Business at the University of Dundee: Transforming lives locally and globally

24 Feb 2017

“Give me but one hour of Scotland,

Let me see it ere I die.” – William E. Aytoun

Based in the City and Royal Burgh of Dundee on the East Coast of the Scottish Lowlands lies the University of Dundee, offering a student experience that’s consistently ranked among the UK’s best. As a multicultural and dynamic location characterised by its own unique buzz, Dundee has recently been named Britain’s coolest little city, known as a cultural and creative hub for delivering the likes of Desperate Dan and the nostalgic Beano comic to an ever-adoring world.

“Dundee’s setting is probably more extraordinary than any other city in Scotland or Britain,” says Stephen Fry, former rector of the University. “It is about as ideal, as ludicrously ideal, as any city setting could be,” he notes, commenting on the beauty, style and convenience of the UK’s first UNESCO City of Design. The city’s reputation for building and design resonates worldwide, with the legendary RRS Discovery, the vessel used for Captain Scott’s iconic 1901 Antarctic expedition, finding its humble beginnings in Dundee, right up to the ground-breaking contemporary £80 million construction of the city’s new V&A Museum.

On August 1, 1967, the University was officially inaugurated by way of a formal Royal Charter. At this point, the institution’s long-standing relationship with St. Andrews, which ran as far back as 1881, had come to an end, leaving Dundee completely independent and ready to flourish. In the last 50 years, the campus has been subject to incredible change, with the 1960s alone seeing the construction of the Dentistry building, Bellmont Halls, and the Tower Building.

Image courtesy of the University of Dundee

Dundee’s quaint campus is ideally set at the heart of the city buzz, a mere five minutes from all the treasures Dundee has to offer, while upholding an ethos that’s quiet and relaxed with heaps of fresh green space. The Campus Green lies at the epicentre of the Dundee student life, hosting various events throughout the year, from Freshers’ Week receptions and summer graduation parties all the way to Snowman-building competitions in the midst of the winter chill.

“It has always been a lifetime [ambition] for me to get the opportunity to come and study [at the] University of Dundee,” says Sharmistha Chowdhury, now an Assistant Professor of Education Management, originally from Bangladesh. “The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme opened up new horizons for me,” she adds.

“I have met lots of new and like-minded people from different parts of the world and have made so many great friends here. I’ve been very lucky to have been taught by people who are passionate about their studies…Moreover, the serene Scottish landscape and weather were always there to inspire me in my distant stay from home,” Chowdhury concludes. “…I have spent the most amazing year in Dundee and will cherish this experience all my life.”

World-class teaching, powerful research & an unforgettable student experience…

As a testament to Dundee’s success for being one of the world’s leading higher education providers, the institution has been named Scottish University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide for the second consecutive year. On top of this, Dundee also ranks within Europe’s top 20 most innovative universities according to Reuters, and has been placed at number 16 in the league table for the World’s Top 100 Universities founded in the last 50 years by Times Higher Education (THE), also landing a position within the Top 40 on the globe in the THE World University Rankings.

Image courtesy of the University of Dundee

“Dundee proves it is possible to be both an outstanding teaching university and one at the cutting-edge in research work,” says Alastair McCall, Editor of the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, emphasising the School’s ability to use elite academics and thorough research practice to provide a transformative learning experience locally and internationally. This year, for example, a public lecture from one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs is a notable feature of the University’s Entrepreneurship Week. Here, Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite and BrewGooder, will host the inaugural Principal’s Lecture in Entrepreneurship, aimed at giving students, staff and graduates support in turning the spark of their ideas into successful business ventures.

And in terms of an unparalleled student experience, Dundee does it best, with last year’s results for the International Student Barometer (ISB), the world’s largest annual survey of international students, recording the University’s highest-ever scores. Dundee’s rate of student satisfaction stood at 91 percent overall, cementing its position at the top of Scottish higher education, as well as placing third in the UK, and 14^th in the world. And with an employment standard of 96.7 percent six months after graduation, it’s hardly surprising that Dundee graduates feel their extraordinary Scottish education encompasses a truly unrivalled value for money.

Dundee School of Business – Letting students succeed in a complex business environment…

Forever drawing on Dundee’s geographical history as a principal sea port, its manufacturing heritage – from jam to giant ships, its political prowess as the former parliamentary seat of Sir Winston Churchill, as well as its soaring reputation as a recognised Centre of Excellence in medicine, healthcare, life sciences and the creative arts, the Dundee School of Business is a provider of high-class undergraduate and postgraduate education in the general business discipline, including Accounting, Finance, Economics, Management and Marketing.

Image courtesy of the University of Dundee

As a prestigious facet of the university and an accredited member of the ACCA, the CMI and the ICAAS, and working towards being a fully-accredited member of the AACSB, the School of Business boasts excellent industry links and preeminent business partners, ensuring graduates are informed, knowledgeable and connected long before they graduate. With industry-run lectures being held throughout the year, on top of relevant industry projects and a wealth of meaningful placement opportunities, it’s hardly surprising that many of Dundee’s Business graduates currently hold senior positions with powerful companies around the globe.

In the same vein, its partnerships with other Schools – such as the School of Law and the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design – instil students with a valuable interdisciplinary focus and appreciation. The University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship highlights its commitment to student enterprise, with faculty and staff working round-the-clock to ensure they bring the best out of all business-minded hopefuls.

A key differentiator of Business education at the University of Dundee lies in its ability to equally balance both teaching and research, and yet remain research-led in virtually all areas. With rigorous and relevant specialisms in Health, Education and Wellbeing; Leadership, Governance and Effective Organisational Change; and Money, Macro and Finance, the School is actively engaged with practitioners, policy makers, organisations and fellow academic institutions in the UK and the world, breaking down boundaries of knowledge and understanding in the intricate business sphere, and having a positive, tangible impact in our interconnected world.

“Our core mission at the University of Dundee is to transform lives, locally and globally, through the creation, sharing and application of knowledge,” concludes Professor Sir Pete Downes, the institution’s current Principal and Vice-Chancellor.

Image courtesy of the University of Dundee

“We are doing that in all sorts of ways,” he adds. “The teaching we offer forms part of a student experience that is consistently rated among the best in the UK, and is producing graduates who are ready to help solve real-world problems and become future leaders across society.”

Follow the University of Dundee on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube