lEADinG
CHAnGE
»Dr Andrew Simpson talks to CEO Magazine
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When times are hard you need new and innovative
tant. however, what sets newcastle’s facul-
ways of tackling problems. Accordingly, we are
ty apart from other schools? Let me say this.
Many schools out there have strong faculty. In-
finding that sensible and forward thinking employers creasingly, the academic job market is becom-
are still open to some level of sponsorship.
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ing international in scope. We all compete for
many of the same people.
That said, I think what sets us apart from some
Programme Overview of the modules are based around analysis of schools is our judicious use of external faculty.
different environments so, for example, in our There are some subjects where it’s often more
Kindly define newcastle university’s mBA marketing module, the students work in teams effective to have someone with an active outside
value proposition? This is an interesting on a strategic marketing plan for a third party day to day involvement doing the teaching.
question and I think it needs to be contextual- organization. The latter gets four or five versions
ized; particularly in light of the adverse com- of a strategic marketing plan and the students Take ‘leading change’ as an example. The person
ments in the press over the last two years about get the opportunity to work in environments who delivers that module for us is actually a
MBAs and MBA graduates. In part, they have outside their natural comfort zone. very high level international coach of senior
been blamed for the recent economic turmoil in managers involved in leadership projects. So he
the world. I think a great deal of the criticism We strongly believe this is part of what an MBA uses that experience to enhance the teaching.
stems from the nature of many programmes is all about; introducing people to new ideas, and Although many of us do external work as
that adopt training like methods, where they new concepts. For example, last year we worked well, full-time academics will never garner
teach people single solutions to problems. with a young person’s sexual health charity and that level of day-to-day experience. Hence, we
looked at what their strategic marketing plan use externals where appropriate to give us real
On the other side of the coin, our programme should be. This type of endeavour is of twofold world experience within the classroom.
is still very much an academic one, offering importance: we are very much a civic university
a masters degree from a research-intensive based within the city and region and part of On this theme of real world experience, many
institution. Our worthwhile goal focuses on our mission is to give back to our own region, of my colleagues have worked in one business
instilling in our graduates of all programmes, but from an academic viewpoint, it’s a very capacity or another before becoming academics.
particularly in the EMBA, an idea of critical interesting example for the students because For example, I had 10 years as a management
analysis. Look at the problems, study the theories in a charity they almost cannot spend money consultant before coming into academia.
and the modules that exist, but also realize that on marketing activity. Again the students are
none of them are absolutely perfect. operating in an environment to which they are In this way, we are able to blend practical
unaccustomed, and they have to come up with experiences into the teaching and one acquires
That idea of critical analysis and proper innovative ideas and solutions based around that pragmatic understanding that says the
academic rigueur is very much a vital part of the strong academic foundation with which real world does not always work like the model
our value proposition, one of our strengths, they have been inculcated through the reading says it should; because it’s the real world and
if you will. The imparted values are then and teaching. people do not always match expectations. We
combined with opportunities to convert the have strong research strength but so do the
learning into practical situations, be it reflecting The quality and background of the profes- other good schools out there. At the end of the
back into their own workplaces or outside the sors charged with teaching and motivating day it’s the nature of the environment we create
workplace. In the latter connection, some newcastle’s students is clearly very impor- for our students that counts.
54 | CEO
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