Transforming lives, businesses and communities is the mission that underpins everything we do in Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. The question of how we are affecting change and empowering others to deliver transformative results to over 9,500 students is our guiding purpose, directing the approaches we take to delivering excellent education and research with impact and contributing over £600mn to our regional economy in Greater Manchester

Our clarity of purpose has reaped rewards for those who study, work and collaborate with us. In an ever-evolving global landscape, this focus is key to supporting our community to develop capabilities needed to achieve their ambitions and sustain existing levels of success. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our Triple Accreditation from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. To spotlight the impact that this clarity of vision has, we share some observations from our community and some highlights of our recent activities.

 

Transforming Lives through Excellent Education

Among a future focused and wide-ranging portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and executive programmes, The Manchester Met MBA is an exemplar of our commitment to delivering globally relevant, innovative qualifications. We are proud to say that our MBA provision has retained AMBA Accreditation since 1994.

In practice, this has been achieved by focusing on currency of content, intertwining cutting edge research with practical insights that are delivered by a diverse and expert academic body.  One current student (Jessica) shared that she chose The Manchester Met MBA because ‘there’s a big emphasis on learning from other people’s experiences, from different industries and to be able to really interact with people, listen to them and understand what it is that they have done before’. She sees this as being crucial to gaining value added from her studies, as well as supporting her ambition to scale her business in a manner that is both sustainable and produces the growth that she aspires too.

Alongside our programme offerings, our students also benefit from dedicated GoGlobal and GetCareerReady activities that encourage you to broaden your experience beyond your discipline area. These opportunities resonate strongly with our student body. Sophie (Business Management and Marketing student) reflected that through GoGlobal ‘I have had the chance to learn new skills that will definitely enhance my personal and professional growth. Engaging with diverse perspectives and innovative ideas has motivated me to step out of my comfort zone’. 

And it is not just our current student groups who express these sentiments. Alvaro Benitez Caro (2020 MBA Alumnus) shared that ‘The learning by doing system is the most valuable resource this programme offers’ as he identified that employing specific tools introduced during his studies allowed him to make the ‘right decision to succeed in this market.’

 

Transforming Lives through Research with Impact, Innovation and Partnership

Our impactful research is ranked 17^th across all business and management schools in the UK. We contribute to global, national and local conversations in a wide range of areas, including Decent Work, Place Management and Sport Policy. Our Business School Academics led the UK Government’s High Street Task Force delivering impactful and actionable insights nationally about how to revive local areas. 

With 100% of our research impact being externally evaluated as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ we know that our work contributes to the global conversations of the moment and enriches the experiences of our students and partners. And we make sure that this is viable by interlinking research and practice through our sector-leading Centre for Enterprise (CfE).  

Since 2012, the CfE has supported the growth of more than 2,000 SMEs, helped introduce over 200 jobs to market, and created over 370 jobs. The impact of this work has been recognised through our Small Business Charter (SBC) Award. Our Academic Director, Prof. Jennie Shorley again spotlighted the importance that the role of practice plays in our activities, acknowledging that ‘The Centre for Enterprise is a multidisciplinary team of experts who make academic knowledge work for businesses.’

 

Transforming Lives through Sustainability

Finally, as a top 5 Sustainable UK University, we are committed to bringing sustainability to life in all of our programmes, and interactions with our broader community. We have been a PRME signatory member since 2012. We embed carbon literacy training and Education for /Sustainable Development (ESD) throughout all our programmes. We deliver research with impact in this area, and we collaborate with local and national partners to build their sustainability capabilities.

Evidencing how important it is that our activities are interconnected, an international consortium of researchers led by Senior Faculty in the Business School recently secured a £1.1m grant to explore local initiatives for a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable future.

This project is a prime example of how we bring our Business School Mission to life. The project lead, Prof Paul Dewick explained of the research; ‘if we look at Repair Cafes, for example. They are thought of as circular because they are trying to keep things going, to stop things being sent to waste, to give products a second chance. But these initiatives also bring people together and allow them to socialise. They help people save money and develop new skills.’ The extent to which the output of this project will transform lives, business and communities is boundless. It will connect us with the region, create impactful research and inform our curriculum going forward.

 

Summary/Conclusion 

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School is a dual intensive school focused on quality and interconnectedness of our activities. This is crucial to ensuring our student community graduate with the highest levels of expertise in their subject area and the confidence to demonstrate that in their future pursuits. Whether they are ready to begin their journey to a graduate role, accelerate their career progression, or forge their own path, our Business School provides the environment, expertise and resources that allow our students to flourish, transforming lives, businesses and communities.

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