Transforming professional growth with innovative business studies

Stocks in telemedicine, veterinary services, healthcare and hygiene industries. Regenerative and sustainable travel. Media agencies experimenting with digital tools to pivot from traditional billboards. Increasingly trendy “fashionable sweatpants.”

For all the calamity the pandemic struck on businesses, there are five more opportunities in store in a post-coronavirus world. China’s V-shaped recovery is another optimistic sign for many nations in economic stagnancy. The International Monetary Fund is predicting India will rebound by 8.8 percent in 2021. When the virus is brought firmly under control, consumers will spend again, local governments will import more commodities, developers will resume projects, factories will hum once more and jobs, once lost, will reappear.

In short, opportunities are abundant amid and post-COVID-19. With the right qualification and mindset, aspiring entrepreneurs and business graduates can capitalise on them. First, however, they will need the right knowledge, skills, and experience. Here are four business schools that can equip you with these:

Glasgow Caledonian University

At the Glasgow School for Business and Society (GSBS) you will find practical, industry-led programmes that provide insight into the management of global businesses and third sector organisations. Committed to the Common Good and the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) their Global MBA produces dynamic graduates with the knowledge, skills and experiences to become professional managers with an instinct for creating sustainable business in a socially responsible manner. Sessions such as “Dealing with Black Swan Events (such as COVID-19), “Scenario Planning” and “Crisis Leadership” prime graduates for the immediate challenges and opportunities in a post-pandemic world.

A postgraduate degree at GSBS promises plenty of ideas, innovation and social responsibility. It’s what makes it a personally and professionally fulfilling venture, nurturing graduates into future leaders with the know-how to tackle the complex challenges of the global economy in a socially beneficial manner.  It is a key reason why this business school ranks second in Scotland and third in the UK for student satisfaction (National Student Survey, 2020).

Like the MBA, their other outstanding business offerings including finance, risk, journalism and fashion are highly vocational and take you close to the real-life workings of organisations. Advancements in technology and internationalisation are discussed and incorporated into curricula, giving graduates the skills demanded of the future global workplace.

This is a winning combination of factors. It’s what draws talents from more than 100 countries to its doors every year. It’s also how 91% of graduates here find employment or are in a further programme of study after graduating.

Whether it’s the Global MBA, Doctorate of Business Administration or one of its specialised Masters programmes, all students receive the dedicated, extensive and tailored support of lecturers and academic staff. The setting for these practical, industry-linked programmes? The vibrant, welcoming, and affordable city of Glasgow ranked eighth in Time Out’s Best Cities in the World last year.

To find out more about the postgraduate offerings, award-winning support and memorable experiences in store for international students at this business school, click here. Programmes are open to applicants from all academic disciplines and backgrounds.

University of Nottingham

Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) offers postgraduate degrees that are at the forefront of business education and research. Its strengths lie in entrepreneurship, innovation and business sustainability — all of which are infused into its MBA, MSc, PhD and executive education programmes.

The business school’s aim is to shape the future of responsible business and management in an increasingly interconnected world. Opportunities to study abroad, collaboration with global firms, professional development support, events with top business leaders, tailored career support, diverse campus — all of these contribute towards guiding NUBS students to realise their potential contribution to business, economy and society.

“Furthering my studies in the UK has been a great experience and joining Enactus — a not-for-profit, student-led organisation that exists within the university — has only enhanced my time here. Not only did it show me the social and environmental sides to business, I experienced the power of using entrepreneurial action to sustainably transform lives,” graduate Jacob Choy said.

NUBS holds a range of acclaim, recognition and features in national and international rankings. Among these are: Chartered Banker Institute Centre of Excellence accreditation (the gold standard for all banking professionals) for the MSc Banking and Finance; dual-award status from the Chartered Institute of Marketing for the MSc Marketing; NHS Leadership Academy endorsement for the Executive MBA Healthcare; and full accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for the MSc Human Resource Management and Organisation.

It is ranked 11th globally and fourth in the UK for sustainability education in the Better World MBA 2019 rankings; top 150 globally in the QS World University Ranking by Subject 2020 (Business and Management, and Accounting and Finance); and consistently ranks among the UK’s top business schools in The Guardian University Guide 2019. To learn about this European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA) accredited institution, click here.

University of Southampton

Southampton Business School offers a wide range of taught and research postgraduate programmes. They are provided in both full-time and part-time formats, accommodating the needs of students from different backgrounds.

At this Russell Group university, world-class academics teach its MBA pathway options — General, Entrepreneurship and Maritime — in small classes. They are highly interactive and apply group-based learning. A Leadership Development Programme with career coaching provides further guidance. There are also international study trips with live consulting projects; individual business projects in various organisations; work experience placements; and more.

“The Leadership Development Programme helped me to grow professionally and personally. The international trips gave me the chance to put into practice all the knowledge acquired during the course,” says graduate Daniela Cardenas.

For graduate Matias Rubiolo, now a Senior Research Associate at PwC Luxembourg, the highlight of his Southampton MBA experience was the international classroom made up of students from various industries. “You can certainly learn a lot from one another. I got to know people from many countries, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia, Chile, Mexico, Fiji, and Thailand. They are now part of my business network as well as my friends, and have given me tremendous insight into different backgrounds and cultures.

“Besides expanding my business knowledge, another highlight of the MBA was my consultancy placement with a regional software company that was seeking to launch a new product. I had to analyse it, benchmark competitors, and judge its potential success. It was exactly the right kind of practical experience for my career development,” he adds.

Oxford Brookes University

Hands-on postgraduate programmes at Oxford Brookes Business School produce highly employable graduates. Through live consultancy projects, skills workshops, and networking events with industry leaders, work experience with companies such as Intel, BMW, Four Seasons and Aldi — students have avenues to develop the skills and to receive the exposure needed to advance their careers.

The Oxford Brookes MBA is accredited, practical and highly flexible. It is accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and Association of MBAs (AMBA). It is co-founded by the Oxford Brookes Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

The programme is structured in this manner: core compulsory modules, followed by two MBA electives modules and a final project, which can be a dissertation, an individual consultancy project, a group consultancy project or a business start-up plan. “The MBA certainly helped me to acquire new tools, knowledge and experience that enabled me to become more creative,” says graduate Graham Veal.

Entrepreneur Raimundo Burgera credits the community at Oxford Brookes Business School for the valuable connections that have benefited his technology consultancy career since graduating. “Doing business is about collaborating and the MBA community has been tremendously helpful in doing this,” he says.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International