McGill management faculty partners with Dupont for social innovation. (Voluntary Sector).

MONTREAL -- A Social Innovation Initiative at the McGill University Faculty of Management has been set up to promote innovation in the social sector. The project is a collaboration between McGill and DuPont Canada.

According to a statement by the Faculty: "Social Innovation initiative is fuelled by the conviction that complex social problems can best be tackled collaboratively. By combining their knowledge, resources and passions, McGill and DuPont expect to achieve the kind of breakthroughs in the social arena that cannot be achieved by individuals or organizations working alone."

The new program, led by Professor Frances Westley, will form a part of McGill Management's Consortium on Innovation. The initiative will consist of research and development that will lead to the development and application of techniques and models demonstrating breakthrough results in community-based social projects. Work with the voluntary sector, funded by the McConnell Foundation, are priorities for the Faculty of Management.

Through its Consortium on Innovation, the Faculty of Management at McGill is taking a particular interest in the transfer of research and academic knowledge into practical applications that solve real-world issues. The first phase of work by the McGill/DuPont initiative, which will be completed by December, is intended to produce tools and methodologies that community leaders and social entrepreneurs will be able to use to help them design and implement breakthrough social projects

"The intention is to be a hub for attracting the best thinking and resources to support systems-changing projects in communities."

DuPont will devote about one-third of this charitable spending to the McGill effort and expects to lend its managerial experience to social programs across Canada.

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