BIZ
the
Ashcroft International Business School Magazine|issue 2
getting cue’d up INNOVATION | page 15
10052401
www.anglia.ac.uk/aibs
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Deans Update Welcome to the latest edition of ‘The Biz’. Many thanks for all the stories that have come forward and to Christine Durrant and team for all their efforts in pulling things together against a busy and tight schedule. There are lots of things going on within the School and also within our broad student community both on and off campus – so please keep those stories flowing.
This is a busy time for all staff and students as we move towards the important assessment period. The end of an academic year always brings mixed emotions for our students. Those students about to graduate in the summer will of course be leaving us and move on to the next stage of their career. All that hard work over the duration of your course suddenly comes into focus and your next career step beckons. All the staff within the Business School wish you well for the future and please keep in touch through our Alumni Office. Those students completing their first year of study will no doubt have made some big adjustments throughout the year as you got to grips with university life. We hope it has been a stimulating and challenging year academically and that it has built up your confidence to approach the remainder of your course. You will see stories in this issue from students at different stages of their course and what you soon realise is all the other things that you get involved with as part of your student life. Your successes are an important part of what it is to be at university and you are to be congratulated on your contributions to making a vibrant student community.
As we look forward to a new academic year we know that the Higher Education sector faces considerable challenges and all staff within the School deserve considerable praise and credit for the great things that are going on in difficult times. It is these staff successes that will help make the difference for Anglia Ruskin in the period of change that we face. Staff success comes in many forms – the design and delivery of new courses, research papers and successful conference presentations, helping deliver an innovative student experience and winning external income and grants. Great efforts – well done.
I hope you find this edition an easy and enjoyable read – of course there is much more going on and we rely on getting more and more news captured in these pages for future editions. So keep the stories and news flowing to Christine and her team. Martin Reynolds Professor Vice Chancellor and Dean
Professor Martin Reynolds
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Editorial
Welcome to ‘The Biz’ the Ashcroft International Business School’s staff and student magazine aimed at keeping you abreast of developments and opportunities in our Faculty. We hope you enjoy reading it. The magazine will be produced four times a year and distributed via issuu.com. Alternatively you can access copies of this and previous issues on our website: www.anglia.ac.uk/aibs Contact us:
Thank you to those of you who have submitted articles for this issue, please keep the good news stories coming. If you would like to offer us your news or ideas to us please contact christine.durrant@anglia.ac.uk. We look forward to hearing from you. Topics of interest could include those related to: o Good news stories o Personal and academic achievements o Events o Research o International visits o Diary dates, etc. …… or anything else you think may be of interest to your fellow students and/or colleagues. We would also welcome your feedback on the magazine, particularly on ways of improving it.
Contents 2 3 3
AIBS’ website has a new face Launch of MBA Alumni Network £5.5m of grant funding ring-fenced for low carbon research and development STUDENT NEWS 4 IBM Universities Business Challenge 2009-2010 5 Anglia Ruskin University compete at FLUX 500 Competition 6 Summer Courses – Polish language opportunity 6 Stand out from the graduate crowd 7 Business@Ashcroft Student Society hosts ‘Meeting the Professionals’ 8 Limkokwing’s Anglia Ruskin Students in awe of Bako National Park 9 Monkey Business: Excursion to Colchester Zoo 9 ‘Cheap as Chips’ cookery demo EVENTS 10 Ventures Academy – Where ideas come to life 11 Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 – ‘Two for the price of none’ 12 Anglia Ruskin Entrepreneurs – Leading biotech company gives talk ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 13 New MA in Corporate Governance to be launched 13 The current and future role of Business Schools 14 Deputy Dean wins INSPIRE’s 2009 Competition 15 Nashville Best Workshop Award INNOVATION 15 Getting cue’d up to help Business School students BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT 16 Virgin money success 16 Ridgeons employees welcomed to Rivermead 17 UPS and Anglia Ruskin University launch work-based leadership degree programme SUCCESS STORIES 18 International appointment 18 MBA Alumnus Success 19 Management graduate secures research post with world’s largest offshore wind farm project 20 New members of staff 20 Diary Dates
AIBS’ website has a new face!
You will still find the usual (and more!) information on our departments, locations, student support, course provision, research, collaborative partnerships and clients. You can also keep up to date with AIBS’ latest news and events and find the latest issues of ‘The Biz’, our school magazine, as well as of Interconnections, our research journal, for download on our website.
After many months of restructuring, updating, tweaking and jazzing up work, Ashcroft International Business School’s new website has finally gone live.
However, improvement works on the website are by no means finished! We are planning to make the AIBS’ new website more interactive. How are we going to do this? We will include podcasts with student testimonials about our courses and campus life in Cambridge and Chelmsford, ‘live chats’ with our Student Experience Co-ordinators and research staff and much more.
If you have any ideas and suggestions for future improvements of the website, some news you would like to communicate to the school or would like to advertise your event, please get in touch with our Communications, Marketing and External liaison team (Christine.Durrant@anglia.ac.uk).
It is now easier to navigate between the links than ever before without having to compromise on the content. In addition, the website has been enhanced with many photos of our very own students and campuses which make the pages very attractive to look at…but you can also find images of many AIBS faculty and support staff.
Bianca Schottstedt
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Launch of MBA Alumni Network
Our new network is aimed at further enhancing this value by helping MBA Alumni keep in contact with their classmates, share news and gossip, but also develop contacts with those from other groups and keep up to date on developments in business training, education and philosophy.
We have MBA presentations based in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Berlin and Trinidad and alumni spread across the globe, so whatever their location, interest or needs there should be a friendly face for them to contact.
We have been told many times of the enjoyable time students had when working towards completing their MBA and the value it has added to their working life.
The Network is being launched at a dinner on the evening of the 4 August 2010 at the Royal Overseas League in London, already oversubscribed. Additional events are already in the planning and will be publicised via the Alumni Office and the MBA Alumni Newsletter ‘MBA Connect.’
We will also be inviting ideas and contributions on what MBA alumni want from the network and if the demand is there we will meet it. www.anglia.ac.uk/alumni
£5.5m of grant funding ring-fenced for low carbon research and development
The East of England Development Agency’s (EEDA) extensive grant funding programme includes £5.5m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) that is ring-fenced to invest in the Research and Development (R & D) of technology-led solutions for a low carbon future. As with the core programme, grants range from £5,000 to £250,000 and are awarded to entrepreneurs or companies wishing to develop a prototype or investigate the feasibility of an innovative technology.
Do you need funding for a research or development project? If so, grant funding could be your answer.
EEDA’s green grants panel meets every fortnight to evaluate applications, and they’ve already approved £1m of funding so far this year. So don’t delay. For more information and to download a pre-application form, please go to http://www.bizmapeast.co.uk/low_carbon.aspx
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STUDENT NEWS
IBM Universities Business Challenge 2009 – 2010
The top 72 teams from this first round went through to the Round 2 semi-finals which were run over one day at 9 different venues around the UK. 6 Anglia Ruskin teams went through to this round.
These semi-finals gave participating students the opportunity to meet fellow competitors from other universities, meet graduate employers and hear presentations on internships, placements and graduate schemes from the UBC sponsoring companies - and above all to demonstrate their talent and develop their employability skills. The UBC is highly valued by sponsoring corporate employers as it is an important part of their graduate recruitment strategy.
1400 students in 280 UK university teams from 75 faculties competed in the IBM UBC Round 1 heats, starting in October 2009 and running through to December.
Although we had no winning teams this year, the feedback from our students was very positive. They had enjoyed the entire competition from October onwards. Participation in the IBM UBC has significantly added to the great student experience at Anglia Ruskin. Robert Jones, Field Leader International Business at the Ashcroft International Business School, consoled the teams with the motto from his old school in Malta: Ludum praeter palmam amare Love the game above the prize – it’s the taking part that matters.
Each week a new challenge was sent from the organisers, Learning Dynamics Ltd, and each week the teams had to prepare their responses and enter their figures online. 45 Anglia Ruskin students were recruited and competed in 11 teams.
We will compete again in 2010/2011 and aim to enhance the student experience – and possibly win as we did in 2008.
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E: robert.jones@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2549
STUDENT NEWS
Anglia Ruskin University Compete at FLUX 500 Competition
As part of the fast-paced, two-day competition, student teams used the enterprise tool XING to create a new division for Remploy, the national provider of employment to people experiencing barriers to work. Over 40 business experts, from companies such as KPMG, Experian, Backup Direct and a range of other large and small organisations, were on hand to guide the students. Business expert Siobhan Bales MD of Bgroup creative agency said “it has been invigorating to be amongst some great enterprising students as well as bright, challenging experts”
Six enterprising students from Anglia Ruskin University took part in the Grand Finals of FLUX - an intense business challenge which saw them compete in against 33 teams from universities across the UK.
The University of Bedfordshire made it through the heats and finals to come out as eventual winners and were crowned FLUX 2010 National Champions throwing their £3000 prize money into the air in celebration.
Phil Cotter, Managing Director Credit Services UK&I , Experian said: “The courage, quality of thinking, enthusiasm and energy demonstrated by the students I have met today, makes me feel positive about the future.”
The final day of FLUX included the ‘Expo’ - a careers fair for students to meet with the organisations behind the experts, many of whom had spent the previous days spotting talent for specific roles. Students were also able to reflect on the previous few days in workshops and mentor sessions whilst considering what direction they might take beyond University.
Developed by The Working Knowledge Group, nationally award winning experts in enterprise education, FLUX is a fantastic, fast-paced and fun competition for university students on any degree course, undergraduate or postgraduate, and of any age; indeed over 60% of students that take part in FLUX are studying subjects completely unrelated to business FLUX is now in its fifth year and is the largest enterprise competition in UK higher education.
This year’s event was hosted by Nottingham Trent University's enterprise development unit, The Hive, and sponsored by Experian and The Greater Nottingham Partnership with Backup Direct, NCGE, and the Nottinghamshire City & County Employment and Skills Board.
The students competing for Anglia Ruskin University were: Andrew Curtis , Efrain Quiros, Francesca Rust, Marcus Fornell, Toni Mahler and Vassil Richter. The team was organised and championed by Allison Beaumont.
For information about the Working Knowledge Group and FLUX visit www.twkg.net, www.FLUX500.com
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Polish Language Opportunity
Stand out from the graduate crowd
The VARIA Centre of Polish Language would like to invite the students for a study programme called Polish Variations on Your Vacations, which combines an intensive Polish course, attractive cultural activities and accommodation in comfortable apartments in Krakow, Poland.
Internships can help graduates stand out from the crowd, gain confidence and satisfaction from making a real difference to a local business
The VARIA Centre of Polish Language organizes two-week intensive Polish courses in Krakow. These are accompanied by a wide range of cultural events for our students to take part in. The participants are accommodated with Polish people (mostly students of Krakow universities), which enables a direct contact with the Polish language after the Polish lessons in our Centre. We welcome both individual people and larger groups. Also, for organised groups we can change the dates of the trips.
Our course offer is part of an international programme supported by numerous universities and international institutes all over the world, as well as the Erasmus Student Network. Every year our programme provides education and entertainment to more and more students who are willing not only to learn Polish but also to find out more about Polish culture, meet new people, see the most interesting sites in southern Poland and spend two unforgettable weeks in the magical city of Krakow. For more information visit: www.varia-course.com Or contact:
Katarzyna Hoffmann, VARIA Center of Polish Language Phone.: +48/12 633 58 71, Mobile: +48/501 584 623
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Graduates and final year students can now apply for Anglia Ruskin University’s Graduate Internship Programme, which has over 50 companies registered and waiting for enthusiastic graduates to start work. Internship projects last twelve weeks and the graduate is paid a wage of £250 per week with no tax or NI to pay.
Danica Smith, who graduated with a first class degree in Marketing from Anglia Ruskin University and lives in Chelmsford, did an internship at Rose of Colchester. She said: ‘I have found the internship to be more beneficial than my actual degree as it has given me the experience, knowledge, responsibilities and understanding I need to be successful in the workplace, no matter what industry I decide to pursue.’ Lynsey McCulloch, Business Administration Manager in Anglia Ruskin University’s Graduate Internship Office, said: ‘I know from experience how frustrating it is to miss out on jobs because you don’t have the relevant experience and these days it’s even tougher. We want to see as many graduates as possible getting into graduate-level employment and this scheme will help improve their chances.’
To apply for an internship, email your CV to internships@anglia.ac.uk or call 0845 196 3177. Visit the website www.anglia.ac.uk/internships to view current opportunities (click on ‘Graduates’ and ‘Find an Internship’).
The programme is open to anyone who has graduated from a UK university in 2008, 2009 or 2010, lives in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk or Suffolk) and is eligible to work in the UK.
Business @ Ashcroft Student Society hosts ‘Meeting the Professionals’ After the success of the Business @ Ashcroft student society’s pub quiz, the committee started planning its second event. It was agreed that the society would hold an event with representatives from professional bodies and employers to give information and talk about their experiences in practice to be aimed at business school students. We agreed to call the event ‘Meeting the Professionals’ and set the date as 8th February for it to take place. The committee and I soon drew up a ‘wish list’ of professional bodies and employers who we wanted to
approach to come to the event. We were lucky enough to have representatives from CMI, ACCA, IFA, ICSA, CIMA, CIPFA, in addition to many others, who all agreed to come along.
At least 200 students attended the event which was a wonderful result. Watching them as they went from stand to stand, I noticed that they were all listening intently to what each representative had to say. The varied and interesting mix of representatives gave the students a taster of the different careers paths available and access to a range of interesting insights and opinions.
After the event I spoke to a few of the representatives who had given up their time to join us. Lindsay Heath from ICSA told me that she had found the event really useful: ‘We had a good number of enquiries and were really pleased with how it went, so yes do bear us in mind for anything similar in the future!’ Debbie Thomas from the CMI also had a similar comment to make: ‘We are proud to be a support for the Business School and it was great to see a large number of students at the stalls’. The Business @ Ashcroft student society committee and I would like to thank all those who supported the event and helped make it a success. If anyone would like to join the society or if you require further information, please email the president, Unathi Sicwebu at businessatashcroft@angliastudent.com.
STUDENT NEWS
Limkokwing’s Anglia Ruskin Students in Awe of Bako National Park
Anglia Ruskin students studying at Limkokwing were greeted by the sun, sea and greenery as they arrived at Bako National Park as part of their orientation programme.
Students and staff posing for a picture after the briefing by park rangers The students also challenged their mental and physical stamina as they went on a jungle trek with their group members, and learnt to rely on each other for support as they braved the slippery grounds, winding paths and steep inclines.
The one and half hour trek to Telok Pandan kecil is one of bako's most popular. It ascends the forested hills overlooking Telok assam, reaching the plateau covered in scrub vegetation and continues along a sandy path lined with carnivorous pitcher plants before reaching a cliff top with stunning view of the secluded bay below the famous sea stack just offshore. ‘We wanted to introduce our students to the teamwork culture at Limkokwing Borneo, and it was amazing seeing all our local and international students working together and truly enjoying themselves as they went through the various challenges together,’ he added. The main charm of Bako for the students was the serene surroundings and the occasional sightings of wildlife, which included lizards, monkeys and families of bearded pigs as they wandered about the hostels.
The first group of students and staff that reached the cliff top with stunning view of the secluded bay below
‘This is definitely an eye-opener for me as I have never seen monkeys, bearded pigs and snakes chilling and doing their own thing amongst people,” said Areeb Siddiqui, a Pakistani student undergoing the Anglia Ruskin Business Management degree.
For some of them, this was their first experience of taking longboats out to the sea and for many others, this was their first visit to one of many national parks in Sarawak.
With its rainforest, abundant wildlife, jungle streams, waterfalls, interesting plant life, secluded beaches and trekking trails, Bako offered Limkokwing students an excellent introduction to the rainforest of Borneo.
The finale of the trip was the mass clean-up competition, whereby the teams had to compete against each other to see which group could accumulate the most litter on the beach. Students were told to first clean up the areas that they had occupied throughout their stay at Bako, before moving on and clearing out as much rubbish as possible from all the other areas.
The new intake of students, consisting of 100 local and international students, were in awe of the magnificent land and seascape of Bako as they stepped on the beach and took in the astounding sights before being ushered for a briefing by both the staff of Limkokwing Borneo and the Park Rangers.
The students were all in praise for the hard work put in by Limkokwing staff. ‘I’d like to thank all our lecturers and staff members at Limkokwing Borneo for making this trip possible for us,’ said Mohammad Syazwan, an Anglia Ruskin Student.
Lead by Anglia Ruskin programmes Academic Co-ordinator, Mohd Salleh, the students listened attentively as the Park Rangers briefed the students of the Park rules and regulations.
The orientation programme to Bako National Park, which was subsidized by Limkokwing is just one of several events held to welcome students to Limkokwing and to provide useful information and help them settle in and allow them to meet other new students.
During their two-nights three-day trip, the students also participated in the various activities and challenges set by the Limkokwing Borneo staff team with one goal in mind; becoming the champion team of the orientation programme.
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Monkey Business: Excursion to Colchester Zoo On 13th of March 2010 the Business @ Ashcroft Student Society organised a day-trip to Colchester Zoo, which is the most popular zoo in Great Britain.
As a result around 15 students from Europe to Asia explored all kinds of animals from ants to elephants.“We were really impressed with the white tiger and the sea lion show, where we had the chance to feed these entertaining animals”. “After lunch we practiced scrambling on a rope like a monkey. To be honest… no one passed the test. There seems to be little differences between human beings and monkeys though...”
“All in all we had a really good time! We got the chance both to see animals from all over the world and to get to know different cultures.” Thanks for the experience! Nina Hentschel, visiting student from Germany Tharanga Senanyake, 1st year business management student.
“Cheap as Chips” cookery demo
could use and afford. This programme even taught you how to prepare ingredients the right way, my favourite was being taught how to cut an onion without getting any tears! The “SORTED” crew who launched the BBC’s Grub Club also came to launch a cookery demonstration. They provided us with simple and fast recipes using basic kitchen appliances. I really learnt from them as they were also students living on a budget, and having gone through all the mistakes, they were here to help our student life to make it hassle free and less stressful.
Student life can be stressful when you come to realise you are an independent young adult. No more depending on parents to cook for you. For many people food will be way down the list of priorities for the allocation of precious funds. However everyone needs to eat, and failing to set aside enough money for food can be a false economy.
Jessica Zifodya, 1st year- Accounting and Finance student
“Cheap as Chips” was a free cookery demo programme set at a good time after lectures. It guaranteed you a free meal from starter, main course and even desert. It also welcomed all students to interact and join, and what better way to interact than to bring all your friends along and learn new ways of budgeting money for food.
I thoroughly enjoyed every demo because it opened my eyes to new ingredients and foods that I did not know of especially when they started the Curry Classes by Sandhya Oza who was excellent and I loved her dishes. What was beneficial was that all recipes made were printed for you for every session for you to try on your own, with also practical hands on experience and free prizes. What I liked about “Cheap as Chips” was they used very affordable ingredients and showed you many products and ingredients your never knew you
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EVENTS
i-Teams scores university hat-trick as scheme expands
“We’ve come a long way in just four years, but it highlights the power of the programme.”
Professor Terry Mughan, of Anglia Ruskin’s Ashcroft International Business School, was delighted with the outcome of the project; “This gave our students the chance to tackle a real-life business problem and work in partnership with students from other universities and experienced business mentors.
A scheme which provides budding entrepreneurs with a real-life experience of turning ideas into business opportunities is expanding to other universities.
“We are pleased that our students, who came from a range of faculties, had the opportunity to work on emerging technologies and I think they brought a fresh perspective to the project.”
Cambridge University’s i-Teams was set up in Cambridge in 2006 by Amy Mokady, a local entrepreneur and business angel, and is a collaboration between the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and the Cambridge University Technology and Enterprise Club. Now the project has just completed its first ever interuniversity course. The latest taster course was a joint presentation between the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University and marked the first time i-Teams was delivered at another institution. As well as students from the University of Cambridge the course also attracted participants from Anglia Ruskin University and the University of East Anglia. They joined forces to help analyse the commercial potential of emerging, breakthrough technologies.
Amy Mokady, i-Teams Director said the collaboration was a breakthrough for the business programme: “It is very rare for students from different universities to work together on the same projects in this way, so for us to attract students from two other universities demonstrates how i-Teams is growing." “Earlier this year we had our first non-Cambridge project and now we are beginning to attract business-minded students from beyond our traditional base. “The other exciting development was the number of nonscience based students. We had participants with a wide range of backgrounds including film studies, management, computing and publishing. It really emphasised the multidisciplinary nature of the scheme.
Liz Wallace, studying for a Masters in Publishing at Anglia Ruskin, commented, “i-Teams has given me, as a Humanities student, an excellent opportunity to work on a technology business project. The experience of working with students from the University of Cambridge, many of whom have come from different countries and cultures, has been stimulating and enjoyable. As a team we have all been able to bring something unique to the project and I am delighted to have been part of the process.” The programme, based on the successful programme created in the US at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uses multi-disciplinary teams of students to evaluate the best opportunities for breakthrough technologies. The projects the students from the three institutions tackled included: •
• •
A method to cost-effectively capture and sequester CO2 from fossil fuel power generation which would lock CO2 away permanently from the atmosphere without risk of dangerous release. Exploring possible markets for new low-cost computer box design, to ensure the greatest possible success. A new technique to enable rapid and direct detection of bacteria using an all-electronic device.
Amy said: “We think i-Teams offers something unique to hitech start-ups and we are hopeful that this initial inter-university effort will just be the start.”
For more details on i-Teams see www.iteamsonline.org iTeams is funded from a number of sources, including the Hauser Forum IdeaSpace, the EPSRC, the CIKC and Marks & Clerk. E: terry.mughan@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2248
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EVENTS
Fairtrade Fortnight 2010
schools and canteens in addition to a maternity unit. Diane showed that the benefits go far beyond the boundaries you may think of and are shared to all, even if other members of the community that are not Fairtrade certified. Although the certification can be challenging Diane showed it has certainly helped benefit her community. The evening was extremely informative and ended with a presentation to Cambridge City’s Fairtrade employer, Ridgeons Ltd and a thank you form the Mayor.
As part of Fairtrade Fortnight that ran from 22nd February to 7th March there were a number of activities that took place at both the Chelmsford and Cambridge campus to promote Fairtrade to both staff, students and visitors. On Wednesday 24th February a ‘Let’s talk Fairtrade’ evening was held at Kings College in Cambridge by Cambridge Fairtrade Town Group. John Rayment and Margaret O’Quigley both lecturers from AIBS in Chelmsford started the evening with a debate on the arguments for and against Fairtrade. Margaret, although not wanting to appear to be ‘coming to a dinner party and criticising the food’ spoke against the Fairtrade movement and put forward the arguments of free trade. She was particularly thrilled to be speaking on a platform next to a statue of her greatest hero (apart from Jeff Astle) John Maynard Keynes. John then took the argument forward talking about globally fit leadership and the Global Fitness Framework stating how we need a global approach to helping humanity. We were then joined by Diane from Bomart Farms Ltd, a Fairtrade pineapple producer from Ghana. She spoke of her experiences on a Fairtrade farm and the benefits that going Fairtrade have bought to her family and the local community. Bomart became fairtrade as the company wanted to do more than just pay fair wages for their farmers and labourers and bring long term benefits to the surrounding communities. Bomart’s have helped build community toilets,
‘Two for the price of none’ A similar event then took place throughout the day in Chelmsford led by the Ashcroft International Business School and the Environment Team. The day started with Chelmsford Fairtrade Town Campaign and the Environment Team holding stalls with a Fairtrade raffle, Fairtrade information, a Fairtrade quiz with participants being given a free Fairtrade 4 finger KitKat. At 3pm John Rayment held a screening of the ‘Pig Business: The Film’. The feature documentary made by Marchioness Tracy Worcester reveals the shocking details you won’t see on the label of supermarket pork: how the methods used by factory farms to produce over a million tonnes of pig meat consumed in the UK cause needless animal suffering, threatening human health, the global environment and the livelihoods of UK pig farmers. The screening resulted in a long and interesting debate highlighting to students the ethical issues associated with meat production and trade. The discussion was followed by a Fairtrade wine and cheese reception before the second part of the evening the ‘Two for the price of none’ debate. The evening started with Margaret highlighting the issues surrounding free and fair trade. On this occasion there was no statue of Keynes but there was the opportunity to explain more fully the economics of fair trade. Tom Taylor, from Learning Development Services, then gave a talk relating his experiences of his year living and working with fairtrade and non fairtrade coffee producers in Guatemala. It was an insight into the barriers to trade that farmers face in developing countries such as language problems, violence, lack of education, lack of technical knowledge and of course lack of access to money.
Margaret O’Quigley, Marchioness Tracey Worcester, John Rayment, Tom Taylor and Katy Wheeler
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Katy Wheeler, a sociology PHD student from Essex University kindly gave her time to discuss the findings of her thesis ‘We’re all Fairtrade consumers now!’, Her research investigated the meanings, moralities and politics of Fairtrade consumption. The evening ended with questions and answers led by the chair of the event, John Rayment. All who attended enjoyed the evening, it was a huge success and a big thank you to all who made the event possible.
EVENTS
Anglia Ruskin Entrepreneurs Leading biotech company gives talk Henry Li, student on our MA International Business course, has created a student-run society - Anglia Ruskin Entrepreneurs http://www.cambridgeentrepreneurs.org.uk/
Krysia Brown, (Administrator, AIBS) and Henry invited a wellknown Cambridge entrepreneur to talk about the creation of his world-leading biotech company Abcam plc.
Dr Jonathan Milner, CEO of Abcam plc, presented his account of the founding and development of this leading biotech company at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge on Tuesday, 16th February 2010. Abcam plc is a producer and distributor of research-grade antibodies and associated products headquartered in Cambridge UK, with a US office located in Cambridge Massachusetts and a Japan office located in Tokyo.
Jonathan’s fascinating presentation to a full-house of Anglia Ruskin business students was followed by a lively Q&A. E: Robert.jones@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2549
BIZ
the
Ashcroft International Business School Magazine|issue 2
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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE New MA in Corporate Governance
A feature of the course will be the continuing inclusion of lectures and workshops by prominent experts in the field of governance. Events this year have included contributions from • • • • • • • • • • •
to be launched by AIBS for this September For the academic year beginning in the autumn of 2010, AIBS will be re-launching its very successful Masters degree in Corporate Governance.
The course, to be run for both full-time and part-time students, will be complemented by a distance-learning course covering the same areas – a feature of the course that will further distinguish it from similar courses and which is expected to appeal to a new potential catchment of students for AIBS.
The re-launch will take the content of the degree beyond the compliance requirements of the new qualifying scheme of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, which is to be introduced in September this year.
Building on the successful delivery of the Masters degree in Corporate Governance – taught at AIBS for over 15 years – the new degree will mean that students who secure the Masters degree will also receive the GradICSA qualification of the ICSA as now.
The new course will include modules on Charity Governance; Public Sector Governance and International Governance, making it the most comprehensive of all the ICSA’s collaborative partner courses and one of the widest-ranging syllabuses of any Masters-level governance course in the UK.
E: Stephen.bloomfield@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 6834
The Current and Future Role of Business Schools Points made and opinions expressed in the report are purely those of the authors and should not be assumed to reflect those of Anglia Ruskin University. Focus There has been considerable debate following the global financial crisis on the role and actions of business schools. This report summarises research the authors conducted which examined the current and future role of business schools.
Methodology A qualitative paradigm was adopted and the study used semistructured interviews backed by analysis of school promotional literature, course brochures, web pages and any other relevant information. 38 top level managers from 15 business schools in Brazil, India, Germany, South Africa, Tanzania, Scotland and England took part.
Findings Being a relatively small scale scoping study, the research does not reflect all types of schools, circumstances, locations or views. Care should therefore be taken in drawing generalised conclusions from the study, which should rather be taken as illustrative of the range of views held.
Philip Dunne MP Philip Augar Tom Bonham-Carter David Charters Dr Roger Barker SOCA FSA Britvic IMPACTT Golder Associates Transparency international
The main finding was that none of the interviewed leaders conveyed the impression that steering business toward helping humanity achieve a sustainable future and tackling urgent global issues was seen by them as one of their main roles, either current or future. This conclusion is concerning given the growing debate on urgent global issues and recent financial crisis.
None of these managers were seriously challenging the foundations of their current programmes or changes required to help achieve a sustainable human presence on the planet. Those who had a global focus were looking for ways in which their school could increase its international presence and overall market share rather than how urgent global issues can be solved through business and the role business schools have in encouraging such moves.
By far the most common attitude was that the role of business schools was to provide businesses with suitably qualified and experienced staff so as to achieve the aims of business. Relatively little attention was given to what those aims should be and none of those interviewed expressed the view that business schools had a major role in leading and shaping such aims towards a focus on the greater benefit of humanity. The authors are keen to establish an international cluster of business schools interested in exploring further the future roles of business and business schools. A full report of the research can be obtained from the authors, John Rayment – John.Rayment@anglia.ac.uk or Jonathan Smith Jonathan.Smith@anglia.ac.uk This research was sponsored by Anglia Ruskin University under the Deputy ViceChancellors Research Enhancement Competition. We gratefully acknowledge and appreciate this support.
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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Nashville Best Workshop Professor Lester Lloyd-Reason achieved the Best Workshop Award at the annual USASBE (United States Association for Small Business Entrepreneurship) Conference, one of the premier gatherings of entrepreneurship scholars and educators in the world.
Deputy Dean wins INSPIRE’s 2009 Competition
The Conference took place in downtown Nashville, within the vibrant business district. Lester’s achievement is to be congratulated as only 1 in 3 workshop proposals were accepted for the conference. There were over 20 workshops running over the three days and Lester’s was one of three nominated for the best workshop award. The workshops were judged by a panel of 16 academics.
Deputy Dean of the business school, Dr Jenny Gilbert, has won *INSPIRE’S 2009 Competition for the peer-reviewed paper in Networks to gain the most outstanding reviews.
You can read Jenny’s paper ‘Responsive and Rigorous Approval of Work-Based Learning: Adjusting Regulations and Codes of Practice’, in Networks at:
The Conference is a great place to learn of best practices in entrepreneurship education and program development, with recognition given annually to the model academic programs, pedagogy, and outreach efforts in the United States.
www.anglia.ac.uk/inspire
Jenny wins funding to attend the Annual Higher Education Academy Conference in June this year.
E: lester.lloyd-reason@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2479
*INSPIRE is a service team responsible for supporting a wide range of initiatives, activities and projects associated with the development of the curriculum and enhancing our students’ experiences of higher education. INSPIRE additionally engages in pedagogic research and leads on establishing innovative approaches to learning, teaching and assessment.
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INNOVATION
Getting cue’d up to help Business School students Further developing the unique pilot initiative between snooker professional and world number 3 Ali Carter, and John McCullough from the Ashcroft International Business School, the first of a series of student-friendly action learning programmes has now been finalised.
Linked with this is the first of a series of papers that look at how data collection and data analysis can be used to gain insights into and help to solve real world practical problems.
The first workshops which will include ‘The Carter Challenge’, is being organised for the beginning of the next Semester and is intended to enhance student engagement and data collection and analysis skills without driving students ‘potty’! John has a long-established interest in the parallels between sports and business performance and has published a number of papers and delivered both public and corporate seminars on the subject.
For those who are looking for early clues look out for John’s paper on Creating Added-Value insights into Matters of CentreBall Striking: The Application of Quantitative Techniques in Snooker. E: john.mccullough@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 6879
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BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT
Virgin money success
Students to develop a market entry strategy Professor Lester Lloyd-Reason, Professor of International Enterprise Strategy and Director of the Centre for International Business at the Ashcroft International Business School has been successful in securing a second project with Virgin Money for the BA (Hons) Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management students. Virgin Money have asked to work with the same cohort of students as last time and so this will involve the second year students through the module ‘Being Enterprising’ led by Prof Roger Mumby-Croft. This second project is a significant step
Ridgeons employees welcomed to Rivermead Teaching starts on the new work-based Management Degree
Ridgeons, the region’s leading independent building and timber merchants, has become the first organisation to sponsor a cohort of 20 staff on the Ashcroft International Business School’s new work-based Foundation Degree in Management (Work-based).
Ridgeons, which operates 21 branches across the East of England, has developed the bespoke work-based Foundation Degree in collaboration with AIBS. This represents the latest in a number of Higher Skills @ Work initiatives with the Business School.
Ridgeons students and members of their management team were welcomed on campus for the start of teaching on 4th March. The 2 year programme will be delivered through a combination of online learning and face-to-face teaching at the Rivermead campus in Chelmsford. Modules will include Managing People, Customers & Markets; Managing Projects & Organisational Change and Business Planning & Decision Making. Commenting on the development of the Foundation Degree in Management (Work-based), Ridgeons’ Group Managing
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up from the first project, which involved Pet Insurance. This time, the students are working in groups to develop a market entry strategy for a real live product that Virgin Money are launching as part of the expansion of their financial products portfolio. The project is absolutely confidential and all the students and staff involved on the programme have been required to sign a Mutual Confidentiality Agreement. The students working in teams will present their market entry plans to the Board of Virgin Money plus the head of Visa Europe in the Virgin Money boardroom in May.
This is an amazing coup for us to obtain such a high profile project and represents a major vote of confidence in the BA Enterprise pathway and in Anglia Ruskin University. It is indicative of the excellent relationship we have now succeeded in establishing with Virgin Money at a particularly exciting time for them as they expand their operation into the banking sector. E: lester.lloyd-reason@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2479
Director Angela Rushforth said: “There has never been a greater need to equip our managers with strong skills sets to enable them, and the company to adapt to an increasingly complex and competitive market.
“The Foundation Degree in Management represents an excellent and logical progression from our existing management development tools. By focusing on development of our staff through this tailored programme, we aim to equip our staff and the company to react stronger and faster to market changes and create a structure that facilitates future company growth.” Professor Martin Reynolds, Dean of the AIBS, is anticipating that many more companies from the region will ultimately follow the work-based approach adopted by Ridgeons: “The development of the Foundation Degree in Management is an example of an organisation like Ridgeons leading the way in higher education within their specific industry. Degree-level work-based learning is now available to many industry sectors and we expect to see a huge rise in these programmes in the future.”
BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT UPS and Anglia Ruskin University launch workbased leadership degree programme
UPS’s UK workforce given chance to earn nationally-recognised qualifications through two workbased degrees Ashcroft International Business School (AIBS) at Anglia Ruskin University has partnered with UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company, to launch an undergraduate and postgraduate work-based leadership degree programme for approximately 150 of UPS’s employees in the UK. Through this innovative initiative, UPS managers and supervisors will be offered the opportunity to enrol on a BA (Hons) Management and Leadership degree or an MA Leadership degree. The programmes have been specifically tailored to allow UPS’s executive students to marry their studies with their daily work, through blended learning approaches that combine face-to-face tutorage and online learning.
Professor Michael Thorne, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, says: “We are really pleased to be working with UPS as a strategic partner. This project demonstrates the innovation that has gone into the design of both the degree and masters pathways. We launch with a strong commitment from UPS in terms of the number of people who will be taking the programme, a clear signal of UPS senior management’s commitment. The development of this new partnership is another example of our passion for practice-based management education. I am sure these programmes will be successful and rewarding for both the individuals and for UPS as an organisation.”
“We have worked closely with UPS towards the launch of these innovative degree programmes. We are excited about being able to help UPS employees develop their knowledge and skills. This is just one of the recent examples of Higher Skills @ Work bringing tangible benefits to employees and business alike.”
The partnership with Anglia Ruskin University represents just the latest example of UPS’s longstanding commitment to staff training and development. UPS has already received external NVQ and ILM accreditation for two in-house training programmes for drivers, team leaders and supervisors in the UK. In addition to these varied programmes, UPS is also developing a ‘Skills for Life’ programme designed to help employees develop the competencies they themselves have identified as areas they would like to improve. Roger Mays, HR manager, UPS UK and Ireland, said: “Providing people with the opportunity to expand their own skillset through external qualifications is a core element of UPS’s global philosophy. The launch of this programme is further testament to our commitment to this philosophy, and we are proud of our track record of supporting training and skills development at every level of the organisation. This programme will help our management staff fulfil their personal and professional ambitions whilst equipping them with real-world leadership skills that will benefit our business.” Rachael Hall and Vanessa Knowles are project leaders at Ashcroft International Business School, Anglia Ruskin University. Rachael Hall said:
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SUCCESS STORIES
MBA Alumnus Success
The company is involved in the development and marketing of interactive and multilingual internet applications for larger companies. Their innovative product is named FABULAROSA and this application is recognized for creating sufficiently long and complex passwords by visualization that are easy to make, easy to use and easy to recall.
KikuSema GmbH/AB announced that it was named one of the ‘TOP TEN MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES’ at the recent RSA Conference 2010 held in San Francisco in March.
The first day of the RSA Conference started with the Innovation Sandbox Event where each finalist was given the opportunity to present their emerging technology before a panel of judges comprised of venture capital professionals, CISOs, CTOs and industry experts. This event presented delegates with the prospect of learning about new technological solutions that will prepare them to tackle IT security issues. “Today’s security threats are more sophisticated than ever as evidenced by recent headlines, and RSA Conference is committed to bringing together some of the industry’s most innovative people to address these emerging challenges,” said Sandra Toms LaPedis, Area Vice President and General Manager of RSA Conference.
(https://www.fabularosa.com, http://www.kikusema.com) Christine Ziske is a member of the management team of KikuSema GmbH and the Kikusema AB and is an Alumnus of the Anglia Ruskin University. She was awarded with the Master of Business Administration in 2008 in General Management – Dual Award – Pathway Berlin.
KikuSema GmbH/AB is looking for partners especially for checking the market impact and for mathematical judgment of the FabulaRosa algorithm. Christine.ziske@kikusemamail.de
International Appointment Dr Jonathan Smith, senior lecturer within AIBS has recently been accepted as the Chair of the international advisory panel at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Jonathan will chair an international group collaborating on ways of bringing a greater focus on spirituality in the workplace. He hopes the group will collaborate in areas such as funding applications, research projects, academic journal articles and conferences. E:Jonathan.smith@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2069
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SUCCESS STORIES
Management graduate secures research post with world’s largest offshore wind farm project
London Array’s agreement to engage Nathalie and the Ashcroft International Business School clearly demonstrates its commitment to continuing improvement and to operating at the cutting edge of working practices. The project is looking to benefit from specific proposals for improvements to its multi-cultural, joint venture working practices as a result of research based on the extensive practice-based, international expertise and resources available within AIBS.
Business student to prove her worth with wind farm construction project
Dr Jonathan Smith, Nathalie’s research supervisor at Ashcroft International Business School said: ‘This is an excellent opportunity both for Nathalie, for London Array and for AIBS. For Nathalie to have negotiated access to this research project is a tremendous success. It is a clear demonstration of Nathalie’s abilities and of her exciting proposals for research.’
Postgraduate student Nathalie Kolasa who is currently studying for an MSc in Management at the Ashcroft International Business School (AIBS) at Anglia Ruskin University has secured a research project with a difference – she is set to work with the London Array offshore wind farm project. Nathalie approached the London Array project and has successfully negotiated support from them to conduct the research assignment for her dissertation.
London Array is a joint venture between three international companies with renewable energy interests - Dong Energy of Denmark, E.ON of Germany and the UK and Masdar from Abu Dhabi. The wind farm will be located more than 12 miles from the Kent and Essex coasts and when fully constructed will be the world’s largest wind farm.
Nathalie’s research is focused on how the multi-cultural project organisation can develop smoother operations and processes with minimum waste of resources and establish a corporate culture that will reinforce their mutual way of doing things. From a long-term perspective, it will transfer the learning and experiences in connection with the current project – making it available for future collaboration between partners. Nathalie will be working at London Array part-time between July and November as part of the research. E: Jonathan.smith@anglia.ac.uk T: 0845 196 2069
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DATES
New Members of Staff:
Diary Dates
We are pleased to welcome the following new colleagues to the Business School: CHELMSFORD Mark Constable - Learning Technologist John Summers – although not new to the Business School John as been appointed to the three year rotating post of Learning and Teaching Advisor for the faculty
15 June
HR Forum, Chelmsford
24-25 June
9th ECRM Conference,
8-10 July
IFSAM Conference, Paris
Madrid
CAMBRIDGE Paulo Votino - Business Development Marketing Manager Tom Greenwell - Business Development Marketing Manager, Alexandra McLaughlin - Administrator
We are looking for people to get involved in the newsletter. We would welcome your feedback on this issue and letters/comments for future publication. You may even wish to test your wings as a writer. If so, please contact: Christine Durrant T: 0845 196 6882 E: christine.durrant@anglia.ac.uk
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