Aber 10k Charity run – Victory for SMB
On Sunday 9th December 2012, 21 members of staff, students from SMB and a dog ran in the Aber’ 10k Charity run. There were 12 from Accounting and Finance, 4 from Economics, 2 each from Marketing and Tourism and 1 from Business and Management.
The SMB team did very well winning ‘The Dolphin Shield’ for the 1st Business Team home, breaking the six year stranglehold of the National Library of Wales. There were some excellent times – first four home which counted for the team award was Aston 38:51, Scott 40:36, Tom 42:04 and Callum 42:41.
Lastly, just as fantastic were those who ran their first ever 10km and took part – well done.
Despite the weather it was an enjoyable day – the atmosphere as always is brilliant and it is lovely event to participate in.
So thank you to those who braved the weather and supported us around the course it was really appreciated and a personal thank you to Aston, Callum, Tom, Tom, Mandy, Charlotte, Tiffany, Martin, Martin, Matthew, Ben, Lucy, Natalie, Scott, Carl, Gerogi, Giulia, Kobil, Mingzhe and Maria for stepping up and taking part – well done.
The Destination Branding & Marketing Conference 2012
Staff and students from tourism programs were busy in Cardiff on Thursday 6th December, 2012!
SMB's Dr Brian Garrod was representing the school at the fourth 'Destination Branding & Marketing Conference' hosted by the Welsh Centre for Tourism Research at Cardiff Metropolitan University. As founding editor, Brian was also promoting the new Elsevier Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, which aims to be the leading international journal for the study of tourist destinations.
Just across the road SMB's Dr Carl Cater attended the Tourism Society Wales Christmas function, which was well attended by academics, industry and government representatives. Carl has recently completed a project for the Tourism Society Wales on the significance of motorcycle tourism to Wales.
Also in Cardiff, SMB's Tiffany Low took students on the module 'Destination and Attraction Management' to hear the presentation by Visit Wales on digital marketing at the 'Destination Branding & Marketing Conference'. Following this they visited ‘Big Pit’, the National Coal Museum and one of Wales’ leading tourist attractions. Big pit is an award-winning museum and world heritage site that still retains many traits of its former role as a coal mine. Standing high on the heather-clad moors of Blaenafon, the tunnels and buildings that once echoed to the sound of the miners now enjoy the sound of the footsteps and chatter of visitors from all over the world. Students even received a certificate for descending 300ft below the surface!
Careers Advise from Contiki Holidays
Second year undergraduate tourism students studying Destination and Attraction Management recently received a seminar by Ms Jacqueline Green, Tour Manager with Contiki Holidays. Contiki Holidays is part of The Travel Corporation Ltd, an international travel consortium which is home to brands such as AATKings, Lion World Tours, Trafalgar, Busabout and Insight Vacations to name a few. Contiki Holidays offer eye-opening travel experiences for young travellers aged 18-35 around the world. Ms Green provided insights into the role of tour operators as intermediaries in the travel industry, the sorts of management challenges they face in mediating the tourist experience as well as the current marketing campaigns used for their 18-35 market. Students gained first-hand knowledge on the tour operator industry, making a valuable contribution to their employability prospects.
WAC Travel Scholarship to Zanzibar
Posted on 22nd November 2012 
Katja Poguntke, a Tourism Management student of the School of Management and Business spent three months over the summer 2012 in Zanzibar, a small island off the mainland Tanzania in East Africa. Katja volunteered as a teacher at the Jambiani Tourism Training Institute (JTTI) on the East Coast of Zanzibar.
JTTI is a project of the ‘Hands across Border Society’ (HABS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) located at the East coast of Zanzibar. The JTTI takes approximately 15 students each year to teach a two year diploma of hospitality and tourism to local people.
Katja taught computer studies and English, using some innovative ways to engage them, using Tourism as a main thread running through the studies. She also worked with some small start up companies. Read is her full story at WAC Travel Scholarship to Zanzibar
"My time in Zanzibar was amazing and I am so grateful that I had this opportunity. Over these three months I grew very close to some of the individuals and I made many new friends. The goodbye was very difficult and I cannot wait until next summer when I will visit them"
Katja Poguntke
A trip to Cadbury World
Posted on 22nd November 2012 
'The Biz' SMB's student led group, organised a trip to Cadbury World Bournville for 45 SMB students. This included an educational talk from the Cadbury education officer, a full factory tour and plenty of free chocolate! This helped students to see theory learnt in lectures happening in practice. Opportunity was also given for students to ask questions which included that of the Cadbury takeover by Kraft, their product development today and their increasing global presence in the confectionary and biscuit market.
Aber Town Trader
Posted 22nd November 2012 
This new trading website has been developed in conjunction with Julie McKeown and her marketing post graduate students in SMB. It is a community trading site, free to use (and easy) and is being launched at the moment. Our students are heavily involved with the marketing of this innovative new offering so please support what they are doing by having a look – visit www.AberTownTrader.com
MBA students visit Germany
Students on the School's MBA class visited the city of Nuremberg from 3-8 April. During the trip the group visited several of Germany's leading companies, including Audi, Schaeffler and Siemens. At each firm the group learned about the challenges the company faced and the strategy it had developed in response. Students also attended lectures on international management and innovation management given by leading academics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat, Erlangen-Nuremberg. A final, but important, component of the trip was to learn more about the policy environment in Bavaria, and the group was fortunate to receive presentations by the Bavarian state government, the city of Erlangen and the Nuremberg chamber of commerce.
MBA Programme Director, Steve McGuire, noted: 'Germany is Europe's economic powerhouse and one of the world's leading exporters. This success is down to the cooperation of firms and government in the pursuit of economic growth. Our MBAs emerged from the trip with an enhanced appreciation of this business-policymaker interaction'.
Guest Lecture by Dr Kay Swinburne MEP
Dr Kay Swinburne, Member of European Parliament (MEP) and European Conservatives and Reformists Group Coordinator for Economic and Monetary Affairs (http://www.kayswinburne.co.uk/) delivered a lecture to the School of Management and Business entitled “Evolving Financial Architecture and the Impact of Financial Crisis on the EU” at 2.00pm on Monday 1st November 2010 in the International Politics Main lecture theatre. Dr Sangeeta Khorana welcomed Dr Swinburne to Aberystywth University and expressed thanks for making her time available to address the students and staff. Dr Swinburne’s talk was hosted at a time when discussions on the need to have a global co-ordinated strategy are ongoing in the EU and are also on the agenda of the G20 Summit being held in Seoul this month. The event was a big success and the visit was appreciated by all staff and students.
Future Proofing Wales Business Competition Winner
Aled Richards from Llanidloes School received his prize for winning the first Aberystwyth School of Management and Business Future Proofing Wales competition from School Director Nick Perdikis. Aled discussed his business idea with members of the school team before having lunch and then spending some time in the student union with members of The Biz, the School’s student business club. Part of his prize includes a complementary place on the ‘Marketing for Small Welsh Business’ course run by Julie McKeown. For more details on this please follow the link. Aled’s entry was of a very high quality and he is a worthy first winner. Aled’s top quality business idea was not only well researched but gave the judges a good idea of potential as well as necessary funding required. He had done primary research across a relevant target market and used the information gathered to refine his business concept.
Not only did Aled look at the effectiveness of his future business but was planning to build in efficiencies from the beginning – a true test of any successful company.
So, what was the business? A high quality furniture business with handcrafted furniture made by Aled himself, a gifted carpenter from photographs he sent in as you can see. Aled will collect his prize at the university when he will get the opportunity for some free business consultancy from the School of Management and Business team.
12 month placement at Airbus SAS as Communications Assistant - Alexandra Gencheva
My 12 month internship at Airbus was more beneficial and worthwhile than I could've imagined. It helped me gain a perspective on how things actually work in the world of business, and how theoretical knowledge can be applied in practice. I was part of the Communications department at Airbus in the UK, based at its Broughton site (the larger part of the team was based in Filton, Bristol). In my role as a Communications Assistant my responsibilities were divided between Internal Communication and Community Relations. Each field allowed me to experience different aspects of Communications and to understand how internal and external communications are linked within a business context.
Quite a valuable aspect of my work experience was the fact that I was treated as a vital part of the team, rather than just an intern. I was given tasks and responsibilities of importance, essential to major projects that the department supports. For instance, I was assigned the role of creating and updating a monitoring system for an internal Employee Engagement Survey. During its duration I kept track of the participation rate of employees who filled out the paper-based survey, and produced data which was measured against the expected rate for that week. The data showed current progress for the different departments, as well as the company overall (across all the countries). I’ve also been solely responsible for encouraging media coverage and organizing Airbus ‘brand’ presence at the Airbus-sponsored Flintshire Festival of Youth Sport. This involved liaising with Flintshire County Council, local media, participating schools, and working with Airbus partners who supply branded goods, and services such as putting banners up. I’ve been given the lead role for creating posters for an internal poster campaign on health and safety (Chrome awareness) and another on Quality and Innovation. In that role I had to work with the respective departments whose campaign it was, as well as work with the Graphics department on the actual poster ideas.
On a day to day-to-day rolling basis I was responsible for monitoring press for any coverage on Airbus. I also had to seek out any internal community-, charity-, and Schools Liaison-related stories that I was to then draft into a press release, which after approval, I was to issue to local media. This was part of a great deal of work that Airbus is involved in - making sure it gives back to its local community and aiming to maintain an image as corporately responsible company.
Apart from day-to-day work, and major one-off projects I was also always involved in supporting activities around big events such as VIP visits (local MPs), internal roadshows (John Leahy – Chief Commercial Officer), and externally held events (Airbus Financier Forum). These usually involved an all-hands-on-deck involvement from the Broughton team, as we were smaller (but more integrated), than the Filton team.
Overall, I feel like I’ve grown as an individual during my internship at Airbus. Not only did I get valuable hand-on experience relative to the degree I’m studying, but I’ve gained a lot of employability skills. I have been able to reflect on this through the Work Experience Award, which takes you through various tasks during your internship, and helps you create a self-development plan. I do think that some skills and knowledge I gained were through working with other people and departments in the company, by being immersed in the overall culture of Airbus.
Alexandra Gencheva
3rd Year Marketing with Management Student
Marketing Major Wins $1000 for Business Plan
Posted 2011
Mateusz Lukasiak, a student at the School of Management and Business, recently won a $1000 for a business plan submitted while on exchange at Washington State University where he was a Marketing major. He is currently working on the implementation of his business plan as well as completing his marketing and management degree here at Aber. Not only did he win the prize but returned with some very high grades and a good practical knowledge of working with businesses in the US whilst studying there. Mat is already planning how to invest the money in business when he graduates and returns to Poland.
Our Student Achievements
South American Business Forum 2011
Cezary, a student in the School of Management and Business has recently returned from the 2011 South American Business Forum in Argentina. Here is a diary of his stay – along with his mascot!
Day 1
I landed in Buenos Aires at 7.35 am local time. There is a middle of winter now and the temperature was about 5-10 degree on average. The first day I mostly spent on acquainting other participants and exploring the city. I took part in city tour and I took an Aberystwyth sheep with me. Everyone was curious about our mascot and it was a great possibility for me to tell other participants about our university. Together we saw inter alia the Obelisk, the Clock Tower and the 'pink house' of government. When I finally went back to the hotel I quickly went sleep to rest after long journey.
Day 2
It was a long day, full of various lectures and activities. The speakers, such as Claudio Fernandez Araroz or Diego Luzuriaga put a lot of effort to make their appearances unique. It was another opportunity to meet the rest of the participants and to say something about the university. Of course everybody wanted to know about our university from 'first hand', so the sheep was even officially interviewed as the official representative of Aberystwyth University.
Day 3
A day full of activities. Firstly I attended a workshop run by a one of the participants, Juan Pablo Nieto Stabile and it was about people's readiness for an age of Web 2.0. After that I went to the General Electric offices to attend a lecture with Alejandro Bottan, executive of GE. It was about an innovation and the future of mankind in the next 20 years. The last workshop was in a form of round table discussion with Marcos Golfari, very intelligent person and a specialist of marketing.
Day 4
I was able to attend only one activity and one lecture in order to get to the airport for my return flight. Firstly we had an activity about team working, when in 6-people groups we were asked to build different things using building bricks in limited time. After that I enjoyed a lecture provided by Mr Nabeel Goheer, before going by bus to the airport.
Another successful student entrepreneur!
Mateusz Lukasiak, a recent graduate of the Aberystwyth University, turns out to be a promising businessman. When he was 17 he launched his first product into the market; a “blueberry picker”. Matt designed and manufactured the product himself and he continues to sell the picker through internet from Poland. Despite over 600 units sold with healthy margins and 100% positive customer reviews Matt does not plan to increase the volume sold each season. “Manufacturing costs and niche nature of the market make expansion not a feasible option” – says young entrepreneur – “I have some other product launches and investments opportunities in mind.”
We know for a fact that one of them is his “bacon case”. It is a case for your phone or any similar-size electronic equipment which is made to look like a piece of bacon. Cases are suitable for vegetarians as they are made from wool and are currently are sold on ebay.com.
How about other business ventures? Matt does not want to reveal that for now. He may have to slow down a bit, because of recently secured placement. “It is a ten week marketing project with Castle Hotel in Aberaeron, which is a marvellous place to spend a weekend in. The only reason why I was able to get this chance was great marketing teaching of Julie McKeown” – says Matt.
We wish him all the best and wait for news on any other launches which very well may be even more original than the others.
Aberystwyth Student Project on Politics and Social Media
Rhys Gregory, a final year Business and Management student, is completing a study of the use of social media by political parties. His work has been noted in a recent article in the Western Mail
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need-to-read/2011/05/05/how-the-social-networking-revolution-impacts-on-the-assembly-election-91466-28635008/
SMB Students attend Warwick Economic Summit
Eight SMB students were amongst a delegation of Aberystwyth students who recently attended the Warwick Economic Summit. They attended various talks over the weekend and attended a masked gala on the Saturday night. During their time they met potential employers (including PWC, Barclays Wealth, Deloitte, RBS and Teach First). Key speakers included Andy Chaytor (Senior Rates Strategist, RBS), Daniel Franklin (Executive Editor of The Economist), Tim Harfod ( F.T. and The Undercover Economist), Andy Haldane ( Executive Director of Financial Stability, The Bank of England), Nick Leeson, George Magnus (Senior Economics Adviser, UBS), Hugh Pym (Chief Economics Correspondent, BBC), Duncan Green (Head of Research for Oxfam) and Paul Mason (Economics Editor for Newsnight).
The student delegates were a credit to the university and put in a lot of hours on our behalf – so thank you.
Aber SMB Students in International Business Competition
From 1st to the 4th March four final year Management students - Magdalena Bialy, Elina Sokolovska, Maciej Kozlowski and Mateusz Lukasiak, will be attending an international business competition, Rubicon, in Germany. The team will represent Wales along with other participants from England, US, China, Canada, Switzerland, Holland, Poland, Italy, Australia and more.
Rubicon is an enterpreneurially focused contest where students will have to deliver innovative problem-solving strategies and ideas. In three rounds, teams will have to prove their economic skills by competing in computer simulations, business-plan development and case studies. We are delighted for our students and wish them the best of luck!
Welsh Secretary Supports Student Volunteer Week
The Welsh Secretary welcomed Student Volunteers to Gwydyr House today (15th February 2011) as Universities around the country celebrate the 10th anniversary of Student Volunteer Week.
In recognition of the contribution made by student volunteers around Wales, the Secretary of State said that students were demonstrating commitment and dedication to their communities whilst also helping to raise the profile of volunteering in order to encourage people of all ages to sign up.
The Welsh Secretary met with Aberystwyth student volunteers Richard Piper-Griffiths and Liam Roberts, who discussed a number of campaigns and projects being helped by student volunteers, including Unicef, Oxfam and Read International.
Mrs. Gillan said: “I am impressed by the drive and determination of the students I’ve met today. They have demonstrated that young people are passionate, resourceful and creative with their volunteering work. They are inspiring others to become active citizens and in the process – developing invaluable employability skills which will serve them well after completing their education.”
Richard, who is lead Welsh ambassador for Student Volunteer Week in Mid-Wales, said: “Student Volunteering Week is all about raising awareness of the opportunities open to students to volunteer. Volunteering has a powerful social impact on the surrounding community and there are numerous opportunities to get involved, particularly with campaigning and fundraising.”
The 10th anniversary for Students Volunteer Week also coincides with the UN’s International Year of Volunteers +10 and the European Year of Volunteering.
Liam Roberts added: “Volunteering allows students to engage in something positive and worthwhile. We want to encourage students from all walks of life to sign up to volunteer.”
