Chester Business School shortlisted as one of the best in the country.

The University of Chester’s Business School has been shortlisted for a major higher education award - the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Business School of the Year.

The THE Awards aim to celebrate the achievements and contributions to society made by universities as well as an opportunity to share best practice. The winner will be announced at the THE Awards ceremony on November 29 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. This shortlisting follows on from success in the Educate North 2018 awards where it was named Business School of the Year.

The Business School of the Year award recognises the business school which demonstrates the most outstanding overall performance during the 2016 to 2017 academic year. It will acknowledge exceptional performance in innovation, teaching, research, student experience and alumni relations; had a positive impact on business and society in general; built partnerships with the business community and other organisations, bringing benefits to both sides and stands out in a competitive marketplace.

The Business School recently launched the dual accredited Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme that includes both ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) and CMI (Chartered Management Institute) accreditations and works with organisations including Airbus, Unilever, the NHS, Bentley Motors and Barclays to deliver this.

It has a strong partnership with Royal Caribbean International who annually select students for internship roles, with two students being offered permanent roles in the company after impressing the cruise line during their five-week placement. The placements involve working in different departments and sailing on the Independence of the Seas cruise ship, which hosts its own waterpark, shops and restaurants. It also hosts an academic exchange programme with Central Michigan University, working at Disney World in Florida.

Other initiatives have included launching four new Research Impact Groups to enhance the Business School’s research reputation and the development of a new commercial summer school for the US market, focusing on tourism, events and international business. These offer two weeks of experiential learning at venues across historic Chester and the North West and North Wales, along with master classes.

The first was held this summer for students from the Palumbo Donahoe School of Business, Duquense University, Pittsburgh, USA. They visited Chester Cathedral and Zoo, Liverpool Slavery Museum, Vauxhall Motors, Manchester United Football Club, Conwy Castle and London for a tour of the Bank of England and the financial quarter.

The Business School is a popular destination for international students. Recent HEPI (Higher Education Performance Indicators) research demonstrates that international students of more than 130 nationalities (EU and non-EU) bring around £37m a year (net) to the economy in Chester, £19.4m to Ellesmere Port/Neston and £31.8m across Warrington.

The Business School is deeply embedded within the social, economic and cultural life of the city of Chester and beyond. Colleagues are members of the key boards and committees that drive the city and county and contribute to its growth and success, including the Chamber of Commerce, Cheshire Growth Partnership and Marketing Cheshire.

Executive Dean of the University of Chester’s Business School, Professor Chris Jones, said: “This is fantastic news and is testament to the hard work and dedication of all the staff and students at the Business School. I’m extremely proud of everyone’s efforts to drive the work of the Business School forward.”