The magazine of Nottingham Business School • Autumn 2015
PLUS - Thinkubator Speakers’ Club Postgraduate study
Personalisation Project Take control of your future with our Personalisation Project
Welcome 2
Business bits 4Graduates’ success 6Undergraduate prize giving 7Events calendar 8Speakers’ Club 9
Personalisation Project (cover story) 10
Welcome Contributors Contents
Want to feature in this section?Be a contributorIf you are a current Nottingham Business School student, alumni or member of staff and would like to feature in a future edition of LINK then contact the Marketing Team on [email protected]
LINK LINK
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Nottingham Business School staff
Melanie Currie Chris CrabotAlex Hiller
Melanie CurrieAssociate Dean of Nottingham Business School
Welcome back to all of our new and returning NBS students. We are very proud of our students and the work that you do, and together we are co-creating a School that we can be proud of.
We hope that 2015/2016 will be a great learning experience for you and that you take the opportunity to engage in the many activities that the School and course teams have planned and organised.
This edition of LINK magazine has a focus on our NBS Personalisation Project, which in essence is aimed at supporting and encouraging each of you to reach your ambitions. As a student you will make many choices in terms of your degree and academic discipline alongside other NBS and NTU activities. Our Personalisation Project is about ensuring you know what opportunities are available to you, and in working with your academic mentor you can focus on trying new challenges, gaining work experience, studying abroad and volunteering, to name but a few.
These co-curricular activities, with the other opportunities that NTU offer, will help you further personalise your learning.
Alongside these activities there will be our NBS Business Leaders’ Lecture Series, Thinkubator, and professional body workshops from CIM, CMI, ACCA and IoD. We want this project to benefit all our students so if you have suggestions and ideas, or want to hear from particular industry specialists, then let us know. What matters to you, matters to us.
We wish you every success in this coming year and we truly believe that NBS students are differentiated by their desire to study and engage in a range of opportunities. These help you to better understand yourself and develop your confidence, self discipline and resourcefulness, which in turn will shape the next stage of your academic journey.
Become a Course Rep!If you’re interested in being a course rep please contact [email protected] or visit www.trentstudents.org/coursereps
Taking place for the first time in 2013, the Nottingham Business School Thinkubator Challenge® is a ground-breaking annual event that provides local and national businesses with access to free expertise to support their growth. The most recent event took place in November 2014 and involved over 1,500 students from across the School working as consultancy groups on business issues that had been submitted by a range of companies.
This year’s event will take place on Wednesday 18 November.Visit www.thinkubatorchallenge.com for more information.
Harry Barton Alison Smith Emily Dickinson
Julie Lewis Kostas Galanakis Ofelia Palermo
Rachel Welton
Further contributors
Barbie Nash Fiona Edwards Vishal Narsy
Thinkubator 12Postgraduate portfolio 13 Our award wins 14Personalised Marketing – student article 15A week in the life of... 16Undergraduate 18You said, we did 19Postgraduate 20
International 22Corporate 24Research 26
All NBS staff have dedicated office hours.
Dean - Tuesday 10 am - 11 am
Associate Dean - Thursday 10 am - 11 am
Business bitsImportant news in bite-sized pieces
LINK BUSINESS BITS BUSINESS BITS LINK
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Three HEIST Awards recognise University’s commitment to international students and local businessNTU is celebrating after winning three Higher Education Information Services Trust (HEIST) Awards for campaigns aimed at international students and local businesses.
The awards, which celebrate their 25th anniversary this year, are organised by Havas People and recognise excellence in education marketing.
Nottingham Business School’s Thinkubator Challenge took the silver award for Best Communications or PR Campaign and the bronze for Best Community or Business Engagement Campaign. Nottingham Trent University also won the silver award for Best International Initiative for increasing the number of students it attracts from India.
Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University, said: “It is a great accomplishment for our Thinkubator Challenge to win two HEIST Awards. While the primary objective of the event was business engagement, to help us play a leading role in the economic and environmental development of the city and region, and the UK, it also helped us to achieve other objectives, such as developing the knowledge, skills and resilience of our students.”
Become a student ambassador Nottingham Business School is looking to recruit a new cohort of student ambassadors. Our student ambassadors are current students who:
• Represent their area of study at open days, visitor events and in other activities
• Are happy to meet and talk to visitors about their course and student life
• Show, inform and help prospective students and families to learn more about studying at NTU and living in Nottingham.
How can you benefit from this?• This is a great opportunity to gain some paid work
experience that will look fantastic on your CV
• It offers you a chance to meet students from other courses and make new contacts
• You’ll learn more about NTU and get involved in new activities.
If you are interested in joining the student ambassador scheme, please email us on [email protected]
Mini Thinkubator Challenge®
On Friday 10 July BA (Hons) Business and Management (In-Company), also known as BABM, students joined with MSc Management students to take part in a mini Thinkubator Challenge®, which focused on business questions posed by Steven von Kohorn prior to the launch of his new messaging app, Skramblr. Steven required help with the targeting and launch of his software product.
The event was a resounding success, with students who don’t normally get the opportunity to take part in the Thinkubator Challenge® having the chance to participate in a similar event. The BABM students were able to apply the learning from their study block to a relevant business problem and the MSc students gained additional experience of consultancy and reporting back on findings, which will help them in their consultancy projects.
Staff successesProfessor Harry Barton and Dr John Buglear have both been awarded Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
Alistair Mutch completed a two month fellowship in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. He used the time to make connections, work in the archives and give seminars. The fellowship was timed to complement the release of his book Religion and National Identity: Governing Scottish Presbyterianism in the Eighteenth Century, published by Edinburgh University Press, which was considered as “remarkable” by the Scottish Review of Books.
On 8 July Alistair was also an invited speaker at the Centre for Social Ontology’s day school on digital data, held at the recently opened London brand of Warwick Business School in The Shard.
Dr John Disney recently sent a letter to The Times regarding HS2, which was published in ‘Letters to the Editor’ on Saturday 27 June.
NBS sponsors category at the Institute of Directors’ East Midlands Director of the Year Awards Since 2014, NBS has sponsored the East Midlands region of the Institute of Directors (IoD), providing NBS with a range of opportunities to attend the IoD’s topical events and engage with leading local businesses. In June, NBS also sponsored the Young Director category in the 2015 East Midlands Director of the Year Awards, which celebrates the hard work and enterprise of regional business leaders.
Fourteen East Midlands directors from Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire were named as leaders in their business fields at the IoD’s East Midlands Director of the Year Awards 2015 held at the Nottingham Conference Centre.
Karl Hick, Chief Executive Officer of Larkfleet Group construction company, based in Bourne, Lincolnshire, was named overall East Midlands Director of the Year and also won the Large Company category.
Our congratulations go to NBS’ Entrepreneur in Residence (and alumnus) Daniel Hill, Managing Director of Pulse Property Network, who was highly commended in the Young Director category.
Honorary degreesSir John Peace is Chairman of Standard Chartered plc and Burberry Group plc. He is the co-founder of CCN Systems, now Experian plc, and former CEO of Great Universal, with Homebase and Argos among the group’s best-known subdivisions. From 2006 to 2014 Sir John was Chairman of Experian plc. He also served on the Board of Governors of Nottingham Trent University from 1997 to 2011, including ten years as Chairman, and currently chairs Nottingham’s Economic Growth Board. Sir John was knighted in 2011 for services to business and the voluntary sector. He was named an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.
Alex Gourlay received an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in recognition of his significant contribution to leadership in the UK health and beauty industry, and the international position of the Nottingham-based Boots company in this field. After starting at Boots as a Saturday shop assistant before qualifying as a pharmacist, Alex is now Executive Vice President of Walgreens Boots Alliance and President of Walgreen Co.
Nottingham Trent University Chancellor, Kevin Cahill CBE, and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edward Peck, conferred the degrees at a number of graduation ceremonies at the Royal Concert Hall between Monday 20 and Friday 24 July.
Professor Edward Peck said: “It is a privilege to award these honorary degrees in recognition of the tremendous achievements of the recipients. All of our honorary graduates are outstanding in their fields. They have enriched and influenced the lives of people living in Nottingham, the UK and, in many cases, around the world. They are not only an inspiration to our many young adults who are also graduating this year, but to all of us.”
BABM (In-Company) Year Three study tour to ESIC in MadridSue Alcock and Dr Tabani Ndlovu accompanied BABM (In-Company) students on a study tour, which forms part of the final year of the course. The students (who are all employed by a range of partners such as Barclays, Rolls-Royce, Tesco, Toyota, Pendragon, Microsoft, Amazon, Churchill China, Germains, Zenith Hygiene, Bosch, ISS World and Gala Bingo) are encouraged to take a global view of business and challenge their thinking, so as to develop deeper insights into their know-how and practice and also into their in-company partner organisations.
This is the second year students have been hosted by ESIC Business and Marketing School, and the team adds value by integrating in-depth case studies (on organisations such as Inditex and Mercadona), company visits (including Santander and Iveco), and sessions with ESIC associates from practice and others (including previous employees of organisations such as the World Bank).
The students then returned to NBS for the remainder of Year Three. During this period tutors from NBS ran sessions alongside guest speakers from Finisterre, Good Talent and the Maturity Institute.
Sir John Peace, Chairman of Standard Chartered plc and Burberry Group plc
Alex Gourlay, Executive Vice President of Walgreens Boots Alliance and President of Walgreen Co
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LINK PRIZE GIVING 2015 PRIZE GIVING 2015 LINK
A selection of exceptional students who have recently graduated from BA (Hons) Management, BA (Hons) Management and Leadership and BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company) have had their hard work acknowledged by numerous well-known organisations at the annual NBS prize giving ceremony.
The ceremony took place on Friday 24 July, commencing with a drinks reception and a welcome introduction from Alison Smith, Head of Executive Education & Corporate Relations, who then proceeded to present the Brian Jukes Memorial Prize for Most Improved Performance. The ceremony was well attended by representatives from sponsoring organisations, including Rolls-Royce, CMI, Toyota and Barclays.
Below is a full list of the sponsoring companies, awards and student winners:
Award sponsor: CMICMI Award for Best Dissertation BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company)Winner: Victoria von Hoven
Runner up: Stephanie Farmer, Leah White, Andy Boyd, Emily Blake, John Iles and Arran Pamphilon
Award sponsor: ToyotaAward for Best Performance in Skills Assessments BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company)Winner: Leah White
Runner up: John Iles
Award sponsor: Pattonair Award for Best Overall Performance in the Final Year BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company)Winner: Victoria von Hoven
Runner up: Stephanie Farmer
Award sponsor: Nottingham Business SchoolBrian Jukes Memorial Prize for Most Improved PerformanceWinner: John Iles
Runner up: Tom Finn
Award sponsor: Barclays Student Award for Performance BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company)Winner: Eleanor Taylor
Award sponsor: Nottingham Business SchoolAward for Best Overall Academic Success BA (Hons) ManagementWinner: Aidan Keyworth
Award sponsor: Nottingham Business SchoolAward for Best Final Year Conference Presentation BA (Hons) ManagementWinner: Ben Anderson, Taylor Spencer and David Semple
On Thursday 23 July NBS celebrated their annual undergraduate prize giving ceremony, held in the Adam’s Room at the Nottingham Conference Centre. The event is to recognise and celebrate the hard work, dedication and excellent performance of the School’s recent graduates.
Each year the prizes are sponsored by a wide variety of well-known organisations; this year was no exception, with over ten organisations and individuals providing the awards. Sponsoring organisations included award-winning, independent recruitment agency Macildowie; the chartered accountants and business advisers, Page Kirk; and world-renowned publishers Pearson Education Ltd.
The event commenced with a champagne toast on arrival and a welcoming introduction by Melanie Currie, Associate Dean of NBS. The ceremony then proceeded with representatives from the sponsoring companies presenting the winning students with their prizes.
Undergraduate prize giving 2015 winners are listed below:
Vice-Chancellor’s AwardWinner: Fiona Edwards
Course: BA (Hons) International Business
Award sponsor: Romax Prize for the Best Performance in Advanced Management AccountingWinner: Rebecca Griggs
Award sponsor: Next plcPrize for the Most Innovative Research ProjectWinner: Dominic Minns
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance
Award sponsor: MacildowiePrize for Best Overall Performance in Corporate Reporting by a Final Year StudentWinner: Divan Patel
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance
Award sponsor: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Prize for Best Overall Performance in Corporate Finance by a Final Year StudentWinner: Ying Gan
Course: BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance
Award sponsor: Page KirkPrize for Best Overall Performance by a BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance Final Year StudentWinner: Matthew Bailey
Award sponsor: Pearson Education Ltd.Prize for Outstanding Student Achievement in EconomicsWinner: Ben Bennett
Award sponsor: Erasmus Prize for Outstanding Performance by a BA (Hons) International Business StudentWinner: David Staiano
Award sponsor: ErasmusPrize for Outstanding Performance by an International Student on BA (Hons) International BusinessWinner: Francisco Tortajada Tovar
Award sponsor: Minitab Prize for the Best Overall Performance by a Final Year StudentWinner: Emily Putman
Course: BA (Hons) Business
Award sponsor: Nottingham Business School Prize for Best Overall Performance by a Final Year Student on BA (Hons) Business Management and Accounting and FinanceWinner: Holly Winwood
Award sponsor: Macildowie Prize for the Best Overall Performance by a Final Year StudentWinner: Jack Pickering
Course: BA (Hons) Business Management and Human Resources
Emerald Prize for the Best Overall Performance by a Final Year StudentWinner: Callam Pye
Course: BA (Hons) Business Management and Economics
Award sponsor: DiVersity Marketing Prize for the Best Overall Performance by a Final Year StudentWinner: Suzanne Elsdon
Course: BA (Hons) Business Management and Marketing
Award sponsor: Nottingham Business School Prize for Best Overall Performance by a Final Year StudentWinner: Sophie Dainty
Course: BA (Hons) Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Award sponsor: Nottingham Business School Prize for Best Overall Performance by a BA (Hons) Marketing, Design and Communication Final Year StudentWinner: Anna Martorana
NBS celebrates recent graduates’ success from our work-based courses
NBS annual undergraduate prize giving event 2015
Fiona Edwards
Ben Bennett
Jack Pickering
Rebecca Griggs
David Staiano
Callam Pye
Dominic Minns
Francisco Tortajada Tovar
Suzanne Elsdon
Ying Gan
Emily Putman
Sophie Dainty
Matthew Bailey
Holly Winwood
Anna MartoranaDivan Patel
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LINK EVENTS CALENDAR NTU SPEAKERS’ CLUB LINK
2015October
15 & 29NTU Speakers’ Club6 pm - 8 pm Newton building LT10
28Placement and Graduate Recruitment Fair 2015
29 Business Leaders’ Lecture Series: Torben Nørgaard, ECCO 5.45 pm - 7.45 pm Newton building
November 11Nottingham Business School Postgraduate and Professional Opening Evening4 pm - 6 pm Newton building
12 & 26NTU Speakers’ Club6 pm - 8 pm Newton building LT10
10NTU Speakers’ Club6 pm - 8 pm Newton building LT10
2016January
27Nottingham Business School Postgraduate and Professional Opening Event12 pm - 2 pm Newton building
March1 - 3International Professors’ Week 2016
16Nottingham Business School Postgraduate and Professional Opening Evening4 pm - 6 pm Newton building
June 22Nottingham Business School Postgraduate and Professional Opening Evening4 pm - 6 pm Newton building
Events calendarUpcoming key events for your diary. These dates are not to be missed!
For further information on all our events please visit www.ntu.ac.uk/nbsevents or for employability events visit the NBS employability calendar in NOW.
We are delighted to announce the launch of the NTU Speakers’ Club, a Toastmasters International affiliated group that aims to improve students’ confidence and communication by improving speaking, leadership and presentation skills. The ability to present yourself with confidence is the key differentiating factor that many of our employer advisory boards tell us leads to success in securing graduate positions, and the Speakers’ Club is a place where you can develop greater self-confidence and personal growth.
Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through an international network of clubs with over 332,000 members worldwide. Its aim is devoted to developing confident speakers and strong leaders through regular meetings in which members regularly give speeches, gain feedback, lead teams and guide others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere.
The club meets fortnightly on Thursdays in term time, starting from 15 October, in Newton LT10 from 6 pm to 8 pm. The meetings are run according to the Toastmasters International standards. This includes randomly selected topics, which not only give more confidence to the members but also develop their communication and presentation skills. Other activities during the meetings will enhance the speakers’ leadership skills.
We welcome NTU students from all schools and courses, and are also looking for future committee members, an opportunity that could further enhance your CV. In order to join the club, students are encouraged to attend one of our meetings or contact the club through the details below.
Speak to one of the committee members:Winluck Shayo (President), MSc Management
Nur Suzen (Vice President, Marketing and PR), MSc Marketing (Advertising and Communications)
Sadia Aliyu (Vice President, Memberships), MSc Human Resource Management
NBS students launch Nottingham Trent University speakers’ clubNBS studentslaunch Nottingham Trent University
Speakers’ Club
7. Volunteering Volunteering is a great way for our students to develop themselves personally and professionally. At NTU our students have the opportunity to engage with community, sports, schools and international volunteering initiatives. To find out more go to www.ntu.ac.uk/volunteering
8. Nottingham Trent Students’ Union (NTSU) We have one of the best students’ unions in the UK, which has just won the NUS Students’ Union of the Year award. Our students’ union has many societies as well as entertainment and sports events. For example, our Varsity events are great fun to participate in and/or to watch. For more information about our students’ union, including job vacancies, go to www.trentstudents.org
Looking ahead
Over the next year our first and second year students will experience our Personalisation Project through two new modules, which are called Personal and Professional Development 1 and 2. In these modules our students will work with their Academic Mentor to create and execute an individualised plan via an ePortfolio page. They will bring their ePortfolio page to their mentoring sessions where it will be used to update their profile on the NTU Student Dashboard. As part of these modules students will also have a series of inspirational talks, as well as lectures from the Employability Team.
Over the next year we will be scaling up our Personalisation Project, with lots of exciting activities planned for all of our students to help them to be the best they can. This will include providing even more support to our students through our Alumni Fellow network. Watch this space!
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LINK COVER STORY
by Dr Julie Lewis, Personalisation Learning Coordinator
PERSONALISATION PROJECT
HELPING OUR STUDENTS TO BE
THE BEST THEY CAN
1. The NBS Employability Team The Employability Team supports students at every stage of their career. They help students with activities such as finding work experience, applying for placements and getting prepared for graduate roles after university. The NBS Employability Team consists of Fiona Winfield (Employability Coordinator), Becci Hubbard, Marielle Treavis (Career Consultants) and Ross Huffen (Employability Adviser). For more information visit www.ntu.ac.uk/employability
2. EnactusEnactus is a global network of over 70,000 students, academics and business leaders in a not-for-profit organisation active in over 1,700 universities across 36 countries. Guided by university and business advisers, the students form a student-led Enactus team to develop sustainable community projects that create economic opportunity for others. Nottingham Trent University’s successful Enactus team works with communities and individuals here in Nottingham and on a number of international projects. To find out more visit www.ntu.ac.uk/enactus and the Enactus NTU team website at www.enactusntu.co.uk
3. Study abroad Our study abroad scheme offers an amazing opportunity for our students to learn a new language and experience a different culture. It’s a unique opportunity and helps them to stand out as graduates to a future employer or higher education place of study. NBS also runs a fantastic summer school programme. Our summer school partners are all prestigious
schools of business and management within Europe, many of which are accredited. All of these institutions teach in English and tuition and travel is funded by NTU, although students do have the option to self-fund. Pam Catori and Donna Newman are our undergraduate and postgraduate study abroad coordinators ([email protected]).
4. The library Charles Knight and Rachel Campbell are the School’s Learning and Teaching Librarians. Our library offers a range of workshops and one to one mentoring sessions to help our students create individualised learning experiences. These include workshops and mentoring sessions on Harvard referencing, academic writing, exam techniques, maths and Excel. The full list of library workshops is available at www.ntu.ac.uk/library
5. Student Support ServicesStudent Support Services offers help and advice in the areas of disability services, financial advice (including hardship funds), health and wellbeing, individual support for mature students, care leavers/foyer residents, students with carer responsibilities and transgender students. They also offer help and support to international students about visas and immigration, living and working in the UK and other immigration matters. The Student Support Services website is available to access at www.ntu.ac.uk/student_services
6. Nottingham Language Centre Nottingham Language Centre (NLC) understands that students have individual language learning needs that require tailored support. In-sessional English is staffed by specialist academic lecturers and its purpose is to provide students with the focused language and skills support for their studies at NTU and into the workplace. The In-sessional English team works with students of all language abilities through online materials, classes, workshops and individual tutorials. In-sessional English is available to all of our international and EU students studying on undergraduate degree courses at Nottingham Business School. Students can call into Nottingham Language Centre at any time – it is located on the ground floor of the DICe building.
Network Support A wide range of other individuals, departments and organisations also contribute to and input into our Personalisation Project. These include:-
COVER STORY LINK
In September 2015 our School launched the first phase of its Personalisation Project. This exciting and innovative project provides our students with a uniquely individualised experience to help them to be the best they can.
Our project helps our students to understand and reflect on their experiences, to explore their aspirations and to create their own development plan. At the heart of the project is helping our students to take advantage of all of the fantastic opportunities associated with studying at our university. This includes volunteering, studying abroad, internships, placements, summer schools… and more!
In essence then, our project is all about our students. It’s about supporting them to understand their needs through the use of diagnostic tools and to design and implement an approach to learning that is personalised to them. Whether students aspire to go on to postgraduate study, study abroad, start their own business or have a fulfilling and rewarding career, it supports them in maximising their potential.
Our team of Academic Mentors will work with our students to make the most of their time at our university and the School. They will be the main point of contact for our students during their studies and will help them to create and execute
their plan. While our Academic Mentors will be keen to share their mentees’ successes, they will also help our students to overcome any difficulties they are experiencing, including signposting them to departments such as Student Support Services.
As well as our Academic Mentors we have a team of Senior Lecturers in Personalised and Experiential Learning, who are Judy Taft, Vitor Leone, Sarah Della Rocca and Faye Taylor. Julie Lewis will also work alongside the team in the role of Project Coordinator.
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LINK THINKUBATOR
“ The Thinkubator Challenge® is a unique and innovative way of championing practice in learning, which everyone can benefit from. Businesses stand to gain from the latest insights while it also gives students the chance to apply their learning to real-world challenges. It was great to see businesses coming together with students and faculty members to exchange ideas and solutions.”
Anne FranckeChief ExecutiveChartered Management Institute (CMI)
“ Thinkubator was a thoroughly enjoyable day. Everyone I met seemed genuinely impressed with the commitment to connect with local employers and acknowledged NTU as an institution that is working proactively and energetically to equip young people with the learning and skills for the dynamic requirements of modern business.
“ The team I presented my challenge to were attentive, professional and keen to get their teeth into a genuine commercial challenge. I have to say their output for two hours’ work by far outweighed our expectations.”
Nick BlackwellAccount DirectorHavas People
“ The Nottingham Business School Thinkubator Challenge® is an incredibly innovative initiative – to match the challenges faced by many SMEs and entrepreneurs with the outstanding calibre of the faculty and students of Nottingham Business School is an incredibly strong statement of support for UK businesses, which are undoubtedly the bedrock of the UK economy.”
Robin FoaleDivisional Managing DirectorSantander Retail Banking, London and South East Division
Thinkubator
By the time you’re reading this we will be putting the finishing touches to this year’s Thinkubator Challenge®, which will take place on Wednesday 18 November.
Now in its third year, the event has grown and become a real highlight in the NBS calendar. Academics, research students, postgraduate students and final year students work together as consultancy groups in challenge hubs, with each hub focusing on one individual challenge from those submitted by businesses. This year we are changing the event slightly by increasing the length of time the challenge hubs have to work on the challenges, allowing for more insight, deeper analysis and better solutions.
Thinkubator is a great way to apply your learning to real life business problems, developing your consultancy skills as well as providing free expertise to businesses. Some individuals who have taken part in the challenge have even been spotted for employment opportunities!
Get involved! #thinkubatorFor more information visit www.thinkubatorchallenge.com
POSTGRADUATE PORTFOLIO LINK
How our MSc courses workYou can create a completely personalised learning experience, giving you a unique master’s degree that equips you with the skills you need, for the career you want.
Save 25% on your fees! Or increase this to 50% with a scholarship. Visit www.ntu.ac.uk/nbsscholarships to get more information and to apply.
Our courses are modular and are split into three semesters of 12 to 15 weeks.
Here’s how they work:
Semester one: Choose a core subjectYou’ll begin your studies by taking three modules in one of these core areas:
• Economics
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Human Resource Management
• International Business
• Management
• Marketing
Semester two: Choose a second core subject or specialiseIn the second semester you will take another three modules. These can either deepen your understanding of the core subject you studied in term one, or choose a specialist area related to it.
The courses and specialist routes available are:
• MSc Management
• MSc Management and Global Supply Chain Management
• MSc Management and Innovation & Enterprise
• MSc Management and International Business
• MSc Management and Finance
• MSc Management and Marketing
• MSc Management and International Publishing
• MSc Marketing
• MSc Branding and Advertising
• MSc Digital Marketing
• MSc Economics
• MSc Economics and Investment Banking
• MSc Finance
• MSc Finance and Accounting
• MSc Finance and Investment Banking
• MSc International Business
• MSc International Business (Dual Award)
• MSc Entrepreneurship
• MSc Human Resource Management
Semester three: Take on a major projectIn your final semester you’ll take on a major practical project, giving you a fantastic opportunity to use the theories and knowledge you have gained to
produce a challenging and meaningful piece of work. This can involve addressing real-world challenges in the workplace, conducting independent research or gaining valuable experience.
Placement year opportunitiesWhichever subject you choose* you will be able to add a year’s work placement, making your master’s a two-year course. It’s a great way to put your learning into practice and gain valuable real-world experience to boost your career.
Speak with a lecturer to find out which course is right for your chosen career pathOur open events are the perfect opportunity to find out more about the postgraduate courses offered here at NTU.
During the event you will be able to:• find out more about our courses and study options;
• talk to some of our postgraduate teaching staff;
• discuss specific ideas and career directions; and
• find out more about funding opportunities.
The event dates are below and you can drop in anytime between 4 pm and 6 pm.
• 11 November 2015
• 27 January 2016 (12 pm - 2pm)
• 16 March 2016
• 22 June 2016
* excluding MSc Human Resource Managment, MSc Entrepreneurship, MSc International Business and MSc International Business (Dual Award).
Postgraduate
study could take
you further
Boost your
employability
by staying on
and studying
for an MSc
LINK OUR AWARD WINS
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Our award wins
Winning awards is one way in which NBS knows that it is providing exceptional courses, facilities and teaching. Here are just a few awards we have won recently.
AWARDS CABINET
Student article by Vishal Narsy, BA (Hons) Business Management and Marketing
STUDENT ARTICLE LINK
Guardian University Award 2015
Business Partnership Category for the Greenhouse Gas
Management Consultancy
Times Higher Education Awards
Outstanding Support for Students – Student Dashboard
NTU Outstanding Teaching Awards
Outstanding School of the Year – NBS
Outstanding Support – Alison Fox
Outstanding Academic – Seamus Alison
Green Academy AwardsBest Video
Best Mood Board
CMI Midlands Regional Awards for
Excellence 2015Centre of the Year
Higher Education Information Services Trust
(HEIST) Awards 2015 – NBS Thinkubator Challenge
Silver Award for Best Communications or PR Campaign
Bronze Award for Best Community or Business Engagement Campaign
purchases and loyalty to the brand for future purchases. Personalisation generates a positive brand reaction from the customers. Emotions including connectivity, loyalty and being made to feel unique are automatically and subconsciously attached to a customer’s perception of that brand.
Personalised marketing should be concerned with relevance. Macmillan Cancer Research has done just this, using social picture messaging with advertisements to show potential donors how many people have donated on that day and in that person’s specific location. This type of relevancy acts as an emotional trigger by playing on people’s emotions and persuading them to donate in a subtle way, and by making them feel guilty for not donating to the cause.
Other charities have also discovered the benefits of personalised marketing campaigns. Plan UK, a global children’s charity, utilised facial recognition software for their bus stop campaign to portray gender inequality. The software identified whether a man or woman was standing in front of the screen and then played a different advertisement accordingly. Women were given full access to the advert, whilst the men were only provided with a set of statistics. This highlighted that gender inequality is still rampant around the world.
Moving into the latter stages of this year and into 2016, it is clearly evident that putting the right product in front of the right customer at the right time has never been more important. Numerous brands competing for a select few customers means something has to change. That change is personalised marketing. Brands must ensure each individual customer is made to feel superior and a cut above the rest, in order to attract their attention and receive their hard earned cash. The one size fits all marketing approach is on the decline. Made to measure, or personalisation as we now know it, is the new king.
Personalised marketing - a term that is becoming ever more prevalent in the marketing world. Coca-Cola’s personalised names on Coca-Cola cans. NikeiD. Amazon’s recommendation list. All of these are examples of personalised marketing.
In a world where mass marketing messages may be seen as the be all and end all of targeting consumers, personalised marketing is creating different experiences for different consumers with different tastes, lifestyles and income, Nike being one of the prominent brands in the field of personalisation. They have achieved this via NikeiD. By allowing customers to personalise trainers according to their own requirements, they have succeeded in opening up their product to a wider consumer base. Customers can differentiate themselves from others, and will be more likely to wear the trainers because they themselves designed them. What better way to show off your unique style and creative prowess than designing your own pair of trainers? Personalisation and the fashion industry go hand in hand, especially as the fashion industry is about standing out from the crowd and drawing attention.
Brands such as Amazon and Netflix have been successful by providing personalised content to their customers. They offer recommendations about specific products or programmes that a customer may be interested in or enjoy, given their past purchases or searches. This is backed up by a survey of U.S. consumers, whereby it was discovered that 53% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that tailors its communication. The rise in more and more data being available has resulted in consumers expecting personalised offers and recommendations in order to feel valued and persuaded to buy from that brand.
Webpages can also be personalised, so that first time customers and frequent customers both have unique brand experiences. Frequent customers are given an experience that makes them feel different to a first time customer, thus creating a positive association with the brand, leading to increased
PERSONALISED MARKETING IS CREATING DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCES FOR DIFFERENT
CONSUMERS
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LINK A WEEK IN THE LIFE... A WEEK IN THE LIFE... LINK
A week in the life of Fiona EdwardsCourse: BA (Hons) International Business
MondayI have only one lecture and it isn’t until 2 pm, so I usually go to the gym beforehand and copy up any notes from my lecture in the evening. After the lecture I have one seminar and I tend to go for lunch or dinner with friends. Three times in the year I take part in a staff / student committee meeting as part of my duty as a student representative, which involves speaking with all of the students on my course over a two month period about any concerns or issues and reporting these back to senior course staff.
TuesdayToday is a busy day, two morning lectures followed by two afternoon seminars and an evening language class. This usually involves some forward planning for lunch and dinner because I can’t afford to eat on campus for both of them (despite the great priced food in the SU and canteen), so I usually pack a lunch and try to get home for dinner or at least do one of these.
WednesdayI have one seminar and one lecture and they’re both in the morning. Wednesday is usually a day associated with activities towards your society; this year I am part of the business society, but choose to work on other activities. On Wednesday afternoons I volunteer with a local Girlguiding group, helping them with badge work, organising outdoor activities and I also organised a French night. Volunteering is part of my continued professional development, providing me with experiences outside of my university and a sense of personal growth in skills other than those concerned with my course.
ThursdayI have an early lecture at 9 am, then two afternoon seminars. I usually go to the gym between the two and take advantage of an exercise class if I can. I might take myself off to the library to write up some lecture notes or to prepare for my seminars. I took part in the OATH project – it was the pilot year and so only International Business was involved, but it is now going to be rolled out as an offer across the School. The project is a way of students organising themselves with guest lecturers, debates and activities to result in an oath to be taken by the students, promising to be ethical business leaders of the future.
FridayNow the week is coming to an end but it’s not yet finished. I still have one lecture in the middle of the day and plans to have dinner with friends. At the weekend I sometimes work as a Student Ambassador on the open days, explaining to prospective students and their parents exactly what the course entails as well as offering advice about NTU in general, so it won’t be a late night tonight!
A week in the life of Barbie Nash
MondayMondays are not a typical day. I rotate my schedule according to my lecture times, assignments and other commitments such as being a course representative. This role includes listening to my fellow students and gathering feedback in order to make improvements within the University and on my course. I feedback any comments to lecturers, representatives, course leaders, etc. Monday evenings involve a night of activity such as bouldering (a form of rock climbing).
TuesdayI finish early on a Tuesday, giving me the chance to get some work experience. I managed to get a job through the Employability Fair at NTU. I began working for the Nottingham City Council as part of the Nottingham Castle Trust. This experience has led to other job opportunities within the council and will be a great addition to my CV. After work, I attend my Christian Union (CU) meetings – an amazing place full of peace, friendship, love and worship. This is my time to relax after a long day. During my time at the CU, I’ve met some great people and built wonderful friendships, which I will truly cherish and keep for life.
WednesdayWednesdays are my day off. I usually spend this day studying and completing assignments. I also take the opportunity to catch up with friends, taking part in boxing classes or rock climbing sessions.
ThursdayThursdays are one of my busiest days. After a long day attending lectures and seminars, I attend my Institute of Directors (IoD) meetings. IoD is an opportunity that allows students to network with business people and entrepreneurs. This is one of my favourite projects I undertake. Through this opportunity, I was able to illustrate my leadership skills by leading my team to help raise money for John Van Geest Cancer Research and for the Prince’s Trust, Millionaire Maker. By becoming involved with IoD, I was nominated for and won Most Engaged Student of the Year 2015. This award will really stand out on my CV.
FridayBecoming involved in various projects, competitions, societies and initiatives really helped to build my status at NTU and that’s why I was selected to participate in the Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Awards. This was a great experience and it made me value all of NTU’s lecturers, as I was able to witness their hard work and commitment.
SaturdayMost students would take time off from university on Saturdays but I spend my time as a Student Ambassador. This is one of the most enjoyable job roles I have undertaken, as it allows me to interact with future NTU students and their parents. I have the opportunity to discuss my experiences and answer any questions they may have in regards to studying at NTU and becoming more independent. I am able to represent my university through various projects and encourage others, which I find very satisfying.
Additional activities I have undertaken throughout my time at NTU include the ESOMAR Congress in Sweden, Leadership Award, Thinkubator Challenge®, Flux Competition, mentoring first and second year students, social nights and events (Ocean, Climax, Carnage, Rock City) and balancing two jobs. I can say my time at NTU has been truly rewarding, productive and successful.
Course: BA (Hons) Business Management and Entrepreneurship
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LINK UNDERGRADUATE
We want more opportunities to put our learning into practice.
NBS students have a range of opportunities to work with industry on live business projects, placements and internships. We have recently introduced the opportunity for our students to act as consultants to help local businesses reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and achieve Investor in the Environment (iiE) Accreditation.
We want to tailor our course to our own career aspirations.
A new personalisation module has been developed for first and second year undergraduate students, so that they can understand their own personal and professional development needs, and develop a personalised plan to help achieve their potential. The module will bring together all of the opportunities that students can get involved with, including volunteering, study abroad, internships, placements, summer schools, and many more.
We want more access to experts working in industry.
Our unique Alumni Fellowship Scheme was introduced to improve students’ opportunities to network with industry experts, and enrich learning and employability opportunities. Experienced alumni deliver mentoring; recruitment fair and Assessment Centre support; shadowing; guest lectures and buddying support.
We have also introduced Entrepreneurs in Residence, to make sure that our curriculum is innovative and linked to the latest industry thinking.
• All NBS students have free access to the Financial Times website, a package worth £300 per student.
• Our Trading Room, located in the Newton building, allows students to simulate live trading with data provided by Thomson Reuters. It features 12 double screen workstations equipped with Thomson Reuters Eikon software, an industry leading system with access to worldwide financial markets data and sophisticated analysis tools. The room also features a large screen displaying the latest data and news headlines.
• We have introduced course enhancement boards which bring together students, staff and key stakeholders, including representatives from industry. These help develop our courses to ensure they are meeting the needs of students and their future employers.
other improvements
Every year final year undergraduate students are asked to provide feedback on their time at NTU by completing the National Student Survey (NSS). The survey covers course experience including teaching, assessment, feedback and course administration. NSS runs nationally across different institutions and the results are published each year. This year’s results evidenced year-on-year improvements with Nottingham Business School achieving 85% overall satisfaction. We take all the feedback on board and make changes each year. Here are just a few things we have done.
The 2016 National Student Survey will launch in January 2016. So if you are a final year student make sure you get your voice heard.
UNDERGRADUATE LINK
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Undergraduate updateMelanie Currie Associate Dean and Head of Undergraduate (UG) Courses
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of our undergraduate students and especially our new first years as we begin the academic year 2015/2016. Course teams have been running induction and welcome back events and many courses will have social events as we head towards the end of term. We think it is really important to have the opportunity to meet other students across your cohort so that you can share experiences and interact with the course teams in a more informal setting.
NBS is keen to build on our excellent reputation for developing graduates with high management and leadership capability. Many of the changes we enact are as a direct result of student feedback. Course teams have reviewed the feedback that was submitted during the last academic year and this has seen changes to some assessments and
timings of sessions, as well as new delivery modes for a number of modules. Additionally, our annual Thinkubator Challenge® will take place on 18 November. We hope many of you will take part and help solve real business issues: thinkubatorchallenge.com
There has been a growing take up of social media for our students and the NBS Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts provide another way to connect and ensure you are making the most of all the opportunities that are open to you both within NBS and also the wider University.
I wish you all the very best for 2015-16. I hope you enjoy reading about some of our student successes over the following pages, and look forward to hearing of your own achievements over the coming months. Enjoy your year, and if you have any queries, concerns or feedback, or if you would like to contribute to future editions of this magazine please do not hesitate to contact me. We are here to support your learning and develop your future potential.
Follow Melanie on Twitter @NBS_AD
60 seconds with...
Julie LewisPersonalisation and Experiential Learning Coordinator
Length of time at NTU: Six years
Tell us a little about your role at Nottingham Business School.My role is to be the School’s principal lead on personalisation and experiential learning. Along with the senior lecturers in personalisation, academic mentors, course leaders and other stakeholders internal and external to the School, our aim is to deliver an individualised student experience. We will do this through equipping students with diagnostics to better understand their development needs and to plan for their future. Every student will also have a mentor who will use the NTU student dashboard and be the cornerstone of delivering personalised learning. Both my role and the Personalisation Project are very exciting and we have many teaching and learning activities planned, including an inspirational guest lecture series.
What was your first ever job?I worked on Saturdays as a sales assistant in the Health and Beauty Department at the Boots the Chemist store, Victoria Centre, Nottingham. The role gave me experience of the retail sector, which helped me to obtain sponsorship from Sainsbury’s while at university and to join their Graduate Trainee Management Programme.
What did you always want to be when you grew up?When I was nine years old I wanted to be prime minister!
What is your favourite overseas destination and why?America for its diversity, with places such as New York, Washington, Las Vegas, Chicago and Florida.
Tell us one thing that Nottingham Business School students won’t know about you.In one of my roles at Sainsbury’s I set up a fundraising initiative to raise money for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. As part of that I was invited to the opening of the hospital to meet the Queen and Prince Philip.
What is your favourite brand and why?Disney World, Florida. It employs over 70,000 cast members and yet every member of staff believes in the Disney brand and delivers it to customers, giving exceptional customer experience. They are also embracing technology to offer customers an individualised experience.
For your business dream team, who would be around the boardroom table (dead or alive)?The NBS personalisation team!
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in life?Work with like-minded people, enjoy and be passionate about what you do, and have a go. If something goes wrong it doesn’t matter - learn from it!
LINK POSTGRADUATE POSTGRADUATE LINK
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I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of our new full-time and part-time master’s students, as well as those joining us from our international partners. Also, welcome back to a new term to those of you on one of our January cohorts of MSc and MBA courses. We look forward to sharing your successes over the coming year.
As the theme of this edition highlights, personalisation is high on the agenda here at NBS, and we are continuously looking to find opportunities for you to personalise your experience with us. On our full time MSc and MBA courses, in addition to opportunities for personalising your curriculum through choices of routes of study, experiential opportunities or maybe also by choosing the focus of your assignment, this also means working with personal tutors, course teams and careers advisers to identify personal goals and put together an action plan for personal development. In doing so, you can take advantage of the many opportunities to enhance your skills and experience outside of the classroom.
Opportunities might include guest lectures from business leaders; skills development workshops; careers and employability workshops and events; mentoring from our Alumni Fellows; participation in events like our groundbreaking Thinkubator Challenge® or a summer school with an international partner; getting involved with a professional body (with which many of our courses have Dual Awards); joining the NTU Speakers’ Club and much more besides. We will be in touch with all students about these opportunities as the term progresses.
I hope you enjoy reading about the great work happening here at NBS and I look forward to hearing of your own achievements over the coming months. As always, I would value your feedback as to how we can further add to these opportunities or improve your experience with us, as well as your ideas on how we can involve students more in the work of the School. Follow me on Twitter, email me (details below), or visit me during my weekly drop-in session on Tuesdays 12 pm – 1 pm at the coffee / sandwich bar on level 0 of Newton (except 13 and 27 October).
Finally, we are always looking for student contributors to this magazine - if you have an idea for a feature or would like to write something for the next edition, please let me know.
Postgraduate updateAlex Hiller, Head of MSc Courses
MSc Marketing internship module leads to job offers
Eleven students from MSc Marketing took part in a pilot in-company project (ICP) module in May and from this five companies have expressed a desire to keep the student in a permanent role. So far, three students have secured roles with start dates with the Confetti Media Group, TCP Chartered Accountants and our own International Development Office (IDO). The remaining two students have decided not to pursue their offers for now because of other plans.
The ICP module was launched as a pilot for MSc Marketing and eleven students undertook 10-week internship placements in a range of companies across Nottinghamshire. These ranged from small not-for-profit organisations such as the Writer’s Studio, to global corporations such as Experian and 3M.
The ICP module is a group-based consultancy project which enables students to work as a team on a live brief. The ICP module also gives students the opportunity to work individually in the company for an extended period, and support general marketing activities.
Given the success of the ICP for both students and employers, the module will be rolled out as an option for other groups of students in 2016.
Putting students’ knowledge and skills into practice on MSc Applied Consultancy Project
For many students on our master’s courses, the final stage of the course involves working in an international team on a consultancy project for a local organisation. From May to July this year students worked with around 30 different clients to explore issues they faced with the aim of offering some clear recommendations on how to move forward.
This year these organisations included charities, Nottinghamshire County Council and start-up businesses, as well as more established private sector companies. Each project offers students an opportunity to not only apply what they have learned in terms of business and management theory, but to develop innovative and personalised research approaches to explore each organisational challenge.
One group of MSc Management students that worked for More Drinks particularly demonstrated their ability to exceed their client’s expectations in terms of what they were able to achieve as a consultancy team.
Their client’s company, More Drinks, was founded in 2013 by Steve Norris & Chris Arrigoni, who between them have over 25 years’ experience in the soft drinks industry. More Drinks retails two key vitamin drink products: Get More and A Little More, two ranges of drinks that help adults and children get more of what their bodies need. The products are sold direct to major retailers and stocked in Tesco, WH Smith Travel, WH Smith High Street, Sainsbury’s and Asda stores nationwide. Through this project More Drinks wanted to know more about who their products appeal to and why, to help them develop future marketing campaigns and potentially redevelop their existing product range. In addition, they were particularly interested in exploring student views on the look, taste and health benefits of the range of drinks.
The students in the team were particularly imaginative in developing their research design, which included a series of supermarket observations to develop a profile of who was purchasing the product, an online questionnaire to find out general views on soft drinks, a number of focus group sessions to explore students’ reactions to the product range, and a tasting stall to gauge reactions to individual flavours. The students felt that this allowed them scope to not only develop their knowledge of a specialised industry but the ability to strengthen their own personal skills as researchers and consultants, whilst being members of a very international team.
Steve Norris, one of the two owners of More Drinks, said the team’s response was: “A well structured and thorough approach to the work. The students were all clearly engaged in the project, the results of which they seemed genuinely intrigued to discover.”
The real proof of the project’s success was that the students were able to offer a number of well supported recommendations to guide the client in terms of both future product refinement and targeted marketing. The client commented: “The output of the project certainly exceeded our expectations and has provided us with some tangible insights which will form part of brand development plans going forward.”
This was just one success story. We have recently gathered feedback on what all clients felt about their projects and whether they would like to work with the School again. Over 80% of the clients felt that their projects had achieved or more than achieved the objectives they were hoping to realise.
Comments from a range of other satisfied clients included:
“ A very professional group, they delivered well beyond the brief. All members of the team fulfilled their particular role and contributed equally to the project.”
“ I feel the students put a lot of effort and serious thought into the project, which was far from easy.”
“ I was extremely impressed with the team of students that took on my project, they understood the project brief and my company with only minimal guidance from me and the resulting report and presentation were extremely informative. We have implemented their recommendations already and we’re starting to see real benefits to the company as a whole.”
“ A huge thank you to the students who did a fantastic job in researching the project and identifying the pertinent issues. Their recommendations were clear and well thought through; I am optimistic that these will be taken into consideration going forward.”
“ I was impressed by the quality of the research, which showed a full understanding of the project. The presentation was informative and concise and the group knew their material well. The recommendations were very good and provided considerable food for thought that is now being acted upon.”
Reactions like these show the power of our students’ ability to bring the knowledge and skills they have developed over the duration of their courses together in successful teams to meet the needs of each company. We will shortly be embarking on another series of projects including some that will build on the success of these students to offer our clients further guidance and support.
Liza PybusAssistant Head of Postgraduate Courses
From left to right: Steve Norris, Weifei Sun, Chris Arrigoni, Suhui Xu, Elzbieta Niemczk, Ravi Singh and Hoang Giang Dao.
Overall did the project achieve the agreed objectives?
More than achieved
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Achieved Somewhat acheived
Did not acheive
A day in the life...
Emily Galway, MSc Marketing
9 am – 10 amThis morning I had an appointment with a careers consultant in the Employability Centre on Newton Level 0. They checked my CV, then we went over some interview techniques and I picked up some useful tips. We also covered psychometric testing, which really helped to improve my confidence for future job applications.
10 am – 1 pmI then went to the library and studied in the quiet zone. I like how the library is split into zones with different noise levels, allowing for group study and discussion, quiet study, and silent individual study, which is really useful at exam time.
1 pm – 2 pmI met some friends from my course in Dine Arkwright for lunch. The food is really tasty, with a lot of choice on the menu.
2 pm – 3.30 pmNBS often run guest lectures by industry professionals, and this afternoon I went along to a lecture by a speaker from comparethemarket.com who talked about her involvement in the meerkat campaign. It was really interesting, and I gained CPD (continuous professional development) hours for attending.
3.30 pm – 5 pmI met with my group to work on our presentation for the Operational Marketing module. For this project we are redesigning a Nokia phone to make it more competitive.
5 pm – 6 pmAs a member of the NTU gym, I can attend all of the classes on offer. Tonight I went to Pole Fit, a really fun and challenging class.
7 pm – 9 pmI went to the Broadway Cinema with some friends from my course and watched a French subtitled film.
9.30 pm – 11pmUsing the tips from my meeting with the careers consultant this morning, I spent some time preparing for my interview to secure a 10-week placement in the NTU Procurement team.
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60 seconds with...
Length of time at NTU: 18 years.
Tell us a little about your role at NBS: I am the coordinator for NBS students who study abroad as part of their degree at NTU, and incoming masters exchange students including dual award masters students that come to study at NTU for one trimester. I am the subject administrator for the joint MSc courses in European Business and Finance and International Business and Management students from Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Poland. I also look after the summer school opportunities for students and the International Professors’ Week.
What was your first ever job?I worked as a checkout assistant at the Co-op supermarket whilst studying for my A levels.
What is your favourite overseas destination and why?Greece. I love the history, the landscape, the people, the food and of course, the sun.
Tell us one thing that Nottingham Business School students won’t know about you.I help promote several independent musicians from London and Los Angeles, and I am a qualified Reiki master teacher and crystal therapist.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in life?To spend as much time as possible with family and friends enjoying life.
Pam CatoriNBS Student Exchange Coordinator
EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht in Wisbaden, Germany • Founded in 1971, EBS is the oldest private
business school with university status in Germany. It is located in the heart of the Rhine-Main region, a hub of economic development with a population of more than 4.7 million people and 320,000 companies.
• The business school campus is situated among the vineyards of the Rheingau, in the valley of the River Rhine, which is recognised as a world-heritage site by UNESCO.
• EBS ranks as one of the five best business schools in Germany and is one of only four business studies faculties in Germany to receive the prestigious EQUIS accreditation.
Nijmegen School of Management (NSM) at Radboud University in the Netherlands • Radboud University is based in the city of
Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands and situated near the German border. It is close to the banks of the River Waal offering picturesque views and excellent water sports facilities.
• The European Commission highlighted in its recent report that Radboud University has an impressive range of activities for its incoming and outgoing students and a “high sense of concern for quality”.
• NSM is a truly international university with over 100 mutual agreements signed with higher education institutions around the globe and 600 student exchange agreements with 310 EU partners. It offers 28 degree courses taught in English.
University of Economics – Varna (UEV) in Bulgaria• UEV is located in the city of Varna, one of the
most popular tourist destinations on the coast of the Black Sea. The University’s main campus is only a five-minute walk from the city’s golden beaches.
• UEV is a renowned international university receiving around 150 international students from over 60 countries each year.
• The University offers its students a wide range of cultural events such as theatre performances, live concerts, cinema and dance performances that are held in its new contemporary hall, which opened in 2011.
Introducing our partners…In true LINK magazine tradition, we’d like to introduce you to three of our overseas partners, all of which offer opportunities to become involved in entrepreneurial learning and activity.
International updateBy Chris Crabot, Head of International Affairs
Nottingham Business School offers its students a wide range of opportunities to differentiate themselves through international experiences; this can be a study abroad period, a summer school organised at a partner university, a study tour integrated into a course, or a work placement abroad. But in the end, it is up to you to take up the challenge of embarking on one of these life-changing experiences.
Internationalising your profile is a great way to show that you have acquired invaluable skills, such as the ability to work in a multicultural team by having experienced a new culture yourself; resourcefulness, by having developed a network outside your country; openness, for having compared your reality to others and realised that theirs is just as relevant as yours. We know that these choices are not easy to make, this is why we support you from the moment you enter the School and throughout your studies with your dedicated tutor. Your tutor will help you to find the opportunity that will be right for you and have the maximum impact on your future career.
In this latest update, we will tell you about the Living Working and Studying Abroad Fair that will take place at the end of November, which is a great time to discover our international partners and hear about the experiences of past students. We will also shed some light on the study tours that are organised within some courses.
Living Working and Studying Abroad ExhibitionBy Rachel Welton
Each year BA (Hons) International Business students organise the Living Working and Studying Abroad Exhibition, providing them with the opportunity to share their experiences with other NTU students who are looking to study and work abroad. During the event, which will be held on Thursday 26 November 2015, final year students will present detailed information about each of NBS’s international partners. We will also have several of our partners attending the event to provide detailed insight into their particular institution.
A study and work abroad experience really does set students apart from their peers when they are seeking employment. Frequently students report back after interviews that a high proportion of the discussion focused on experiences and skills they have gained whilst working and studying abroad.
The Living Working and Studying Abroad Exhibition is a pinnacle of the BA (Hons) International Business (BAIB) students’ learning experience and forms one of the assessments in the final year. A great variety of information is provided about transportation, visas, accommodation, subject selection, Erasmus funding, volunteering etc. The exhibition is a showcase of objective information and personal reflection about their individual experiences that lines up with the vast array of questions a student considering working or studying abroad may have. This enables NBS students to select a suitable country and international partner to make the right decision about their intended international experiences. It is a fantastic opportunity for students who are
planning to study and work abroad as they can ask the experts about specific issues such as money, visas, accommodation and travel arrangements.
At NBS more second year students are taking an international study experience as part of the personalisation agenda. Employers are seeking students that have language competence and the independence skills that develop as a consequence of having to strive for themselves in a foreign country. Whilst BAIB final year students have to remember they have probably only experienced a small part of what it is like to live in a specific part of the world, people studying at other institutions, working in other organisations, or living in a different location will see another angle. This exhibition enables students to gain a valuable insight into the whole array of the highs and lows of studying or working abroad and how to survive and grow from them.
Sharing your time abroad is essential in the settling back in process; if friends and family are unable to hear your story, then this event is certainly a platform. This event itself, as well as the build-up to it, gives the final year BAIB students the chance to tell interested parties all about their experiences. The exhibition is an ideal way to gain first hand advice from students that have studied and worked abroad and those starting their preparations to take the leap. This relationship normally continues as the final year students support the next cohort in their transition of leaving the UK for sunnier climates.
MSc International Business Study Tourby Dr Kostas Galanakis and Dr Ofelia Palermo
The MSc International Business course team – Dr Ofelia Palermo, Dr Kostas Galanakis and Dr Angelo Bisignano – organised the fifth edition of the international study tour, an integral part of the course. The study tour encompassed a customised, specialised summer school themed across the subjects of International Entrepreneurship, International Business and Cross-Cultural Management.
The intensive programme was organised in cooperation with the Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Democritus University of Thrace in Xanthi, Greece, and ran from 28 June to 5 July 2015. Together with the MSc International Business students, 25 additional participants from local universities were accepted on the programme after a selection process.
The course team prioritised the organisation of the summer school around the needs of our students, a choice driven by the team’s need to ensure personalisation and significant added value to students’ knowledge and skills set. The team designed the summer school to inspire students and enrich the MSc International Business curriculum in a way that fosters the development of confident individuals and responsible professionals.
International study tour partners were identified and shortlisted at the beginning of the 2014/15 academic year. In this fifth edition, among our clients there were prestigious companies such as Procter & Gamble Europe, and Coco-Mat (Libra Group), which are leading players in their sectors on a global scale.
During the study tour, our students presented the results of their International Applied Consultancy Projects to the client companies’ representatives who praised the results of the projects as well as our students’ efforts, impressed by their professionalism and by the quality of their propositions.
The local students joined the MSc International Business group: through relevant seminars and activities together, they developed synergies underpinned by creativity, networking, negotiation abilities, and influence and intervention skills. Highly regarded guest speakers provided a mix of specialised presentations and inspired the students to engage on International Entrepreneurship, International Business, and Cross-Cultural Management. Furthermore, the mixed groups of students engaged in a 48-hour set of intensive consultancy projects providing innovative thinking to other local companies participating in this initiative. The MSc students led those teams, demonstrating their cultural awareness and their ability to integrate with colleagues from other disciplinary backgrounds. Finally, yet importantly, they demonstrated their ability to synthesise and reflect on the impact of the theoretical aspects and skills developed throughout their course on successfully managing teams and projects.
For the first time the study tour ensured sponsorship by the USA Mission in Greece, which provided funds for covering guest speakers and networking events.
Varna Nijmegen EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht
Corporate updateBy Alison Smith, Head of Executive Education and Corporate Relations
The Corporate Team has been extremely busy over recent months. Here are just some of the wide range of activities and developments.
New awardsWe are delighted to announce that our new part time master’s course, Management and Leadership, was validated this summer. This is a staged award for working managers, delivered in blocks of teaching and with flexible entry points.
Sector basedTwo cohorts of the Association of University Administrators (AUA) have begun their postgraduate certificate with us this year. This is a new collaboration between NBS and the AUA, which previously delivered this course with the Open University. We have also designed a progression route for these students that will, in similar fashion to the course above, take participants through to diploma and MSc, awarded by NTU. Such a course has not previously existed and we are delighted to have been able to work
with the AUA on this initiative, which will provide university administrators with a distinctive award focused upon developing them to senior roles in universities. For the first time, too, Nottingham Conference Centre hosted the AUA’s annual conference at Easter where some 500+ delegates were able to share good practice and see at first hand our wonderful facilities and the benefits of studying in Nottingham.
Bespoke coursesIn September we welcomed senior leaders from a local borough council to NBS. This leadership course has been specially designed to reflect the requirements of the senior team to deliver the council’s strategy. The course is innovative and very carefully designed to ensure individual and team development. As well as a series of workshops, held both at NBS and the council’s premises, participants will take part in individual coaching activity and action learning sets. We are delighted to be engaging with clients in the immediate locality as well as further afield.
This summer, too, a workshop on conflict at work was delivered to very senior officers in one of our armed forces. Colleagues from the HRM division have been working to develop this initiative for many months and it is encouraging that we are asked to work with clients at very senior levels in their organisations.
Based on our reputation for innovation, flexibility and positive outcomes at senior levels we are currently working to design an open Senior Leadership Programme (SLP), which will follow NBS’ personalisation philosophy, and which we intend to be transformational for participants. Currently being fleshed out with our Corporate Executive Education Advisory Board, we expect to launch this early in 2016 with a pilot initiative for members of the board and our Alumni Fellows.
Small businesses have benefitted too from a new series of workshops created by NTU’s Future Factory for small design-led enterprises, run jointly with NBS to support both design leadership and business growth. Workshop topics have included marketing, sales and pitching, managing virtual teams and managing business finance. Participants have also been able to access the Future Factory* design and sustainability advisors, as well as NTU’s Employability Team, to talk about placement and internship opportunities and find out about NTU’s Legal Clinic for help with intellectual property and other business issues.
NBS is also pleased to announce the successes of our students, where 10 graduated from the Rolls-Royce BA (Hons) Management and Leadership cohort, and 37 from the BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company) cohorts. It was a pleasure to see them graduate and to be able to award the student prizes, including two new ones this year from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for best dissertation.
* The Future Factory project is part financed by the East Midlands ERDF Competitiveness Programme, European Regional
Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013.
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Management and Leadership awardsOur newly validated Management and Leadership awards have been designed with students and their sponsoring companies to ensure they are fit for purpose and meet their needs.
These staged awards for working managers are delivered in blocks of teaching and with flexible entry points. The awards, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc are designed to meet the students’ needs at different stages in their career journeys.
Assessment is work-based to ensure value to the sponsor and delivery is a combination of taught modules and self-directed learning. Building upon NBS’ strengths, we have designed pathways in Public Services Management and Lean, and more routes are pipelined for 2016.
This exciting new course will be available from October 2015.
Dr Phil ConsidinePrincipal Lecturer and Executive MBA Course Leader
Length of time at NTU: Four months
Tell us a little about your role at NBS: I am course leader for the Executive MBA (EMBA). My main focus is the review and revalidation of the EMBA, working closely with a wide range of colleagues to develop new modules and to ensure it meets the standards and reflects the values of the School.
What was your first ever job?My first job after leaving university was with the Inland Revenue working on tax inspections and audits. I spent my time working with the widest range of organisations imaginable and finding out about their systems and where they spent (or sometimes hid) their money.
What is your favourite overseas destination and why?: I love India – I spent quite a bit of time working there so got to know it well. It has everything from huge bustling cities like Mumbai, to stunning beaches in Goa. Having said that I love the range and diversity of cultures that we have in Europe and its ease of access. So, it’s difficult to choose.
Tell us one thing that Nottingham Business School students won’t know about you. I have managed to climb (or ‘bag’ as we say in Munro-speak) over half of the 282 Munros in Scotland. These are the Scottish mountains over 3000 feet high and I plan to increase this.
For your business dream team, who would be around the boardroom table (dead or alive)? I would look for diversity and innovation as well as success so Karen Lowthrope, who is the Chief Executive of Hill Holt Wood – an award-winning social enterprise based near Newark – is an inspirational leader. She manages to combine entrepreneurship with a genuine concern for people, and she implemented the policy that no one in the organisation can ever earn more than three times the lowest paid employee.
Others would be Tim Berners-Lee, who was instrumental in developing the Internet, and Fergus McCann, who managed to change the financial and ownership structure of my favourite football team without losing its social and community responsibilities. For a global perspective I would have Ratan Tata, who has turned around numerous businesses but always with a strong sense of values, and Carolyn McCall, the CEO of Easyjet, as she has managed to force even Ryanair into changing their operating model.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in life?It’s probably to keep an open mind and never to be overly certain – but I am not even 100% sure about that!
Alumni Fellows grow in numbersBusiness executives from across the globe who studied at Nottingham Business School have completed their first year as Alumni Fellows, where they have been supporting the next generation of business brains as part of the new Alumni Fellowship Scheme. The new scheme was launched in October 2014 and since then we have seen the 33 appointed Alumni Fellows donating their time through mentoring and employability support, guest lectures, participating on Course Enhancement Boards, academic buddying and taking our students on company visits.
2014/15 was the pilot year of the scheme and following the successful launch and first year of the scheme we plan to have 150 in post for 2015/16. The Alumni Fellows are an invaluable resource for NBS for both our students and academic staff and each brings their own experience and expertise, which has proven to provide a unique learning experience for NBS students.
Dean of Nottingham Business School, Professor Baback Yazdani, said: “Each Alumni Fellow dedicates their time to different activities,
depending on interests, expertise and availability. The main focus for our Alumni Fellowship Scheme is to create a valuable resource that our students and staff can benefit from, while offering the unique opportunity for alumni to raise their own profile and develop their skills and experience.”
Topher Batchelor, NBS Alumni Fellow from Fat Free Media, said: “I was delighted to be invited to the position of Alumni Fellow last year, and I have really enjoyed every opportunity I have been involved in. For me the role has involved delivering guest lectures and speaking at events (such as
Success with NBS and the Arts and Humanities Careers Festival). One of the activities I have enjoyed most is the mentoring programme.
“ It is a great opportunity for me to experience the infectious enthusiasm and energy that current students at NTU have, and also their determination and readiness to push on for the future.”
If you are an NBS Alumni and would like to find out more about how you can get involved in this scheme please contact Govind Singh [email protected]
60 seconds with...
Runner up “I don’t know what I am doing!” Surfacing struggles of managerial identity work, Management Learning Journal – Dr Amanda Hay
Runner up A network-based view of regional growth, Journalof Economic Geography – Dr Piers Thompson
Winner Is HRM process important? Past, current and future challenges, Human Resource Management Journal – Professor Helen Shipton
Best Paper Overall
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Research updateProfessor Harry BartonHead of Research Nottingham Business School
Celebrating research successOn Thursday 2 July, colleagues from Nottingham Business School gathered together to celebrate the publication of the Nottingham Business School Research Report 2014. The event was marked by a review of the recent REF2014 results and a reiteration of our aims for the 2020 research exercise.
Following this introduction, a number of academic colleagues were identified as making a particularly special contribution to research within the School during 2014. Such individuals were awarded certificates presented by the Dean of the School, Professor Baback Yazdani, in recognition of their contribution across four areas of output. The winners were:
Advancing research within NBSWith REF2014 seeming a distant memory, we now turn our attention to the challenges of another research exercise cycle. REF2020 provides NBS with the opportunity for a step change in its research activities that requires the participation and full commitment of colleagues throughout the School. Through adopting a positive strategy to research development we are going to set ourselves a series of strategic aims that, through a process of consultation, will see the whole faculty engaging with our research ambitions.
Best Case Study:Modernisation of Gambling Taxes – Professor Leighton Vaughan Williams
Decent Homes in Nottingham – Professor Alistair Mutch
From Building to People – Designing, Implementing and Disseminating a New Risk Assessment and Performance Framework for Fire and Rescue Services – Peter Murphy
Research Grant Success: To provide the organisation with a digital marketing and omnichannel retailing toolkit to better promote the company’s brand and product range to key stakeholders, in a UK and global context – Dr Julie Lewis
Best Paper Early Career Researcher:
A new model of knowledge and innovative capability development for small born-global bio-tech firms: evidence from the East Midlands, UK, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business – Dr Amon Simba (Winner)How Important is the Credit Channel? An Empirical Study of the Banking Crisis, Journal of Banking Crisis – Dr Chunping Liu (Runner-up)
The gravity model and trade efficiency: a stochastic frontier analysis of Eastern European countries’ potential trade, World Economy – Dr Geetha Ravishankar (Runner-up)
