University Business Clinic receives prestigious seal of approval

An innovative education programme at Newcastle Business School has received a prestigious seal of approval from the British Academy of Management Education.

The Business Clinic, part of Northumbria University’s award-winning Business School, has been ‘Highly Commended’ by the British Academy of Management Education Practice Awards Panel 2017 for its role in bringing students and businesses together to identify and deliver genuine solutions for real businesses.

Since 2013, Northumbria University’s Business Clinic has been supporting final-year undergraduate and Masters’ students to provide clients with a full consultancy service free of charge. The students’ work with the client organisation, conduct in-depth research and make their recommendations in a full report and presentation.

To date, the total value of the students’ consultancy advice and business reports is estimated by their clients to exceed £700,000. In the 2016/17 academic year around 250 students took part. The scheme is accessible to students across all of Northumbria’s third and fourth year undergraduate and masters’ students on business programmes.

Available to all types of businesses, the Business Clinic works with SMEs and multinationals through to not-for-profit organisations. Areas of focus include strategic operations, expansion, human resources, finance, brand development, strategic marketing, planning, logistics and IT.

The British Academy of Management Education Practice judging panel described the Business Clinic scheme as being of ‘high merit’ and ‘at the heart of the curriculum, by replacing the traditional dissertation with a collaboration between students and business to produce real solutions and new perspectives that are underpinned by rigorous theory and research’.

Nigel Coates, Director of the Business Clinic, welcomed The British Academy of Management’s commendation. He said: “Since we created the Business Clinic four years ago we have seen over 600 students work with and advise more than 145 organisations. We are extremely proud to have provided consultancy advice to a great variety of organisations in a diverse range of areas, from marketing and finance to operations and HR.

“To receive national recognition from the UK’s leading authority on the academic field of management for the design and delivery of the Business Clinic scheme reinforces our pioneering approach to business management education. Through the scheme we aim to give our students a valuable opportunity to develop advantageous skills informed by cutting-edge business research and improve their chances of securing highly-desirable jobs when they graduate.”

Northumbria University’s award-winning Business School was recognised as Business School of the Year in 2015 and has been shortlisted for Best University in the UK in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2017. It is also the first North East Business School to win the Small Business Charter for services to SMEs.

Earlier this year, the University invested over £800,000 to move the Business Clinic into its own vibrant, 500 square metre premises on New Bridge Street. The building includes client briefing rooms, boardroom and a reception area with conferencing and event space.

Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University is globally recognised for delivering some of the best business management education in the UK. The Business Clinic initiative is available to all types of businesses. To find out more go to: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/businessclinic.