News and Events
UWS BUSINESS COURSE FOR RUSSIAN RAILWAYS STUDENTS
A group of students from the Siberian State Transport University (SSTU) recently got a unique insight into Scotland’s transport industry as part of a two-week course they undertook at the University of the West of Scotland’s Management Centre in Ayr.
The 11 business students were joined by three of their tutors during their time at UWS and benefited from the University’s business expertise, undertaking a two-week (11-23 July 2010) course covering finance, economics and English as a foreign language. The final year students are all sponsored by Russian Railways for whom they will work as managers after graduating.
As part of the course, UWS organised a day of industry visits on 20 July to the Glasgow offices of the Atkins Group plc and Transport Scotland, to give the group practical, real-world experience of the transport industry in Scotland.
Atkins is the UK's largest engineering and design consultancy andthe world's 11th largest design firm. The group was welcomed to the company’s Glasgow offices by Atkins Director, John Foley, and UWS Executive MBA alumnus, Kim Irvine, who gave an overview of Atkins and its activities.
STU group on M74 site visit
The group then undertook a site visit to the nearby £445 million M74 Completion project in Glasgow, for which Atkins, in a joint venture with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc, was awarded the design and construction services. Interlink M74 Joint Venture and ScotRail representatives gave a detailed walking tour of part of the five-mile project which will complete a vital part of Scotland’s motorway network, and forms part of a major infrastructure investment in Scotland’s transport network.
The group also visited Transport Scotland’s Glasgow offices on the day. This visit, which was co-ordinated by Alasdair Macleod, Business Manager for Rail Delivery at Transport Scotland, saw presentations on Rail Delivery by Jason Pearce; Strategy & Investment by Laurence Kenney and Major Transport Infrastructure Projects by Dominic Murphy. The strategic presentations were followed by question and answer sessions.
The previous week George Fiddes, Team Leader of Transportation and Traffic at South Ayrshire Council, visited the University’s Management Centre in Ayr and gave the group an overview of the South Ayrshire Local Transport Strategy as well as an insight into rail operations in the west coast of Scotland.
Eithne McGilvray of University of the West of Scotland’s Business School said: “The University has strong industry links and a successful track record of delivering business courses for a variety of organisations. We are delighted to work with SSTU and are very grateful to Atkins Group, Transport Scotland and South Ayrshire Council for the industry perspective they provided. The Siberian students and their tutors found these visits very informative and they were a highlight of their study trip to Scotland.”
SOUTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL MANAGERS MAKE THE GRADE AT UWS
Nine managers at South Ayrshire Council recently celebrated successfully completing University of the West of Scotland’s MSc Management at an event at the University’s Management Centre, Craigie House, Ayr.
The reception was attended by the successful managers and representatives from South Ayrshire Council and the University.
The Masters programme, which lasted one year, saw the managers, who spanned a number of departments across the Council, undertaking a strategic project to achieve the prestigious qualification.
As well as attending face-to-face tutorials one day a month, the programme participants, each supervised by a UWS tutor, worked independently on an individual project relevant to their work. These projects covered diverse topics such as ways of improving asset management within the Council; caring for carers; and community involvement in public services.
Angela Wilson, Head of HR and Organisational Development for South Ayrshire Council, said: “This programme is an excellent example of partnership working between the Council and the University, balancing the requirements of an academic qualification at masters level with the opportunity, for our employees to put their learning into practical use in the workplace.”
Having successfully completed the Masters programme Carmen Douglas, a Human Resources Manager for the Council, said: “This was a very challenging programme with direct relevance to the work undertaken in Local Government. Through the programme I gained an improved understanding of the current challenges which face public organisations, and it equipped me with management tools which will assist me in developing appropriate solutions. The support I received from the tutors and my peers was outstanding. I would thoroughly recommend the programme to others.”
John Turner, Head of University of the West of Scotland’s Business School, said: “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with South Ayrshire Council to develop and deliver this practical programme for its managers. The hard work and commitment of the programme participants in achieving this Masters qualification, while working full-time, is to be commended.”
Charismatic Connecting
More than 60 University of the West of Scotland Executive MBA programme participants and alumni recently gathered for a special networking event. The theme of the event, “Charismatic Connecting”, was apt as tapping into business networking opportunities is an important aspect of undertaking the prestigious Executive MBA.
Guest speaker Russell Wardrop and Bobby Mackie
Russell Wardrop of Kissing With Confidence led the session, which was entertaining as well as providing a very practical workshop in networking skills at a senior level. A highly experienced trainer and coach, he delivers sessions at the highest level internationally.
Scott Weir, the Ayr-based entrepreneur who set up the expanding Homesure letting agency, said, “I have been a keen networker for many years which has helped me to build my business but I was delighted to learn things at the event that I’ll use for the rest of life. It was inspiring.”
UWS Alumni event
Eithne McGilvray, Manager, West of Scotland Management Centre said, “Successful networking is key, especially in today’s business environment. More than 300 participants, all of them highly experienced managers, and most of them working in West of Scotland organisations, have studied on the Executive MBA programme with us and are keen to participate in this powerful network.”
Weir continued, “Undertaking the Executive MBA has come at a perfect time for me and has given me the confidence to expand the business successfully. While I had gained a lot of experience on the job, the rigour of the Executive MBA has helped me to improve my knowledge and skills and to use them in a very practical way.”
Stuart Paul and Paul Docherty
The next Executive MBA programme begins in early October 2009 at the West of Scotland Management Centre in Ayr. Further details are available at www.uws.ac.uk/emba or by phoning 01292 886400.
UWS Research wins two top business awards
25 November 2008
A research paper by University of the West of Scotland (UWS), which reveals that a small number of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland experience difficulties accessing bank finances, has won two awards at the recent Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Conference.
UWS Undertakes Study of SMEs Relationship with Financial Sector
8 October 2008
Research undertaken by University of the West of Scotland (UWS), on behalf of the Scottish Government, has revealed that a small number of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland experience difficulties accessing bank finances.
Thirty Managers embark on UWS Executive MBA
1 October 2008
Thirty managers started the thirteenth cohort of the Executive MBA with an induction weekend on Sat/Sun 27/28 September 2008 at the West of Scotland Management Centre. The executive students come from a diverse range of organisations in the public, private and third sectors, including Balfour Beatty, East Dunbartonshire Council, GE Caledonian, Haemonetics, Hewlett Packard, NHS and the Wood Group.
The Executive MBA programme’s flexible delivery, consisting of monthly all-day Saturday workshops and interactive use of the internet-based virtual learning environment, Blackboard, is designed to meet the needs of busy managers working fulltime. In addition, the programme’s real-world emphasis and practical relevance to the workplace can help students to develop into strong all round managers while gaining the prestigious Executive MBA qualification.