QM News 74 (pdf 1.58 MB) - Queen Margaret University

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PAGE 20 RECENT STUDENT AND GRADUATE NEWS MBA student gains invaluable experience at The Dorchester An MBA Hospitality student, who is also the General Manager of The Howard, a discreet luxury 5-star hotel in Edinburgh’s New town, has won a scholarship from Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland. HIT Scotland is a Scottish based charity which raises funds to support and encourage excellence in the hospitality Industry. The HIT scholarship enabled Zsolt Jakri to gain invaluable experience at the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in London by shadowing the management for a week. Bernie Quinn, Lecturer in Hospitality Management at QMU, said: “We are extremely grateful to HIT Scotland for providing Zsolt with such an outstanding learning opportunity. The HIT scholarships recognise the need to continually update skills within the industry, enhance personal development and bring fresh ideas back to Scottish businesses to remain at the forefront of international innovations. It’s a win-win situation for both the student and the industry.” Students showcase final year work at film screening In the run up to graduation, QMU’s film, media, and public relations students screened a selection of twelve short fiction, music video and documentary films at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. The event primarily showcased films made by students in the final year of their degree. The work covered a wide selection of narrative subjects, genres and styles, including one man’s desperate search for his past, a woman’s God-like intervention into teenage promiscuity, and the transformative power of a pot plant. Dr Richard Butt, Head of Media, Communication and Performing Arts at QMU, said: “Students showed admirable creativity and maturity in their filmmaking and this was evident in the quality of their films. Students shot in locations from Portobello to London, with one drama shot entirely in Poland. Some of the students took advantage of the cinematic qualities offered by the new generation of digital SLR and Letus cameras, so the production values of the final films were very high for undergraduate work on limited budgets.” The screening concluded with a prize giving. The Bruce Thomson College Access Award for the best overall academic performance by a direct entry student went to Danielle Fallon from Edinburgh who came on to the BA (Hons) Film and Media programme at QMU from Telford College. The Bruce Thomson Best Film Award, the annual award for the best student graduate film, went to Agata Jagodzinska for her film ‘Secret of Confession’. Agata came on to the BA (Hon) Media programme from Poland via Perth College. Her film, which stars her grandmother, was the first entirely foreign language produced as course work at QMU and, the first shot entirely overseas. Matauka meets Hillary Clinton It’s not unknown for QMU graduates to be mixing with the great and the good, but a Hospitality and Tourism Management student took her networking skills to new heights when she recently met a selection of world leaders. In the space of just a few months, Matauka Yeta met the President of Zambia, The African Union Vice President and the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Over the summer, Matauka, as part of her personal-development, took part in a programme run by an National Governmental Organisation called ‘The Infotainment Movement’. This charity, which has its origins in Zambia and is affiliated to the United Nations, is a youth development organisation. It assisted in facilitating Matauka’s attendance at specific conferences aimed at providing students with outstanding opportunities to listen and learn from influential people. Through this programme, Matauka took full advantage of the chance to introduce herself, her charity and QMU to world leaders attending the conference including Hillary Clinton; Erastus Mwencha, the African Union Vice President; and Rupiah Bwezani Banda, the Zambian President. Matauka said: “I not only greeted and spoke with Hillary Clinton when she walked along the red carpet, but I was lucky to be perfectly positioned, literally a metre away from her, as she addressed the audience.” The Secretary of State’s PR executive then provided Matauka with Hillary’s contact details and they have been in touch once since their initial meeting. Matuaka concluded: “It was a privilege to learn from these influential leaders. I’m also delighted that my university education provided me with skills, knowledge and confidence to debate and interact with some of the world’s most influential leaders. It certainly turned out to be a productive summer vacation, packed with quite a few once in a lifetime opportunities.” Whilst also studying at QMU, Matauka is now working as the Executive Director of the ‘Infotainment Movement’. Matauka Yeta meets the President of Zambia
PAGE 21 RECENT STUDENT AND GRADUATE NEWS Mountain biking gets easier with new bike bus Karl Mott, a QMU business graduate, turned his passion for mountain biking and his problems with accessing the countryside, into a successful business. Glentress is a world-class mountain bike destination and part of the 7stanes network of biking trails spanning the south of Scotland. But without a car, it’s not the easiest place for cycling enthusiasts to get to from other parts of the country. Much to the delight of urban based mountain bikers, Karl and his wife decided to provide a business solution to the travel problem by setting up Bike Bus Glentress. From September 2011 the company takes bikes and riders direct from Edinburgh city centre to Glentress seven days a week. Karl, a qualified Mountain Bike Leader (MBLA), who has been racing road and mountain bikes in the Scottish Borders since his teenage years, explained: “Glentress has been very car-oriented up until now, but with this new service, cyclists can catch a train into Edinburgh then hop on the Bike Bus. It also provides a more sustainable option for people who would normally make the trip by car.” The Bike Bus is an eight-seat minibus with a specially designed trailer capable of carrying up to ten bikes at a time. In addition to the travel service, Bike Bus Glentress offers introductory guiding for beginners and intermediate riders and bike hire is available at the Glentress Peel Centre. To find out more about Karl’s new business visit: www.bikebusglentress.co.uk. Susan creates her own brand with a selection of Scotland’s luxury hotels Susan Reid, Proprietor, Susan Reid Collection Even at the tender age of 12, Susan Reid loved the atmosphere of hotels. She knew she wanted to build a career in the hospitality industry and set her sights on gaining a place on Queen Margaret’s Catering and Institutional Management course. During her three years of study between 1987 and 1990 she grasped the opportunity to gain more hands on experience via a QMU student exchange programme. She travelled to the Canadian Rockies to work at the Banff Springs Hotel. With 1000 bedrooms and nine restaurants it was an experience she’ll never forget. On leaving Queen Margaret, Susan began working at the Scandic Crown in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile before joining the team at the Balmoral Hotel. After two years gaining front of house experience she moved into her first sales role with Stakis Hotels and after three years returned to the Scandic Crown which had just re-branded to Crowne Plaza. With a lot of hard graft she worked her way up to becomes Sales Director responsible for a team of two people before moving to a bigger challenge as Sales and Marketing Director and Regional Sales Director with the Balmoral. She was now managing a team of 17 staff. She said: “I enjoyed the challenge but missed getting out into the market place and seeing the clients. So in 2003 I launched the Susan Reid Collection, Scotland.” Susan now manages the promotion and sales for a group of privately owned properties. Branded the ‘Susan Reid Collection’, the properties offer a sample of some of the best in Scottish service, quality and hospitality at 4 and 5 star levels. She explained: “I am very different from a consultancy or a PR company in the respect that I take on a pro-active sales role which is quite unique in the market place and my service was one of the first of its kind to be launched. This allows me to offer the professional skills and knowledge I have gained from larger organisations and assist in the promotion purely of privately owned properties, ensuring that awareness of these opportunities is strong in the corporate, leisure and incentive market place. This can only be achieved by concise and pro-active sales and marketing strategies, which I carry out personally.” Susan loves her job working directly with the owners of the hotels she promotes and is delighted to be personally involved in the growth of their businesses. For more information about the hotels and properties within the Susan Reid Collection visit: www.susanreid.co.uk Susan Reid
Page 1 and 2: The magazine for alumni and friends
Page 3 and 4: PAGE 0 NEWS IN BRIEF QMU is top for
Page 5 and 6: PAGE 0 What are universities for? P
Page 7 and 8: QMU partners with Edinburgh New Tow
Page 9 and 10: PAGE 0 SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS - FOCUS
Page 11 and 12: PAGE 11 HEALTH AND REHABILITATION E
Page 13 and 14: PAGE 13 HEALTH AND REHABILITATION L
Page 15 and 16: PAGE 15 CREATIVITY AND CULTURE In S
Page 17 and 18: PAGE 17 CREATIVITY AND CULTURE Home
Page 19: PAGE 19 COMMERCIAL FOCUS QMU - Work
Page 23 and 24: PAGE 23 ALUMNI PROFILE Angel Coulby
Page 25 and 26: PAGE 25 DEVELOPMENT NEWS Santander
Page 27 and 28: PAGE 27 CLASSNOTES AND EXHIBITIONS

QM News 74 (pdf 1.58 MB) - Queen Margaret University

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