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They mean business: art and design students learn crucial business skills

Published: 4 March 2008

The team of five business high flyers will share their expertise with students at Winchester School of Art (WSA) to help nurture the crucial employment skills needed for the creative industries. Advice will cover issues such as marketing, research, strategic planning, corporate finance and using new technologies effectively. As well as giving lectures and seminars to groups of students, the team will offer one-to-one support to students developing new business ideas.

Academic staff will also benefit from the team's extensive experience as they face the challenge of developing the consumer focus of WSA's teaching and research activities.

Professor Bashir Makhoul, Head of Winchester School of Art, explains: "I am delighted at the establishment of this new enterprise team which will support WSA as a centre of excellence for enterprise.

"Not only will this help us develop the consumer focus of the School's teaching curriculum and research agenda, but it will also increase our students' employability - something which is very important to us and is also being emphasised by the Government."

Dr David Birks, Senior Lecturer in Marketing Research at WSA, adds: "Our team will allow us to build stronger relationships between businesses and creative professionals. It will also help us ensure our graduates have the specialist skills and experience they need to make a success of their future careers."

The team of one visiting professor and four visiting fellows is:

Dr Dave Jackson, Chief Executive, Site Intelligence Ltd, one of the leading international web analytics companies, who will help in understanding the relationship of web analytics with the development of advertising and communications design.

Tim Macer, Managing Director, meaning ltd, who will support students studying Communications Design, Advertising Design and Design Management to understand how different technologies help to reach out to consumers and support the design process.

Howard Matthews, Managing Director, The Cadmus Organisation, who will offer mentoring and advice on setting up and growing new businesses.

Dr John Richardson, Innovation and Technology Services Manager, Business Link Hampshire/Wessex, who will support the development of Knowledge Transfer Programmes and other funding opportunities.

Peter Wills, Chairman and CEO, Snap Surveys, who will advise on the role of consumer insight in the design process and the international development of WSA ventures.

Ends

Notes for editors

  • The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship.

    This is one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine, and home to a range of world-leading research centres, including the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, and the Mountbatten Centre for International Studies.

    We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.

    As one of the UK's top 10 research universities, we offer first-rate opportunities and facilities for study and research across a wide range of subjects in humanities, health, science and engineering.

    We have over 22,000 students, around 5000 staff, and an annual turnover in the region of £325 million.

  • Founded in 1860, Winchester School of Art has an international reputation for research and teaching in art, art history and design, and has links with many other institutions in Europe. WSA merged with the University of Southampton in 1996.

  • For further information contact Sue Wilson, Communications, University of Southampton,
    Tel. 023 8059 5457, email: sjew@soton.ac.uk

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