Sector Focus


BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS SCHOOL


Birmingham Business School Driving Digital Innovation with MOOCs, Virtual Reality and an Online MBA


By Marco De Novellis BusinessBecause


Developments in technology- enhanced learning (or edtech) means more and more MBA and Masters programs are being offered online. And while employers once questioned the credibility of online courses, the tide is changing.


‘Developing a host of pioneering distance learning initiatives including an Online MSc in International Business and the Online MBA’


Birmingham Business School is at the forefront of this change, developing a host of pioneering distance learning initiatives including an Online MSc in International Business and the Online MBA, the world’s first and only 100 per cent Online MBA to receive full AMBA accreditation. The programme’s learning


objectives and outcomes are the same as the campus- based course; the academics are of equivalent calibre, the subject matter is near- indistinguishable, and when students graduate the certificate they receive is the same. For employers, there’s no distinction. It’s a pioneering approach


which has helped Birmingham to extend its reach into new global markets. On the Online MBA and MSc combined, 63 per cent of students are international, and the courses are comprised of 86 different nationalities.


Visit our website to learn more about our online programmes, www.birmingham.ac.uk /business


46 CHAMBERLINK September 2016


Finance


Sponsored by: University of Birmingham Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business Technology research boost


Ground-breaking research which could see major infrastructure projects completed more quickly and cost-effectively has received a boost with the establishment of a new post-graduate study programme at the University of Birmingham. The University’s Quantum Technology


Hub, led by Professor Kai Bongs (pictured), will be running Masters and PhD courses in Translational Quantum Technology from the forthcoming academic year. The programme gives students the opportunity to work directly with industry on applying the Hub’s world- leading research into gravitational sensors to solving real-world problems. The Birmingham QT Hub is one of


four in the country to receive a share of £350 million Government funding into quantum technologies. Focusing on quantum sensors, it


Quantum sensors could revolutionise the construction


of key infrastructure projects such as the next phase of high speed rail construction from Birmingham to Manchester, as well as help solve the problems inherent in building homes, roads and rail links in ex-mining areas such as the Black Country. Pre-construction groundworks which


use traditional technologies to assess the quality of the land prior to building are time consuming and costly. It has been estimated that, currently, ground condition investigations can add up to £7billion to the cost of construction projects in the UK every year. In the first


works closely with industry and offers collaborative working space for businesses to develop products and innovations. The new study programme is the only one in the


‘Quantum gravity gradient technology enables much more precise mapping of sub-ground conditions’


country to focus on atomic quantum sensors and offer such a strong application-led focus alongside industry partners.


phase of HS2 alone, more than 9,500 fieldwork locations with boreholes, trial pits and so on, have to be opened to assess ground conditions. “Quantum gravity gradient


technology enables much more precise mapping of sub-ground conditions and can speed up the process one hundred fold,” said


Professor Bongs. “Our work at the QT Hub and our investment promises to move gravity mapping from a niche technology to a key enabler of modern civil engineering, with savings to the UK economy of several hundreds of millions of pounds per year.”


PwC strengthens regional team


PwC has promoted 207 people in its regional team, signalling its commitment to investing in its people and clients in the Midlands. The professional services firm


has strengthened its senior team with the promotion of five new partners and 12 new directors. The round of promotions also


sees PwC investing in the next generation of business leaders in the region. It is promoting 22 people to senior manager, 42 to manager and 126 people to senior associate level. Across the UK, PwC has


promoted a record 61 equity partners – the third successive year the firm has increased its new partner numbers. Nearly half of the new partner


group are based outside of London, reflecting PwC’s commitment to investing in its business and clients across the whole of the UK. In addition, nearly three in ten of the new partners are female – up from 23% last year. PwC has also made 12


promotions to director level, including Ian Birch, Sally Graham,


Some of the new partners at PWC


Alex Hudson, Amy Johnson, Richard Kay, Duncan Montgomery, Karen Senior, Rose Taylor, Nazim Uddin, Simon White, Matthew Woolgar and Grit Young. Two further directors, David Baxendale and Tom Tyler, join PwC in the Midlands from elsewhere in the firm. Matt Hammond, regional


chairman at PwC in the Midlands, said: “I’m delighted to announce these new promotions in the Midlands region. Developing a


diverse and inclusive workforce remains an ongoing priority for us, and building on the progress of the last few years will be vital to our future success. “These promotions reflect the


importance we place on the region’s role in the economic success of the UK and follow our recent announcement that we’re moving offices in Birmingham to a brand new development in the Birmingham Enterprise Zone – the UK’s biggest Enterprise Zone.”


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