with local partners and communities but always connected to the global issues that will define the coming decade.”

Peter will be officially presented to the Forum at the WBAF World Congress in Istanbul in 2021, taking his seat along representatives from 95 other countries.

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