Business School celebrates 40 trips around the sun!

This year marks 40 years since the Business School was founded and we’ve got a great deal to be proud of including the fact that over 108,000 people from more than 125 countries have chosen to study with us and we have over 28,000 MBA alumni too.

During this time we have earned and retained triple accreditation - awarded by the world’s leading international management education associations, AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS - which fewer than 1% of business schools globally can claim. Plus, this year we’re marking 25 years of the Law School (OUBS’s Sister School) teaching law, so there is much to celebrate in 2023.

With lots of plans to mark this milestone year, we want to make sure we share it all with you, our valued alumni. So, look out out for more details coming soon.

Soaring satisfaction scores amongst OUBS alumni

In a survey* last year, 92% of OU Business School alumni told us they were highly satisfied with their experience at the OU and 69% would recommend us, indicating a strong level of loyalty and advocacy amongst OUBS alumni.

Our levels of flexibility and the high quality of our courses were some of the top things alumni valued, as well as having a good structure to their studies. Furthermore, 70% of respondents felt their studies had helped them achieve positive things within their career.

We regularly share the stories of our wonderful alumni ambassadors who have gone on to achieve amazing things within their careers, including David Monk who recently took on the position of Clinical Director at St John Ambulance Cymru (Wales) (story below), Tillmann Henssler who has had an award-winning career at pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer, and Celia Morris, our inspirational Alumni of the Year 2022 award winner, whose studies turned her life around.

We are always on the lookout for alumni to share the story of their study experience and where their studies have taken them, so if you have a tale you’d like to tell, please get in touch.

 * Alumni Brand Tracker survey June 2022 based on 1,859 alumni student respondents

OUBS features twice in OpenLearn’s top 10 courses

Every year the OU’s free learning provider, OpenLearn, which reaches over six million learners per year, features a roundup of the most popular courses of the year and it has now revealed its top 10 courses of 2022, with OUBS securing two of the top spots.

Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting is suitable for all those looking to learn essential numerical skills, including how to produce a profit-and-loss account, attracting everyone from business owners to those seeking a firmer grasp of their household accounts.

 MSE’s Academy of Money, is a course designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge to master their finances. It was produced in conjunction with MoneySavingExpert and received Martin Lewis’ seal of approval so it’s no wonder that, during the cost-of-living crisis, many people turned to it. The course is packed with videos, audios, quizzes, and activities and covers all the key aspects of personal finance in six two--hour sessions.

Research on SMEs cited in two Net Zero policy reviews

The UK’s Climate Change Committee has quoted findings from a recent study by Richard Blundel, Professor of Enterprise and Organisation in the OU Business School, and colleagues from the Energy Saving Trust in its latest Progress Report to Parliament which was published in December.

The team called for a number of changes to accelerate the Net Zero transition. These included a stronger Government framework to address the complexities of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) decarbonisation; better coordination and knowledge-sharing between national, regional and local initiatives; a more effective triaging process to deliver tailored support to SMEs based on their geographic location and industry sector; and a new financing strategy to address cost barriers and facilitate access to private capital.

These findings were also cited in ‘Mission Zero’, the independent review of the UK’s Net Zero policy conducted by Chris Skidmore MP which was published in January. This also contained related evidence on SMEs which Richard, who leads the OU’s Social and Sustainable Enterprise (SSE) research cluster, collated on behalf of the Zero Emissions Enterprise (ZEE) Network, a multi-disciplinary grouping of more than 60 researchers working in this area.

New report says officers investigating sexual offences need more support

The OU’s Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) contributed to a report, released in December 2022, as part of the Home Office’s pledge to increase the number of rape cases making it to court. The report revealed areas that urgently need addressing in the investigations of rape and other sexual offences (RAOSO) including the provision of more support for officers.

Dr Emma Williams, Director of Policing Research and Strategic Partnerships within the Faculty of Business and Law at the OU, led on the aspect of the report focused on the areas of Learning and Development and Officer Wellbeing. She said: “If the findings in our report are now used to drive transformational change, it will not only benefit the victims of these horrific crimes and improve outcomes for all RAOSO cases, but it could be used to provide evidence-based best practice to give officers the specialist knowledge they need to do their job effectively.”

Around 500 police officers were surveyed across four forces – known as ‘Pathfinder Forces’ – as part of this workstream. It aimed to understand where there were limitations to learning in the field of RAOSO, the extent to which officers were equipped with specialist knowledge, to understand the drivers of welfare issues for RAOSO investigators and to explore the support for the welfare needs of investigators. 

The full story, including the full report, is available here.

CPRL wins landmark contract with College of Policing

The Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) which sits within the Faculty of Business and Law, has won the contract to deliver an exciting and innovative programme starting in April on behalf of the College of Policing National Wellbeing Service.

Bid development lead Ian McNeill, Senior Lecturer for CPD Development in Policing, said: “If this pilot is successful, further courses will be provided in subsequent years and could be expanded to include other aspects of police leadership. We believe this is the first contract of this type with the College of Policing with a higher education institution in the leadership and tech arena.”

Twisting my melon man – can tripping save the planet?

Simran Sethi, a visiting academic in our Centre for Public Understanding of Finance, Institutions and Networks (PUFIN), authored an article about the mysterious connection between psychedelic use and eco-activism. It includes the story of one of the co-founders of Extinction Rebellion, Gail Bradbrook. This was originally published in Nautilus which is described as ‘a different kind of science magazine… our stories take you into the depths of science and spotlight its ripples in our lives and cultures’.

Calling all OUBS alumni in Frankfurt

After a long Covid-enforced break, the OU MBA Alumni group in Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main region of Germany is now back in action! In 2022 the group arranged a number of excursions including an enjoyable meet-up in in a traditional Frankfurt restaurant, an autumn tour of the European Central Bank and an end of year trip to the Frankfurt Christmas market.

There are plenty more meet-ups and trips planned for 2023 including a trip to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz. They are always eager to meet new members in the region so if you fancy joining them, send an email.

David Monk secures Clinical Director role

Business School MBA alumnus, David Monk, has secured a top position within St John Ambulance Cymru (Wales) where he will be a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, providing advice and ensuring high clinical standards and positive patient outcomes.

David was awarded our Alumni of the Year 2021 for his leadership role with his local health system and St John Ambulance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When he began his studies with the Open University Business School in 2004, David was working in a middle management role within the NHS. Since then, he has achieved a great deal in his career.

He says “My qualification and study experience helped me to achieve senior management positions in the NHS at a much earlier age than most of my peers. The qualifications have helped my career progression, opened up opportunities and supported me in holding a Voluntary National Associate Medical Director position with St John Ambulance. I am the only non-doctor to hold this post as I’m a paramedic by profession.” 

Read David’s full story here.

Get your article published on our Professional Knowledge Bank

Do you have an article or a series of articles you’d like to feature on our Professional Knowledge Bank? 

We share a number of expert-driven articles covering a breadth of fields on our website and are on the lookout for new content. 

Publishing your work can boost your CV, enhance your reputation with colleagues and peers, generate traffic to your LinkedIn profile or company website and grow your networking opportunities with other OUBS alumni.

If you are interested in contributing an article or would like to find out more about guidance for your writing, get in touch here.

How skills can unlock an inclusive digital future

A 2022 report by AbilityNet found that awareness of the need for accessible and inclusive digital services was growing amongst business leaders. Unfortunately, the gap in digital knowledge and skills required is preventing companies from developing truly inclusive products and services. 

This webinar, hosted by Priya Lakhani OBE and brought to you by The Open University, outlines why skills and expertise are vital to an organisation’s digital inclusion strategy. 

Our expert panel looks at how these skills can be developed in a smarter, more flexible way and how training and expertise can open up digital solutions for all. 

Find out more and register here.

Leading, engaging & building relationships with multicultural teams

Presenter Michael Faust will give his top tips on how to succeed in a multicultural setting. 

Register here.

Outstanding personal profiles and cover letters

Executive careers coach Alison Edmonds will demonstrate how to stand out with an outstanding personal profile and cover letter. 

Register here.

Marketing Communications in the digital age

The influence and impact of marketing can be seen all around, from adverts that promote various brands to campaigns seeking to increase charitable donations. In this digital era, if you use social media to portray a particular image to others, you are engaging in a form of marketing communications, with you as the brand.

This course, hosted on the Open University’s free learning platform OpenLearn, uses theories and models to explain marketing communications and provides examples of how to effectively manage the marketing communications process.

Click here for more information.