Students on the BA Business course at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have welcomed a number of exciting guest speakers for virtual sessions that provided invaluable experience and helped bring theory to life.
Over the past few weeks the students and their lecturers have embraced the unusual challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic by meeting virtually with a range of speakers including Susan Marot, whose work for ChargePoint has given her a strong background in managing teams across countries and cultures along with an understanding of employer expectations at an international level, Paula Short, who, having created her own product to bring customers to her Lincolnshire based salon, now sells across the world and Lisa Fleming who shared her experiences of launching a business during the pandemic.
Karen Locking, Visiting Tutor for Business at BGU, has led on organising the speakers and she explained what made their time with the students so important:
“All of the speakers we’ve welcomed recently have offered fantastic opportunities for both our students and our teaching. Their experiences give life to the theory we present to the students and show what we’re teaching is genuinely possible to achieve. For our students it not only increases their experiences but helps them to build confidence talking to, and sharing their ideas with, business professionals”
Karen’s feedback was shared by Chelsea, one of the students taking part in the sessions, who discussed how they would help her in her future plans:
“I really enjoyed having relevant guest speakers within this module, it really has made me feel confident with graduating with my business idea next year! Hearing and learning from real-life experts within the business industry made it a valuable experience for understanding how a business can evolve, especially during the current time.”
Lauren was another student who took part, she was particularly impressed by the quality and diversity of the speakers:
"I thought the guest speakers you got were very informative and equipped us with knowledge of business in the real world. I liked that you had found people not only from the UK but other countries which gave us a deeper insight into the international business environment."
To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days.
Alternatively, if you’re a business or entrepreneur interested in sharing your experiences with our students, please email becky.goodman@bishopg.ac.uk