Cass Publishes Report on State-Owned Post Offices
A state-owned post office may benefit the UK, according to a recent report from the Cass Business School in London.
The City University of London school’s 46-page report specifically looked at how a state-owned post office would impact the country, in an effort that would diversify the UK’s portfolio and increase its revenues, according to a press release. Economic and financial growth would be spurred by improving financial assistance to small and medium enterprises, growing inclusion in the financial sector for those not using banking services, and shifting the economy away from solely urban centers like London.
Other countries in Europe already follow a similar system, including Italy and France. Currently, the Bank of Ireland manages post office banking services. The report suggests ending the partnership by acquiring the Bank of Ireland, UK portfolio and holding onto its customers. The post office would be set up as a subsidiary, per the report. The researchers’ analysis found that “the Post Office’s current partnership with the Bank of Ireland has not delivered the expected and potential results,” according to the report.
“Our analysis suggests the revenues the partnership between the Post Office and the Bank of Ireland has brought in remain significantly lower than post banks around the world, and it has not delivered a full range of banking products for Post Office customers,” lead author Barbara Casu Lukac said in the press release.
Lukac is the Director of the Centre for Banking Research, and she teaches banking and finance at Cass. She joined the faculty in 2007 and has worked at universities throughout Europe, including the Catholic University of Milan in Italy and the University of Wales.
Dr. Angela Gallo and Dr. Francesc Rodriguez Tous co-authored the paper. Gallo is a research fellow at the business school, and Tous is a lecturer.
Henley Business School To Begin New Huawei Certification Program
The Henley Business School at the University of Reading in London has announced a new program in partnership with TECH Education Group, an education provider in the technology field. The new Information Communications Technology (ICT) Master’s and Huawei Certification program helps solidify the school’s tech-centric offerings.
This addition makes Henley the school the first in Europe to offer “expert-level Huawei certification,” according to a press release. Starting in September 2018, students in the MSc Information Management and MSc Business Technology Consulting courses will begin taking new modules to work toward the Huawei certification, which will take one year. The new curriculum will include modules that will allow students to graduate with certifications as a Huawei Certified Network Associate (HCNA), Network Professional (HCNP), and Internet Expert (HCIE).
“In this digital age in which topics such as big data, data security, and digital innovation are highly relevant, there is an increasing need for talent with a firm understanding of both business and technology in developing innovative and creative solutions,” Professor Keiichi Nakata said in the release. “This new partnership with TECH Education Group is ideally timed to enhance our existing collaboration with Huawei to supply industry-ready talent for businesses around the world, as well as providing a boost to professionals as they enter the job market.”
This certification is highly recognized in the industry. More than 140 countries have acknowledged the certification. It’s sure to stay up to date as the ICT sector evolves and merges closely with other similar sectors like computing and mobile broadband, according to its website.
Interested students can begin applying for the program later this year until August 2018.
“This partnership marks a continuation of our efforts in educating and nurturing experts who are equipped with the knowledge to deal with the complexities of an increasingly digital and data-orientated business world,” TECH Education Group CEO Kangping Lin said in the release. “We need reliable and talented professionals to help move society forward towards a better-connected world and students completing this pathway will finish their study ready to excel in their field.”
Last July, Huawei became the world’s second largest smartphone manufacturing company, surpassing Apple. The Chinese telecommunications giant currently owns more than 10 percent of the global smartphone market, thanks in part to a deeply diverse manufacturing catalog, according to Counterpoint Research data.
The Business of Art Meets the Art of Business: New Oxford Saïd Exhibition Explores Their Intersection
In an aim to initiate discussions on the relationship between business and the arts, the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School will launch a fine art exhibition. The exhibition, curated by the Zuleika Gallery, will be held on September 13 and is open to all students, faculty, and the community.
The exhibit will feature a collection of British art from the 20th century to present day including avant-garde works from the St. Ives School, Pop Art, and pure abstraction. Many of the art works that will be presented are on loan from the Arts Council Collection, including pieces from pop artist Patrick Caulfield and abstract artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.
“I believe this exhibition perfectly reflects the ethos and values of Saïd Business School, and it acts as the visual equivalent of creative thinking, excellence, and innovation,” Lizzie Collins, Director or the Zuleika Gallery and curator of the exhibition, said in a news release.
The event will take place at the Saïd Business School and will also include a talk by Stephen Alvarez, an award-winning National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and explorer. Alvarez has published more than a dozen feature stories in National Geographic on topics ranging from exploration and adventure to culture and archaeology. He is also the founder of the Ancient Art Archive, which is a non-profit foundation that uses photography and the newest image-based virtual reality (VR) technology to preserve and share the world’s oldest art.
Through the talk and the exhibit, Saïd plans to address the following topics:
- Why did we start making art?
- What can art tell us about today’s world of image-based social media?
- How can digital technology help us explore, share, and preserve our first stories?
This event is not the first time that Oxford Saïd has studied art and business. In October 2014, the university welcomed the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology. It was a part of a series of activities put together by the business school and Oxford’s leading humanities scholars under the title, “Engaging with the Humanities.” In addition, the university is home to the Oxford Business Network for Art and Business, an extension of the alumni network seeking specifically to promote and exchange ideas surrounding the art industry.
To learn more about how the Saïd Business School looks at the intersection of art and business and to attend this free event, visit the Art at Saïd Business School event page.
This article has been edited and republished with permissions from Clear Admit.
Saïd Faculty Member Andrew Stephen Receives Research Award
At the Oxford Saïd Business School in London, it’s not too uncommon to see professors winning numerous awards. Most recently, Associate Dean of Research Andrew Stephen did.
The American Marketing Association’s Innovation, Technology and Interactivity Special Interest Group (TechSIG) and the Lazaridis Institute of Wilfrid Laurier University in Toronto, Canada, awarded the marketing professor the “Best Paper Award for Research on the Practice of Marketing,” according to a press release. This award came with $1,500. Stephen wrote the paper with Dr. Cait Lamberton, an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh.
“I am very pleased that Drs. Lamberton and Stephen have won this inaugural award,” said Nicole Coviello, Research Director at the Lazaridis Institute and committee member, in the press release. “Their rigorous review and assessment is a pivotal foundation for research across the digital, social and mobile marketing space.”
The paper, titled “A Thematic Exploration of Digital, Social Media, and Mobile Marketing: Research Evolution from 2000 to 2015 and an Agenda for Future Inquiry,” touches on innovation, technology, and interactivity. More specifically, it follows the changing perspectives of scholarly researchers on three major social media, digital, and mobile marketing themes from 2000 to 2015.
Winners Stephen and Lamberton found out about their victory at the American Marketers Association’s summer meeting. There, during its joint TechSIG/Teaching and Learning SIG reception, the association announced the winners.
“My hope is that this work helps inspire more great research that shapes marketing in years to come,” Stephen said in the press release.
Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is known for its award-winning faculty. Stephen won a different award earlier this year, also from the American Marketing Association. The Shelby D. Hunt/Harold H. Maynard Award was for the same paper, but he’s not the only one receiving accolades. Dr. Janet Smart won the 2017 OxTALENT Award for her innovative teaching in June. In May, a group of Oxford Saïd academics won a prize for their research.
Cranfield Professor Bill Sheddon Receives Lifetime Achievement Award After Death
Bill Shedden was a treasure at the Cranfield School of Management. He passed away last month after suffering a stroke, yet his legacy lives on.
UNICON: Consortium for University-Based Executive Education awarded Shedden with a Lifetime Achievement Award, according to a recent news release. The announcement was made in Paris at the consortium’s annual board meeting last month.
Shedden spent 15 years at Cranfield. He joined as the director of the Centre for Customised Executive Development (CCED). He also served on UNICON’s board from 2007 to 2013 and was the board chair in 2011. The consortium described him as a “collaborator” who “effectively competed with top schools for the most prestigious client engagements.”
“All of our members bring value, but every now and then, there are certain individuals who show outstanding commitment and whose contributions surpass what is expected,” UNICON Executive Director Bill Scheurer said in a press release. “Bill was fully engaged in UNICON activities for many years and was well respected as a thought leader and for his gracious and kind manner.”
Cranfield colleagues also grieved Shedden’s sudden departure. Dr. John Glen, who works in the business and now directs the CCED, said, in a press release:
“The external recognition of Bill’s inestimable contribution to executive development only captures part of what made Bill Shedden the man he was. Bill was a fabulous leader who gave generously of his time to help his colleagues be the best that they could be. A man of endless patience, he would listen to the concerns of all his team and use his influence and network to broker solutions to their problems. His experience as a trade union negotiator in the 1970s and early 1980s gave Bill a skill set which made negotiating with clients so much easier for those of us who did not have his experience.”
Glen went on to describe the late professor as a “father figure.” Shedden leaves behind a daughter and son, Natalie and Daniel, respectively, as well as grandchildren.
6 New Executive Education Programs Coming to Ivey Business School
The Ivey Business School at Western University in Toronto is revamping its executive education offerings, adding six new programs to address Canada’s evolving business sector.
“The Canadian business market has dictated to us the key competencies needed to remain relevant and successful in today’s global business environment,” said Mark Healy, Ivey’s Executive Director of Executive Education, in a press release. “I’m pleased to be able to address those needs with the launch of these six programs.”
The Ivey Executive MBA program already helps advance the careers of professionals, but these new additions will only further the school’s efforts. The programs will begin in fall 2017 and be offeredat the London and Ontario campuses, as well as Toronto.
Corporate Reputation Management
This “immersive” program will teach students how to plan for, respond and recover from situations where a business’ reputation is at risk. Once a company loses its rep, well, everything else goes down the drain, too. It’s important that professionals know how to handle those events.
Preparing for Disruption
One thing’s for sure: In business, always prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes, this looks like technological innovations. While good for the consumer, such change isn’t always good for a business. This addition will help participants look critically at their businesses and find any potential vulnerabilities or places where the market might negatively impact them—and then brainstorm to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Leading With Business Analytics
Data and numbers really are the future. This program will help businesses use these information to their benefit by showing them how other major players use data to stay competitive. Students will also learn the basics to some data analysis tools to stay in the loop themselves.
Mastering FinTech: Strategies for the Future
How does one protect themselves from the emerging FinTech market? Ultimately, those employed in the banking, finance or insurance sectors will benefit most because they’re the ones this technology threatens most. The program will show them how to create a proper response plan and even how to take advantage of this technology before competitors use it against them.
Design Thinking: Driving Innovation
Design is everything, they say. This couldn’t be more true in the world of business and customer service. This new program aims to teach participants all they need to know about using design to lead and ideate. This type of innovation is especially “crucial” to compete globally.
Many families pass their business down from generation to generation. There’s a science to doing that right. That’s where this program comes in. A successful transition requires specific strategies that address growth and trust. The Ivey School encourages families to take part in this program, but it requires a nomination.
