Around 50 entrepreneurs attended ‘Real Business, Real Practice’, an evening designed, in particular, to demonstrate how Practice Weeks bring a unique student-focused perspective to real business problems.

The Business School’s Project Executive, Tim Priestman, said:

“Our curriculum combines theoretical rigour with company contexts that give students the skills and knowledge to succeed.

“Practice Weeks demonstrate the links we want to gain with our communities all around Luton.

“For organisations it [a Practice Week] is a chance for new ideas, development for their staff and participation in a growing and ambitious University rooted in our local communities.”

Practice Weeks are an expression of UBBS’ focus on applying theory to real life situations, with over 80 companies seeking advice from Bedfordshire students so far.

Alan Horn, Managing Director of Antifriction Component Ltd – one of the businesses involved – explained how students led his firm’s expansion into London.

“The work they did for us was very useful,” he told the audience at last week’s event. “We have taken note of a lot of the work they’ve done for us.

“We’re going to implement our first expansion into north-west London and I don’t think we would have thought of that had we not done this work with the University.”

It’s not just companies that have benefitted, however, as MBA student Siti Aishah stated:

“We got to know how the businesses have a different perspective from us as students. We also got to offer creative ideas from students at the University.

“The experience I’ve had will bring me ahead in my career.”

Businesses interested in working with University of Bedfordshire students should contact Tim Priestman at tim.priestman@beds.ac.uk