Successful entrepreneurs, such as Sir Richard Branson and Sir Alan Sugar, have spoken out over recent months regarding the need to support the next generation of businessmen and women as fundamental to working the UK out of recession. Rather than wait for this support, enterprising students at the University of Leicester’s School of Management are taking the initiative and preparing to tackle the current financial crisis as the culmination of their degree programme.
On the 8th June 2009, the students themselves are hosting their first MBA International Conference, branded ‘Managing Turbulent Times’. This event is a proactive initiative in reaction to the current economic climate promoting a positive message from both the students and the university.
This event already has some considerable presence notably from the University of Leicester alumni holding key positions in companies such as Jaguar, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Royal Bank of Canada. Bringing together such a high accolade of business people is now attracting some quite considerable attention from outside the university.
MBA student and conference organiser, Alim Abubakre said ‘We cannot sit back and wait for careers to come to us, we must do what we can to open the doors ourselves and this conference is our way of showing future employers that University of Leicester MBA graduates have drive and initiative which will add value to their business’.
Thomas Lynch, who is also working on the conference continued, ‘Those of us who want to start our own businesses realise that the current climate makes it much more difficult. However, small businesses are key to improving the economy and our enthusiasm and commitment, alongside the invaluable lessons we have learned over the past one year, put us at the forefront to be successful. We have tackled a tough MBA programme and now we are ready to tackle the recession’.
