Welcome ....
to your February newsletter, featuring the latest news from The Open University Business School (OUBS)
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Final opportunity to nominate for Alumni of the Year accolade
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The deadline is fast approaching for nominations for the Alumni of the Year Award – don’t forget, you can also nominate yourself! The quest is to find an alumnus or alumna who is outstanding in their field, is making a difference or an impact on society, and is a positive ambassador for OUBS. Please visit our website for further details and a nomination form before sending us your submission(s). The awards ceremony is on campus in Milton Keynes on Friday 1 May.
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Report shows digitally savvy boards are powering growth
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The OU’s ‘Leading in a Digital Age’ report published in early February found a clear link between business performance and leaders who are equipped to manage digital change. Professor Dev Kodwani, Head of OUBS, co-wrote the report’s introduction and the featured case study is Patrick Clyne who has just finished his MBA in Technology Management. For the full story.
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The Bottom Line continues on BBC Radio 4
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The OU/BBC collaboration on Radio 4, The Bottom Line, continues at 20:30 every Thursday and is repeated on Saturdays at 17:30. The series covers a variety of topics and big issues with top business leaders from the UK and around the world with the podcast available on the Radio 4 website following transmission. Director of Executive Education Liz Moody is the OUBS academic consultant for the show presented by OU honorary graduate Evan Davis.
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Awareness event is marking endometriosis month
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‘Managing Endometriosis at Work’ is being hosted on campus in Milton Keynes on the new date of Tuesday 17 March (18:00 start). OUBS PhD student and TEDxOpenUniversity speaker Victoria Williams joins menopause specialist Professor Jo Brewis and industry experts for an evening of discussion about managing endometriosis in the workplace. Victoria’s researching a subject close to her heart, with this chronic condition affecting one and a half million women in the UK, predominantly of working age.
This free event marking endometriosis month is open to all, regardless of gender so employers, HR professionals, academics, policy makers and employees with an interest in the topic are all welcome. It is also being live streamed on the OUBS YouTube channel.
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Webinar: Putting collaborative leadership into practice
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Siv Vangen, Professor of Collaborative Leadership, will share insights from her world-leading research in a rearranged webinar at the end of March. ‘Putting collaborative leadership into practice in a changing voluntary sector’ is now taking place online on Thursday 26 March from 11:45. Clare Walton, CEO of Community Action:MK, will respond to Professor Vangen from a practice perspective.
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Jo joins the panel for ‘Let’s talk about menopause’
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Professor Jo Brewis was one of the guest speakers for a free event in Wales this week, ‘Let’s talk about menopause’. The Professor of People and Organisations said: “Menopause is often regarded as a private, even taboo, subject and one which has nothing to do with employment. However, there are four very good reasons why employers need to pay careful attention to the menopause: the demographic, economic, legal and social responsibility cases.”
The discussion encouraged conversation around menopause, including ways that employers could support colleagues going through menopause and the different medical, diet, holistic, and lifestyle interventions available for those experiencing menopausal symptoms. Part of the OU in Wales’ OpenTalks series, the event in Cardiff on Tuesday 25 February was in partnership with Henpicked.
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We are immensely proud of our alumni community and this space is an opportunity to share some of your news, a personal achievement or a promotion, so please get in touch.
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Fingers crossed as Pope reaches across the political divides
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Nicholas Pope was in distinguished company when the shortlists for the inaugural ‘Civility in Politics’ Awards were announced this week. The MBA alumnus (2003-07), a local borough councillor in Tunbridge Wells in Kent who is a data project specialist, is the only non-Parliamentarian chosen in the ‘Politician of the Year’ category. This sees him share the limelight with well-known names and faces such as Ken Clarke, Andrea Leadsom, Rory Stewart and Norman Lamb. The Awards, sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, aim to shine a spotlight on people working in politics who have shown the possibility for civil, thoughtful and reflective public debate that reaches across political divides. For further detail.
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Gimara’s proud of her British Red Cross charity work
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British Red Cross supporter Gimara Duncan-Rice was appointed to the voluntary position of Vice-President for Hertfordshire last year. Gimara from Stevenage was inspired by a family member to join in 2008, to learn basic life-saving skills and to volunteer as a first aider. Her portfolio career includes a background in physical and biological sciences, and associated roles (including policy and research). She currently works as a visual artist and teaching artist. Gimara earned the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration in 2014 and graduated with a MSc in Professional Science three years later. She said: “The OU sets itself apart from other universities because of the invaluable flexibility it offers, especially the options to defer or change qualification types.” Find out more here.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 18:30 to 20:30
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Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 11:45 to 12:30
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 18:00 to 20:30
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Filming opportunity to boost the confidence of current students
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Are you an MBA alumnus or alumna who can talk about your experiences of doing a practice-based MBA project? Those from various types of organisations such as the NHS, IT firms, charities or SMEs in either the private or public sector are wanted for a series of short videos which are being produced for teaching purposes. Ideally you will live and/or work close to the campus in Milton Keynes.
In potentially one of the scariest segments of their MBA journey, current OU students will soon start thinking about the organisation they wish to base their project in/on (their own workplace, or another organisation). They will benefit from hearing about your experiences, as well as receiving some practice-informed tips. This includes how to choose a project topic and identify a particular work-related problem; the types of secondary sources used in your research; how to get permission to conduct research within your organisation; maintaining relationships with your research participants (members of the organisation); building trust; and navigating power relations within an organisational setting.
Please email OUBS alumni as soon as possible if you think you could boost the confidence of other OU students.
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We have a range of exclusive offers for our alumni. Click the buttons to find out more. Remember, you can access our career webinar recordings on our website along with a whole range of online careers articles.
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Best wishes
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OUBS Alumni Engagement Team
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The Open University (OU) Business School’s Stakeholder and Alumni Engagement team works with the OU’s Development Office to keep in touch with alumni, partners and supporters. Our privacy policy sets out how the OU obtains, manages, uses and protects your data and relates specifically to information held by both Offices.
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