Dr Rhidian Lewis and Samira Hussain from the University’s Business School were invited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) to present in the 2020 BSIS Virtual Symposium titled ‘Online Impact Series: Assessing Impact – Can we do without it?’.

Taking place through April and May this year, the event consisted of ten 1-hour webinars which looked at the strategic challenges of business schools.

Dr Lewis, Associate Dean Enterprise and Employability, and Samira Hussain, Senior Tutor in Law and BSIS Co-ordinator, led on the School’s approach and vision to ‘Business Development Impact’ and ‘Impact on the Image of the Region’ respectively.

In his presentation Dr Lewis explained how, through a stakeholder approach, the Business School is expanding its engagement with local small businesses to help in the early stages of establishment, support business growth, expand existing management capacity and strengthen decision making.

He also highlighted how the Faculty is continuing to provide general advice to small business on a range of issues through the ALPHAS project. ALPHAS is an EU funded programme which aims to support local SMEs in improving their leadership team, sequentially making the business more profitable.

Talking about the ‘Impact on the Image of the Region’, Samira Hussain expanded on the approach and strategies the School had taken after the findings of the Expert Panel in 2018 to improve the image of the School regionally, nationally and internationally. This included the roll out of the new sub brand and increased staff activity on social media.

The University’s Business School was the first business school in the UK to go through the BSIS process in 2018, where they measured the impact on the world around them in 7 key areas. The School was formally presented with the BSIS award at the EFMD annual conference, which was held in Lisbon in November 2019.

Emritus Professor Michel Kalika, Director of BSIS, said: “The University of Bedfordshire Business School contributed significantly to the dynamic of the ten BSIS webinars organised online as part of the 2020 BSIS Symposium.

“Rhidian illustrated the different areas in which the School developed, and is developing, its Business Development Impact, whilst Samira demonstrated the Image Impact, highlighting the renewed sense of identity that emerged as a result of the impact process.

“These two testimonies attest to the relevance of the impact assessment approach and of the impact of University of Bedfordshire Business School on its region and communities.”