London Business School interview

Branson is interviewed for the London School of Business and Finance by David Blunkett. On the role of universities:

Universities should be encouraging people to run their businesses within the university, where entrepreneurs, teachers and students can share ideas and help each other. We need to encourage entrepreneurs to stay within the confines of universities and get the support they need.

Interaction with education providers:

Through technology, businesses could be tapping into a lot of students in universities worldwide, making the time we spend exchanging values and ideas far more useful. Entrepreneurs have a different way of doing things and they can look into situations, with the benefit of experience, and help governments and social sectors to tackle things in a better way.

His plans to study as a mature student:

When I was 40 I said to my wife ‘I’m taking two years off to go to university’, and she said ‘It’s a midlife crisis – you’re just after those young ladies at the university.