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Welcome ....
to your August newsletter from The Open University Business School (OUBS)
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I’m sure it has been a very busy year for many of you as it certainly has been for OUBS! There was the perfect end to our hectic academic year as we received some fantastic news with confirmation of our triple reaccreditation for another three years – there is more on this achievement at the end of the newsletter.
I became Head of School halfway through this academic year, taking over from Professor Devendra Kodwani who remains as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law (FBL).
Covid-19 has continued to dominate our lives and unfortunately meant the absence of face-to-face contact. But despite the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, we have seen increasing numbers studying with us including those taking advantage of the free learning opportunities available via OpenLearn.
Thank you for your continued interest in the School, the OU and your peers. More details about the University’s strategic direction will emerge over the coming months to ensure we remain open to people, places, methods and ideas.
In the meantime, please enjoy a recap of some highlights over the last 12 months. Simply click on each heading to access the full newsletter for that month.
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Siv Vangen
Head of The Open University Business School
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Supporting the most vulnerable during the pandemic’s first wave
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MBA alumnus David Harrison is chairman of the financial and technology firm True Potential which had donated £200,000 to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. David also co-founded the national C-19 Business Pledge which mobilised more than 300 businesses such as Sainsbury’s, BP, Coca-Cola, NatWest, Unilever and Experian. True Potential, which has its head office in Newcastle, were the initial funders of our Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (PUFin), now rebranded as the Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance, Institutions and Networks (PUFIN). Further details on the OUBS website.
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Developing digital capacity in European third sector organisations
Our Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL) was part of a European partnership awarded €300,000 by Erasmus+ to research and develop digital capacity in third sector organisations across the continent. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. CVSL’s share of the funding was just over €67,000 for the 30-month project, with engagement led by its Director Dr Carol Jacklin-Jarvis.
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Covid-19 response online series received wider recognition
The ‘Business and Law in the time of COVID-19’ online series, which launched in July 2020, was one of the innovations showcased by the Global Business School Network (GBSN). This was via its Innovation Virtual Hall and as part of the GBSN Beyond celebrations. The online series highlights the range of ongoing Covid-19-related research, scholarship and public engagement activities in OUBS and our sister Law School. There is still an opportunity for alumni to contribute – if you would like to do so and/or if you have any questions, please email Marcus Crawley.
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Helping to empower the world’s most disadvantaged women
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Three OUBS academics were part of the OU project team which had received £400,000 funding from UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. Dr Michael Ngoasong (pictured) was the Academic Lead, together with Professors Liz Daniel and Jo Brewis, for the nine-month initiative. The OU was piloting an approach to course development of three high-quality courses in six target countries (Chile, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico, India and Jordan), building on the local partner content and addressing high priority gaps. Further details on the OUBS website.
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He’s still the man for the jab – Brigadier Phil Prosser
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MBA alumnus Brigadier Phil Prosser, who graduated in 2012, was tasked with returning the UK to normality as the Commander of Military Support to the Vaccine Delivery Programme. With the British Army supporting the mass rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, he appeared alongside Prime Minster Boris Johnson at a Downing Street briefing. The Welshman is the commander of the 101 Logistic Brigade, Iron Viper. His team had also been involved in the early days of the pandemic in helping distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks and gowns to NHS hospitals.
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Recommendations to House of Lords Covid-19 Committee’s inquiry
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Dr Jamie Woodcock, a Senior Lecturer in Management, made several recommendations when he was invited to give oral evidence at the House of Lords Covid-19 Committee inquiry. This session in early February focused on understanding the impacts on work, within the context of increasing digitalisation and automation, with the long-term impacts on wellbeing. Further details on the OUBS website.
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Kindness is repaid with our Future Leader Fund scholarship
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Amanda Kindness was named as the seventh annual recipient of the Future Leader Fund scholarship which covers the first two modules of the MBA. The Senior Policy Analysis Officer with the Scottish Funding Council (pictured) was due to begin her studies in May 2021 as this year’s recipient. The scholarship is for someone with the potential to be a future leader and is for those aiming to make a step change in their career, and who view the MBA as essential in accelerating their success. Further details on the scholarship, plus more from Amanda in her own words, on the OUBS website.
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Ground-breaking research project into rape and sexual offences
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Our Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) was collaborating with Avon and Somerset as part of Project Bluestone, a pioneering research project that aims to transform the police response to rape and sexual offences. Dr Emma Williams, CPRL’s Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, was working alongside Detective Chief Inspector Larisa Hunt as the academic lead for the learning and development workstream. This was one of five workstreams with other leading academics from across the UK also working alongside the force’s police officers. Further details on the OUBS website and look out for news of Project Bluestone 2 in a coming issue.
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Continuing to make the case for quiet leadership
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Dr Jacqueline Baxter’s short video on ‘The power of quiet leadership’ was part of the successful OU/BBC Ideas playlist. In the three-minute video, which has now been viewed nearly 140,000 times since its release in January, the Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Management makes the case for a quieter approach to leadership, and that leaders do not need to be loud and confident. The BBC Ideas playlist earned the distinction of Webby Honoree in Video: Science & Education from The Webby Awards, the leading international awards honouring excellence on the internet.
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OU’s new digital skills report makes Moore the merrier
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MBA alumnus Zak Moore, the founder and director of smartBIDI, was included (on page 36) as one of the case studies in a new report from the OU, Skills for Success: Supporting business leaders with digital adoption. This explores the attitudes of small and medium-sized business (SME) leaders when it comes to digital adoption in the context of Covid-19, as well as the skills gaps that exist at both a leadership and employee level. The ‘Skills for Success’ campaign was launched by the OU’s Business Development Unit (BDU) in early June, in partnership with Be the Business.
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Working women and the menopause discussed on The One Show
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Professor Jo Brewis was a guest on the BBC’s primetime television programme, The One Show, in a feature on the menopause and working women. The Professor of People and Organisations chatted with BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin. Jo was chosen as an expert on menopause at work on the basis of her co-authorship of a UK Government report, as well as more recent publications. She is also working in collaboration with others on a menopause initiative at the OU. Further details on the OUBS website.
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AUGUST 2021… AND OUR BREAKING NEWS
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Triple accreditation is secured for another three years
OUBS is delighted to have retained our coveted ‘triple crown’ status until 2024 following a hectic year of virtual reaccreditation visits. This fantastic outcome follows the most robust independent quality review in the School’s history. This was our first experience of ‘virtual accreditation’ due to the pandemic and international travel restrictions with all three visits (November 2020, April 2021 and May 2021) taking place online. As you are no doubt aware, fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide hold the prestigious triple accreditation. Further details on the OUBS website.
To mark this success and to share your pride in being alumni of our triple accredited institution, we would love to hear from you. This is to be part of our ongoing celebrations on social media, as we hope to collate images of our alumni to create an impactful graphic. Please email OUBS-Alumni for more information.
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Thanks for staying connected
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Best wishes
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OUBS Alumni Engagement Team
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