KENT MAGAZINE AW - University of Kent

1 Kent Business
School launch
2 Business boost
3 IT on campus
1 2 3
Gear change
The launch of the new Kent Business School (KBS)
signalled a change in gear for the University’s
business activities. Increased research activity,
a stronger portfolio of under- and postgraduate
courses and the creation of the new Chatham-based
European Business Institute in partnership with the
University of Greenwich are just some of the key
elements of this increasingly dynamic University
department, formerly known as the Canterbury
Business School. Its new identity was launched at
a two-centre event held in Medway and Canterbury.
Speaking at the launch,Vice-Chancellor Professor
David Melville said KBS was on track to be a great
regional business school as well as an national and
international player. He also spoke of the School’s
ambition to offer a world-class MBA, accredited by
the Association of MBAs and the recent launch at
Bluewater of a new foundation degree in retail
management developed in conjunction with
Canterbury College and the John Lewis Partnership.
His comments were endorsed by Chancellor Sir
Crispin Tickell, who said ‘This particular part of the
country really needs to have a vibrant business
school.’ KBS Director Martyn Jones emphasised the
importance of a strategic approach to business
education. ‘We need to be very clear about what
we do – and do it well.’ The School has established
an advisory group led by Chair Helen Bostock,
Vice-President of JP Morgan Chase Bank and Kent
graduate.The next year will see the development
of three new applied research centres in Medway
and in September 2005 the new campus will
become the base for a new executive MBA
programme. Expansion is also planned for the
existing undergraduate programmes.
Leading from the top
Three new and dynamic leaders have joined
Kent Business School (KBS). Martyn Jones is now
the School’s Director, Professor Paul Phillips is
Deputy Director and Professor John Mingers is
Director of Research.The three have come to Kent
from the business schools at the universities of
Wales, Surrey and Warwick respectively.
Between them they have a wealth of experience
that combines the academic with the business
world. Paul, who is also Professor of Strategic
Management, was a management consultant with
Price Waterhouse before joining the University
of Wales, Cardiff and the University of Surrey, where
he held the Charles Forte Chair of Hotel
Management. Martyn was a colonel in the Royal
Army Educational Corps before moving to Cranfield,
where he headed up the MBA programme, and
Wales, where he was director of the business
school. John spent 15 years at leading business
school Warwick and was a management scientist
with Unilever. All three see KBS as a place of great
potential with a unique geographical position. It is, as
Martyn says, a young organisation which has now
reached its next stage of development. ‘The School
has been developing well in several respects. It’s
a good recruiter, students get a full educational
experience and the University is serious about
establishing a good international business school.
Such success has now generated a number of
options and the challenge will be to decide
which options to follow.’
£2.2m business boost
The University has been awarded £2.2m as part of
the Government’s funding awards given to support
knowledge transfer from universities to business and
the wider community as part of its drive to boost
the UK’s innovation, performance and productivity.
The scheme is a major part of the Government’s
strategy to increase prosperity and provide highquality
job opportunities.
Vice-Chancellor Professor David Melville said, ‘We
were very pleased to receive this award which will
enable the University to reinforce its partnerships
and support for business in Kent.’
The grant is three times the level of funding
previously allocated and the University is now
in a very strong position to accelerate its
enterprise activity.
Managing IT
IT systems have an increasingly crucial role
in almost any business. However, for many
small and medium size businesses, technical IT
management is a financial nightmare. As part
of its enterprise activities, the University has set
up the Kent IT Clinic to help solve the problem.
Through the skills of student consultants, the
Clinic offers a range of services from upgrading
computers and providing training to giving advice
on how to network computers and the internet.
Most have gained first-class working experience
with major organisations like Sun Systems, IBM
and Microsoft and are mentored by trained IT
systems professionals to ensure standards are
of the highest.
BUSINESS
LINKS
12