University News Last updated 02 October 2009
Birmingham City University has been celebrating its partnerships with organisations such as Rolls Royce, Walsall Primary Care Trust and Morgan Motor Company.
The University hosted a celebratory event at Morgan Motor Company's Visitor Centre in Malvern on September 15.
Knowledge Based Partnerships (KBPs) are collaborations between graduates, the University and the company. The Partnerships are designed to apply and embed knowledge and expertise to resolve business problems/scenarios. They also help identify new markets and improve forward planning.
The graduates receive support from the business as well as academics. By working on company based projects, the associate experiences real life problems and achieves professional and personal development. In turn the University benefits with enriched teaching and case study materials.
The event at Morgan cars highlighted the tangible benefits of the KBP programmes and other Knowledge Transfer activities. The partnerships improve graduate employment prospects and they have involved technology transfer across a variety of sectors and academic disciplines.
The event comprised of a reception and networking session and tour of Morgan's factory, together with presentations by graduate associates accompanied by clients and their academic support tutors.
Dr Mike Daniels, Lead Academic for the Morgan Programme, Birmingham City University, said: "We apply technology to a company's underlying strengths to develop strategic benefits. The partnerships lay foundations for long-term development."
The presentations were delivered by:
Morgan Motor Company - a project to redevelop the Aero Super Sports for sale in the USA and engineering of a crash analysis system.
Sirus Automotive - to implement in-house CAD software to reduce the need for costly outsourcing and to train staff in its usage.
Rolls Royce - to identify challenges and solutions in the current IT engineering infrastructure.
Walsall PCT - improving quality in healthcare with communication & employee engagement ensuring that Lean projects implemented are sustainable.
University Hospital Birmingham - to support the challenges faced by the hospital's move to its new site in 2010 by developing 3D virtual environment ‘way-finding' software to allow staff and visitors to orientate themselves around the building and undertake incident-scenario based learning.
Examples of other represented collaborative partnerships showcased at the event included Servosteel; Heart of Birmingham - Birmingham East and North; Mechatherm International and Sandwell Primary Care Trust (Right Care Right Here).