focus on winchester 27
University leads in management education
In the independently administered National Student Survey 2013 the University of Winchester ranked consistently highly for overall satisfaction. Its event management course was ranked among the top 15 universities in England for overall satisfaction, while business management was ranked in the top 30 by degree students. Sue Hughes spoke to Mike Davies, a programme leader and senior lecturer at Winchester Business School.
Winchester Business School is a full member of the Association of Business Schools. It was the 13th Business School in the UK to be accepted to join the United Nations initiative: The Principles of Responsible Management Education, which includes more than 300 business schools worldwide. Membership demonstrates that it is at the forefront of management education in the 21st century.
In common with other business schools, aspects of employability are not only incorporated into course modules, but also supplemented by workshops and students visiting businesses.
The School has excellent links with large public bodies, such as Hampshire County Council which has provided past work placements, and Hampshire Police, which continues to do this, along with the NHS, as well as smaller local firms.
“The days of a university being a place to study in ivory towers are long gone. A practical set of skills should be experienced right from the beginning of a three-year degree,“ said Davies. “There is a lot of practical work in some modules, involving research with local businesses. At a postgraduate level, modules focus more on business consulting.
“For smaller businesses, needs differ. They need ways of getting more customers, therefore students may work on marketing communications or social media as part of a wider business development project.
“Another area we look at is volunteering. If a project is
A dozen new projects set to shape the city
A report on Winchester City Council’s investment proposals outlines a dozen projects that show how the council’s decisions as a landowner and planning authority will have a significant impact on the local economy.
submitted and considered worthy as a learning experience, we will support it, again giving an extra dimension to a student’s CV.“
Grant supports study into sustainable development
Winchester Business School has been awarded a £4,000 British Academy of Management awards research grant for a project by Drs Elina Meliou and Natalia Yakoleva entitled: Leadership in transition to sustainable business: a study of SMEs in South East England.
The research investigates leadership in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are undergoing a transition from conventional profit-making business orientation to one that embraces the sustainable development principles. The purpose is to understand the nature and scope of leadership in materialising the transition for the development of sustainable innovations in SMEs.
Tackling climate change
An environmental expert explored the relationship between population growth, consumption and climate change during a recent Enterprise Lecture at the University of Winchester.
Reducing population and consumption: is this the answer to climate change? was hosted by the University in partnership with Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) and
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – MAY 2014
forms part of a series of events looking at how climate change might be tackled. Speaker Dr David Knight addressed these issues and discussed ways to tackle the impact on the environment.
In 2013, the University of Winchester won the Blake Lapthorn Sustainability Award at the Hampshire Business Awards, and Winchester City Council’s Carbon Smart Business of the Year award.
Digital storytelling comes up trumps
Student journalists from the University of Winchester have won an award for their digital storytelling skills during a challenge set by national reporters.
A team of five from the BA and MA journalism courses entered a competition run by The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun to develop a media app. Nine other universities entered teams in the Build the News digital journalism event, where they worked with media web developers to produce an innovative news app over two days.
Winchester’s team won the judges’ award for the use of live video in their app, Longformly, which enabled fellow journalists to create longer online articles, including video, without the need for detailed web know-how.
Projects covered in the report include major development opportunities around the Carfax and the Cattle Market; the lease of Abbey Mill to River Cottage for a new restaurant; the lease of Avalon House to the Southern Health NHS Trust; Silver Hill-related acquisitions (see facing page); and development of affordable housing at sites such as Victoria House and the site of the former New Queen’s Head public house in Stanmore.
Keith Wood, the leader of the city council, said: “The council has access to land, finance and professional skills and it is using these to help shape the economic future of the city.
“The council is not intending to sell any land and there will be no speculative development. It will only enter into agreements that ensure a long lease and that stack up financially to meet objectives.“
Grants support flood relief
Businesses across Winchester are set to receive a major cash boost following what has been one of the wettest winters on record.
City councillors have agreed to a range of schemes that will see both residents and business owners able to claim for losses incurred from this extreme weather.
Business owners will be able to reclaim losses through the Business Rates Flooding Relief, which will provide 100% relief on rates for a three-month period regardless of how long the property was affected.
As well as claiming against the business support scheme, a grant is available to small and medium business that suffered directly or indirectly in supporting the implementation of recovery plans.
www.businessmag.co.uk
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