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Welcome ....
to your October newsletter, featuring the latest news from The Open University Business School (OUBS)
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Do you know someone who’s a Future Leader candidate?
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The Future Leader Fund is a scholarship for the first two modules of the MBA for someone with the potential to be a Future Leader – further details here. Please make your work colleagues, friends and family aware that applications for 2021 are welcomed. Entries must be submitted by early January 2021 via how to apply, with the beneficiary announced in February and their studies due to start in May.
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Hear from some top global thought leaders – and it’s free!
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OUBS is a key partner for International Leadership Week which will see 40 international, cutting-edge thought leaders from 40 countries present fresh perspectives over four days in November. ‘Leadership everywhere; we are all leaders now’ is organised by The Institute of Leadership & Management from 16-19 November. Inspired by this year’s unprecedented events, it is packed with interviews, panels, discussions and talks that will develop and challenge the work of the late management philosopher Peter Drucker.
The OU is also supporting the inaugural Lifelong Learning Week in England next week (2-6 November) from the Learning and Work Institute. This is part of the Festival of Learning (previously known as Adult Learners’ Week) which has grown into a year-long calendar of activities.
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Volunteers wanted for impact of Covid-19 on the self-employed
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Professor Liz Daniel is undertaking research on the economic impacts of Covid-19 on the self-employed. This includes conducting interviews to hear experiences of how their business has been impacted and if they were able to access government or other support. All interviews will be anonymised and sole traders, freelancers and owners of limited companies, particularly from London, the South East, the Midlands and North of England, are ideal – more here. Liz’s research team also includes Southampton and Cardiff universities. Please email by Friday 6 November if you would like to take part or for further information.
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Developing digital capacity in European third sector organisations
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The Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL) is part of a European partnership awarded €300,000 by Erasmus+ to research and develop digital capacity in third sector organisations across the continent. Engagement will be led by Director Dr Carol Jacklin-Jarvis with CVSL’s share of the funding just over €67,000 for this new 30-month project. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.
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OU internal funding for pandemic policing project
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A nine-month project is researching senior policing decision-making in the context of the radical uncertainties of the pandemic. Co-investigators Professor Mark Fenton-O’Creevy and Dr Nicky Miller will conduct case studies in two UK police forces thanks to more than £15,000 from the OU’s Covid-19 fund. Our Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) has a network of 22 policing organisations and connections with the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). More here.
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Free short course on financial resources for organisations
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A new free course outlines the main types of financial resources available to organisations, how these funds can be used to start up a new business or sustain day-to-day operations, as well as develop long-term expansion plans. ‘Organisations and the financial system’ recently went live on OpenLearn with an expected eight hours of study. Full course details and trailer available here featuring an ‘animated’ course author Dr Daniele Tori!
One of the innovative sections is Decision making in practice: a scenario-based adventure. This offers an opportunity to make decisions about the best sources of finance at different stages of development for a new business idea and to receive real-time feedback. Although situations, decisions and their consequences are simplified, this gives a sense of the variables that businesses have to consider when deciding the most appropriate type of funding.
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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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New article online on the Professional Knowledge Bank
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There is a growing bank of articles, industry knowledge and insights generated by alumni to support their peers in the ‘Professional Knowledge Bank: articles and expertise’ section on our website. The latest addition, Neurodiversity at Work: Organisational Change in the ‘New Normal’, is by recent OU graduate Tracy Smith. Tracy, who achieved First-Class Honours in Business Management, and is now studying for an MSc in Organisational Psychology, works as a wellbeing and employability mentor supporting autistic adults.
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Free podcasts offered by MBA alumni Craig and Lesley
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The weekly podcast from Craig Smith and The Big Picture People has come of age – you can catch all 21 episodes here. Aimed at professionals working in employee engagement and internal communications but also organisation development, learning and development, and HR, each one features an interview with a leading practitioner, consultant or thought leader.
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Lesley Strachan’s podcast series is in its infancy with three available so far including most recently ‘How to get what you want’. Catch-up on the first three episodes of The Lesley Strachan Show from the award-winning trainer, life and career coach, author and speaker here.
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Rob has a template for transforming your business
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The latest blog from Rob Wherrett considers business transformation as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have forced everyone to think hard about what they do. The international best-selling author and executive coach says it is simply going to be impossible to go back to the status quo in many instances. And, if it is possible, that might not be the right answer to ensure your business has a sustainable future.
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Wednesday, 25 November, online
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Webinar on how to get more confidence and keep it
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The third in a series of free lunchtime webinars exclusively for our alumni is on Thursday 19 November (13:00 – 14:00). This is being led by author, vibrant speaker and learning facilitator Rhian Sherrington. The Oxford University alumna is a keynote speaker who offers talks around confidence, competence and success, using the neuroscience and positive psychology from her book ‘Alchemy for Your Mind: Create Your Confident Core’. For further details and to register here.
The two previous webinars – how to take charge of your career (which introduces the Career Maximiser Programme) and how to network online to make connections – are available if you missed them first time.
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We have a range of exclusive offers for our OUBS 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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