CBI: 50 Years of Business Innovation

CBI: 50 YEARS OF BUSINESS INNOVATION | A CHANGING SOCIETY

SHAPING BUSINESS EDUCATION THROUGH PRACTICE

UNIVERSITY OF BEDFORDSHIRE www.beds.ac.uk

“Our ambition as a business school is to be known for taking global business education, research and practice in imaginative directions,” says Dr Gordon Mellor, Executive Dean at the University of Bedfordshire Business School (UBBS). “We want our students to develop creative mindsets that lead imaginative futures for our local communities and businesses.” Practice rather than theory drives the student

experience at UBBS. “Theoretical content isn’t difficult to find, so the diversity of context here has a real effect on student performance,” says Dr Mellor, outlining the Business School’s educational approach. “We see our students as leaders of futures, who can have an immediate and positive impact in the workplace. But to do so, students need to be provided with the skills and attributes that employers look for in graduates.”

LOCAL HERO UBBS has around 5,700 undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as 140 full-time academic staff, making it one of the largest business schools in the East of England. The university’s annual contribution to the local economy is some £300 million. UBBS understands that potential employers

need graduates who are flexible and demonstrate a subtle understanding of the complexity of business problems. Practice Weeks were

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introduced to enable students to work directly with public and private-sector organisations, building directly on their academic learning. “Companies are delighted to have students work with them on real issues,” says Dr Mellor. “These collaborations impact both businesses and communities, and give students the confidence to work alongside experienced practitioners.” In 2012 UBBS overhauled its curriculum,

not just to differentiate itself from other business schools but to place itself ahead of them. This was done through combining practice-led initiatives with the traditional theoretical rigour of university business schools. Initially separate from the curriculum, Practice Weeks are now embedded into the framework of the entire undergraduate programme. By 2014, UBBS was operating more than 40 Practice Weeks during the academic year, with all students able to engage with organisations or consortia.

ETHOS OF PRACTICE To clarify and embed this ethos of practice, the school set up a monthly high-profile guest speaker series, Leadership Futures. It was launched at the House of Commons in 2012

with keynote speakers including Keith Vaz MP and Naman Ajitsaria, the Executive Director of the Prithvi Group of Industries. “The launch of the series is an exemplar of what our business school and university is championing,” says Dr Mellor. “Through it, we’re establishing practice as a defining feature of our educational model.” In 2012, the school employed five Professors in Management Practice. These distinguished practitioners combine business leadership in the private sector with interventions into the curriculum through lectures, discussions and seminars. Their contributions renew and refresh UBBS’ vision to be a business school that has a place both in the world of business and the community. Further expressing this vision are the artworks and graphics that cover the walls of the school, representing its intentions, historical context and focus on student experience. Above all, UBBS seeks to help students find

imaginative solutions to the problems presented to businesses. As Dr Mellor explains: “At the University of Bedfordshire Business School we are reshaping business and management education for a truly global, employability-driven and always imaginative experience.”

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“ WE SEE OUR STUDENTS AS LEADERS OF FUTURES, WHO CAN HAVE AN IMMEDIATE AND POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE WORKPLACE”

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