Students from under-represented backgrounds at Northumbria University, Newcastle, are being offered funding support for post graduate study following an enhanced partnership agreement with the Agile Business Consortium.
A leading not-for-profit professional body that helps businesses worldwide adapt rapidly to changing environments and market conditions, the Agile Business Consortium established a partnership with Northumbria in 2019. The collaboration has facilitated guest lectures, scholarship funding, academic prizes, grants for graduate business start-ups and has helped student enterprises respond positively to commercial challenges and opportunities while keeping a competitive edge.
Agile Business Consortium has now committed a further three-year package of support to provide four postgraduate Project Management scholarships between 2022 and 2025. The scholarships will be match-funded by Northumbria and will help highly gifted students from under-represented backgrounds each year.
Funding from Agile Business Consortium will also offer targeted support for a recently launched INTOUniversity Centre in Newcastle - a partnership between Northumbria and Newcastle universities and the national education charity IntoUniversity to provide additional educational support to those aged 7-18 from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The support for Northumbria and the INTOUniversity Centre aligns closely with the Agile Business Consortium calling for the inclusion of agility and agile skills in the education of everyone from primary school children, to working professionals. The Agile Business Consortium believes that:
- Individuals will need agile skills to compete in the job market
- Organisations will require agile-minded employees to compete in the world of business and;
- Educational institutions and teachers will be obliged to focus on teaching agile skills and mindsets to prepare our young people for life and work in a constantly shifting world.
Managing Director Mwaka Lungu reflected, “It has been a privilege to have partnered with Northumbria University and we are proud to continue this partnership that now includes support for INTOUniversity Learning Centre. Through collaboration with the University, it is our desire to see students prepared with agile skills and mindsets that will allow them to thrive in today and tomorrow’s business environment. We look forward to more great results over the next 3 years”
Head of Propositions, Emily Ruffle said, “It has been a pleasure and an inspiration to support Northumbria University over the past three years, being able to assist, not just financially but through extra-curricular activities, witnessing first-hand and hearing the impact our support has had in nurturing the agile mindset and future leaders of business’ tomorrow. I am delighted to continue our support with the match-funded scholarships and for the first IntoUniversity Centre in Newcastle.
Head of Advancement at Northumbria, Victoria Nichol shared, “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Agile Business Consortium. They are a valued partner, and we look forward to furthering shared success. We both recognise the mutual benefits in aligning our shared interests and ambitions”
Agile Business Consortium’s continued three-year funding package will also support Northumbria’s Higher Education Without Barriers Fund. The fund provides a range of support, including financial initiatives, to make participation and progression in higher education more achievable for academically talented students, regardless of their social or economic circumstances.
For more information on Business Agility, visit www.agilebusiness.org/page/WhatisBusinessAgility
