National student entrepreneurship success

22 April 2009

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ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/degrees/information-management-business-bsc/" target="_self">IMB degree at UCL

Richard Pettinger

Undergraduates from UCL Management Science and Innovation (MS&I) have received the second prize in a entrepreneurship challenge at event organised by e-skills UK and leading software provider CA UK & Ireland.

Second-year MS&I students Kerry Benford, Lauren Garcia, and Sarah Mazuch delivered a presentation on how IT can be exploited in the current economic climate, before fielding questions from company professionals. In addition to the team prize, Kerry came second out of 100 students in a competition to win a day shadowing the senior vice-president of CA UK & Ireland for a day.

Kerry Benford commented: "It was such a brilliant and well-organised day and so many opportunities were provided to mix with employers. Our presentation went really well, we had various suggestions to put forward, as well as a company name and logo. The final for the prize to shadow the CA vice-president was daunting as we had to do a task blindfolded - in front of a panel of employers! It was a really great experience, which has luckily opened a few doors for me."

At the event held on 18 March 2009, UCL undergraduates met over 30 leading employers as part of their degree in Information Management for Business (IMB). The event gave students the chance to interact with employers such as IBM, Logica, Deloitte, ITV and Procter & Gamble, as well as gain an insight into starting a career after university. The event took place at CA's European headquarters in Slough, Berkshire. Throughout the day, students from 13 British universities heard from Chief Information Officers at top firms about how technology enables their businesses. They also received advice from recent graduates in the first few years of their careers, and took part in a number of competitions.

First-year students had to prepare a poster on the subject of how IT can be used to improve living and working environments. The students gave a three-minute presentation to a panel of employers.

Philip Cheung, a first-year IMB student, commented: "The main topic of the day was how technology improves the environment. For example, with new technology people can now work at home, which reduces transport time and office space. For our poster, we obtained a lot of the initial information from our lectures which we further supplemented with research online. The main headings were: Reduce paper waste and time consumption; Better communication; and Better transparency of companies. The topic we presented looked at the natural environment as well as the economic environment.

The whole day was very enjoyable and there were many great speakers at the event, including executives from Proctor & Gamble and Transport for London."

Richard Pettinger, course director of the undergraduate IMB programme at UCL, commented: "Every time our students attend events like this, they give themselves a real advantage in getting onto the career ladders of their choice. They have the opportunity to shine in front of the best employers; and this, together with the quality of education that they are receiving, is the best possible grounding for successful and rewarding careers in business and management for the future."

The ITMB degree is a new programme which has been designed in collaboration with employers to provide graduates with the specific skills they need to start a wide range of careers in IT. ITMB is an innovative programme which is designed and supported by employers to produce graduates who are equipped with the skills to exploit complex technology solutions for the benefit of their companies. Management Science and Innovation at UCL is one of 13 universities across the country currently offering the course.

UCL Context

UCL Management Science and Innovation (MS&I) offers a unique research and education programme with a focus on technology management, innovation, creation/growth of technology-intensive organisations, operations research, and entrepreneurship.

The department offers taught degrees at both undergraduate and postgraduate level which incorporate learning activities and industrial experiences that will help develop commercial competences, internal organisational management skills, and a high degree of creativity. The programmes prepare scientists, engineers, physicians, and other innovators for leadership roles in the next generation of technology-intensive organisations.

National student entrepreneurship success

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