The College is delighted to be working with the Global Innovation Co-op Summit (GICS) 2023, as an institutional partner.

GICS was established in 2020 to create a productive space for co-operative and mutual leaders and partners to share, exchange, learn and build a more inclusive plural economy. This years' event will take place in Montreal, Canada between 27 to 29 September, and will focus on taking the lessons from last year's event, and turning them into actions.

The title of the 2023 summit is: Act now for a circular and digital future, the co-operators' way.

Co-operative leadership, which is one of the Co-operative College's core curriculum areas, will be the foundation for GICS discussions on how to create a circular and digital future.

The two key themes which the event's keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and panel sessions will cover are 'Let's get circular' and 'Living digital'.

The 'Let's get circular' theme seeks to explore how to create sustainable co-operative communities on local, regional, and international levels to benefit people and the planet while creating a cyclical economy that will last generations.

'Living digital' will look at how co-operatives are adapting in an increasingly digital world. With high numbers of people still working from home, and online technology providing increased globalised connection, the event aims explore how co-operatives can be on the leading edge of this rapidly changing digital landscape.

The Global Innovation Co-op Summit will bring together co-operative thinkers from all over the world and will provide an invaluable opportunity for attendees to learn from each other and share best practice. The purpose of the event is to help ensure that co-operative and mutual enterprises are leading the way towards a sustainable future, and this, combined with the learning and leadership themes of the summit, make it a great fit for the College. We're very excited to be associated with this event as it will provide opportunities for us to promote our learning offer to new audiences, expand our network, and enhance our own knowledge.

Neil Calvert, Co-operative College CEO and Principal

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Find out more about the Global Innovation Co-op Summit