Leeds Faculty of Business & Law

Leeds Faculty of Business & Law Blog Has Moved!

2010-10-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

Our blog has now moved onto Wordpress.

Please follow our new blog here http://fblblog.wordpress.com/

The Indian Experience

2010-08-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name’s Laura Crimmons and I’m studying BA Public Relations at Leeds Metropolitan University.

When I first got an email last summer about a volunteering module with a month long volunteering trip I was quite intrigued. I’d never really done any volunteering before but had always wanted to and I really wanted to experience another country and culture so I decided to go for it and I’m really glad that I did!

I was quite nervous before I set out on the trip as I really didn’t know that much about it or what to expect; I wasn’t sure what I would be doing, where I would be staying and I didn’t even know any of the people I was going with as we were from different courses. But nonetheless I was very excited and determined to stick it out no matter what!

Before we went we were asked to choose what volunteering placement we would like to do while in India so I chose to teach English as I’d been considering doing a TEFL course, so thought it might give me some insight into whether to pursue that.

As soon as I landed in India it was clear that there were major differences between England and India just as I had expected. Leaving the airport was pretty much chaos, as all the noises and the heat hit me I really wasn’t sure what I was letting myself in for.

The drive from the airport to our home-stay was a real eye-opener; the roads seem to have no rules as they do over here. Everyone just drives and overtakes wherever they want, they hardly ever use indicators and they just beep constantly to ‘let you know they’re there’. Mixed in with that is the fact that the sides of the roads look like half an English farm with cows, goats and chickens wandering around all over the place and most drivers would rather run a human over than a cow! All in all the Indian roads are a very dangerous place to be and it took me quite a while to get used to it!

While in India we were all placed with families where we stayed and they cooked for us and generally looked after us. I stayed with another student with an ex-principal of a school called Mona and her maid. Mona was a very strict Christian but had never married. We lived about a 5-10 minute walk away from our placement at the Annasawmy School.

We started at our placement the day after we arrived in Bangalore and the school looked very different to an English school. It was a school for children from very poor backgrounds and the children were given a free lunch every day which was the main reason that most of their parents sent them there. There were three of us teaching at the same school; myself, Charlotte and Christianne. For the first few days we were restricted to just watching the teachers conduct their lessons before we actually started teaching ourselves.

Their teaching style was quite different to that over here, mainly they just wrote things on the board, asked the children to repeat it 10 times then write it down in their books. They did not check that the children understood the meaning behind what they were being taught; just as long as the children could recite it they were happy. The class sizes had between 40 and 45 children in each so we decided to divide each class up between us to make it more manageable. We had three classes a day; fifth standard, sixth standard and seventh standard. At first it was quite challenging teaching the children as they were not at the standard of English that we had been led to believe they were at so we really had to start from basics but, by the end of our stay, we could see a definite improvement. I found it really rewarding when I was teaching them something and you could tell at first that they didn’t understand then you could almost see the light come on and they got it.

We worked at the school Monday – Friday from 9am to 3pm so we had evenings and weekends free to spend however we wanted. I did not expect Bangalore to have many bars or clubs since it was so conservative and restrictive in so many other ways but we soon found that there were lots of different bars throughout Bangalore. It was very strange to go out over there though, as everywhere in Bangalore shuts at 11.30pm whereas in England we wouldn’t normally go to a club until about that time.

On one of our weekends we went away to a place called Mysore which is about 150km from Bangalore. While we were there some of us went to Dubare Elephant Camp where I got to bath and ride an elephant which is something I’ve always wanted to do so I was very happy! We also visited various temples and walked down 1000 steps (there seems to be a bit of an obsession with steps leading to temples!)

We spent our last weekend in a place called Hampi which is a historic town about 360km from Bangalore. It is most famous for the ruins and temples which its home to, one of the most famous being the Virupaksha Temple. Hampi was definitely my favorite place that we visited during the trip because it was so chilled out and relaxed. We stayed at a hotel in some huts with bench swings outside which overlooked the river and rice paddies, it was picturesque. I climbed my first mountain while I was there, climbed some more steps to another temple, went on a bike ride, rode on the back of a motorbike and even rode in a coracle.

I was very upset to have to come home from India and really wished that I could have stayed longer. My trip has opened my eyes to a whole different way of life and culture and it’s something I really would like to experience again. I’m very grateful that I was given the opportunity to go on the trip and it’s an experience that I will never forget.

Laura Crimmons
Leeds Business School
BA Public Relations

MBA Residential in Turkey

2010-06-08T06:16:00.001-07:00

Hi, I’m Ajay Ganesh.

I currently study a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Leeds Business School. I’m originally from Chennai, India. I have enjoyed the challenge of the MBA, so far and when the course leader Ann Michaud, told us about the MBA residential in Istanbul. I knew we were in for a completely out of this world cultural experience.

I made sure I began my journey with no expectations, but endeavoured to enjoy and cherish whatever I faced. As soon as we stepped off the plane, the cultural change was evident and it was a completely new feeling for all the students and lecturers.

After this incredible experience, I will be writing a blog, so you can relate to all my experiences in Istanbul during the four day stay.

Istanbul is a city of almost 13 million people making it the largest metropolitan area in Europe. There’s a unique trend that associates itself to the city with its locality, as it extends both on the European and Asian side of the Bosphorus Straits. This makes it the only city in the world that's situated over two continents.

Walking out into the streets and my first attempt at speaking to the locals was an unbelievable experience. Take it which ever way you want, but I felt our university hit the right note when choosing Turkey for our MBA residential; it was a real test of our personalities.

Our schedules started with early mornings and ended with a 5pm finish. This allowed us enough time to roam around the city. I chose to walk around the city and I made sure I communicated with every Turkish national to completely submerge myself in their tradition and way of communication. I noticed most of our colleagues already started to complain about the food and communication problems they encountered on their first day. Two to three days down the line it was the complete opposite, every student just loved the city and enjoyed their stay.

Istanbul has a large Muslim community and a young population. It’s wonderful to see how open minded they’re to different cultures. I found a complete transformation as we travelled from the Asian side to the European side of Istanbul. Such a change from the hustle and bustle of the Asian side to an organized European side in such a small landmass is quite spectacular. I would call it an 'imperfection' which sounds so strange, but I will cherish this stay for the rest of my life.

After all our presentations with the two family owned business giants in Turkey ' Sabanci' and 'Koc' and seminars on the Turkish economy. The boat trip was a cruise dinner across the Bosphorus Strait. It was an evening to remember, to see the sunset in the horizons of this wonderful city, was a treat to watch.

I would like to thank you to all our tutors and administrators who accompanied us. It felt more like a family atmosphere with us singing and dancing to the Turkish music on the boat and the tutors joining in and singing along with us. It was a great feeling and I think our University has got it right by making us experience a different culture, not to forget interacting with the Executive-MBA students too. They’re students of vast work experience, thus, to interact with them through out this trip and gelling as a family together, it got the thumbs up from me. I have always been a person who is always ready to adapt to any environment and have a love for learning. This experience helped me to learn so much more and I am extremely privileged to be able express my feelings through this blog and I would like to thank the University once again for the same.

Another month in China has passed by...

2010-06-08T05:39:00.001-07:00

Another month in China has passed by! This is another part of my FBL blog. Please see here to find the latest digital pictures of my journey.

Time goes very quickly for my travels here at the “Yellow Sea”. The past month was an explosive mix of cultural endeavours, culinary experiences and physical exercise. One more time, I turn back the clock and dive with my readers into the depths of the “Far East”.

The last months was peppered with many notable highlights, but only a few left a lasting impression. In Asia, some say that “seeing something once, is much better than hearing it a hundred times.” Looking closely at things, paying attention to details and living every moment to the full are firmly rooted in the oriental value system.

Now, I have reached the curious conviction that urban air contains actually valuable nutrition, it is alright to chuck refrigerators out of the window on the 18th floor and repeatedly press the elevator button making it supposedly move faster. You feel cheated if you do not get a full head- and neck massage at the hairdresser, start believing local newspapers and develop an uncontrollable urge to follow people with coloured caps and little flags. It is not surprising anymore, when three electricians with a ladder enter your room only to change one light bulb. Watching CCTV 9 makes you praise the great work of the People’s Republic government and start to think that a car is not fully equipped without a tissue box on the hat rack and a feather duster in the trunk. Fireworks no longer wake me up and using a fork or knife feels weird.

You get upset, when you enter a restaurant and only three waiters/waitresses greet you. I have to think directly of salted cuttlefish and it is apparently okay to stick your head in foreign houses to see, if anyone is at home. It appears that metal scaffolding is far more dangerous than bamboo scaffolding on construction sites, motorcycles with three passengers can easily pick-up another two and somehow, my nose feels weirdly large.

The more I am abroad, the more I realise that the greatest miracles happen at home. Many new impressions hit me every day, the information overload is big and you begin to appreciate the simple things in life. A small moment of peace and quiet is difficult to get in a bustling metropolis. Thoughts are spinning around my head with ambitious plans for a creating a bright future. It is certainly written in the stars, which path lies ahead of me, but I do not regret the long and stony way I came so far.

Thank you all very much for everyone’s honest advice and personal touch during my journeys – these always gave an edge and the motivation to go the extra mile.

Constantin (Xiao Kang)

Leeds Business School

BA (Hons) International Business

Leeds Business School student takes on China...

2010-05-12T02:27:00.000-07:00

Constantin Quambusch
Leeds Business School
BA (Hons) International Business

Nǐhǎo,

An eventful month in China is over! Three additional, exciting and diversified ones in the Far East are still left...

This blog gives you an impression about my first couple of weeks abroad and shows Qingdao at a glance. Some additional pictures of the trip could be found on "flickr", please click HERE. Now, enjoy the cultural discovery.

The harbour city, with around 7.6 million inhabitants, is a petrified piece of colonial history. 1897/1898, the German Empire forced China to lease “Jiaozhou Bay”, which lies at the "Tsingtao" *, including the surrounding areas to Germany. 1914, Japan conquered the colony. 1922, it returned to China. Parts of the old town and the residential area "Badaguan" are well preserved and feature many European style houses. Even nowadays, mansard roofs and timbered imitations are used very often for new buildings. Behind many corners, you can admire many German style elements from more than 100 years ago.

Today, Qingdao is one of the booming coastal cities and famous as a fishing port on the Yellow Sea. In addition, the city is regarded as one of the most popular seaside resorts in China and was co-hosting, next to Beijing, the 29th Olympic Sailing Regatta in 2008.

Slowly, but steady the summer finds its way into the city and with it many Chinese tourists too, who practice karaoke nearly every night. The cherry blossom is widespread and temperatures allow a relaxed evening walk along the beach promenade.

Foreigners can be counted on one finger of one hand. Furthermore, you get used to be called "Long Nose" and usually serve for quite a few snapshots that could potentially be found again in some family albums, later. You are constantly pursued by an Asian pair of eyes and everyone marvels about the tall stranger. Moreover, people are really friendly and open-minded. English is not very common and therefore, body language is mainly used. Mandarin is a work-in-progress approach and needs still a lot of time to learn.

Working for “OTTO International" is varied, demanding and challenging. All colleagues are very kind, courteous and helpful. Human Resources, Auditing and Shipping departments are done. It follows Quality Assurance, Product Controlling and Merchandising.

The culinary specialities are completely different to the Western food, but everything is delicious, so far. Each province has its local dishes and every time, you are newly surprised about all of them.

Weekends are usually reserved for sightseeing, as work does not let much time left during the week. "Laoshan” is a picturesque mountain region (1,133 meters) with bizarre rock formations, canyons, waterfalls and China's most famous mineral spring.

There are definitely still many secrets to discover. Now, you can easily imagine how "Marco Polo" must have felt when he travelled the Far East, once. You should not try to explain the real China or understand the Asians. A proper answer can only be found with difficulty.

Zuì hǎo de wènhòu,

P.S.: * #1 consumer product exported from China & the #1 selling Chinese beer

China changed my life

2010-04-21T02:46:00.000-07:00

Hi :)

My name is Marc Cowan, I’m currently studying BA (Hons) Business Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University and originally from Manchester. I have loved coming to university and really enjoyed the opportunities it has offered me.

One day however, there was one opportunity which really did stand out.

I received an email around Christmas time mentioning about a study china trip which was for undergraduate university students. I thought I would check it out to see what it was all about.

Little did I know this was really going to change a major part of what I would be doing in the next year.
The trip was the ability to go to china and learn Chinese at a university there, while also being able to have the chance to see many historic and new modern attractions. I decided to apply and fill out the form.
A few months later I was accepted onto the trip. There were over 2000 applicants in over 90 universities around the country and only 100/200 students got the places. So I was really lucky to be able to have been picked for the chance to come on this amazing trip.

Being able to have the chance to go to china was absolutely amazing. I had such an amazing time there and really discovered so much, not only about myself and being independent but to see the culture there and the way people went around there everyday lives.

We learnt Chinese in the mornings and then had most of the afternoons doing our own thing and being able to be independent and explore around china and see everything it had to offer. There were also organized events where we saw even more of china from the country side to the great wall. As well as during the trip I met so many people who were from universities all around the country, so made some great friends who I definitely will be staying in touch with.

After the 3 week study china trip, I also got the chance to go and stay with my uncle in Taiwan as seeing how I was over there; I may as well make the most of it and visit there as well as I was not far away
The entire trip has really opened my eyes to the world and has allowed me to really see what it has to offer and how china has such a major key part within the world today. I decided to keep a blog of everything I did.

So I hope you like it! And here it is!

Living Life in the Fast Lane - Part deux

2010-04-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Living Life in the Fast Lane - Part 1

Here's an update from Ben Grindrod a BA(Hons) Business studies & Management student at Faculty of Business & Law students talking about his trials and tribulations at Brands Hatch.

Ok, here it is in short..

Brands Hatch for me went really well for my first proper British Championship race meeting. Having started off quite steady in opening Free Practice being 15th fastest, which wasn't a problem as I'd not rode at Brands in the dry since September 2009 so it took me the session to get back upto speed again.

Qualifying was very positive, posting the second fastest time in qualifying one, in patchy conditions was a huge confidence boost for both me and the team.

Qualifying two was more of a difficult session, as we struggled for rear end grip coming off the turns. We had the bike handling really well, but just seemed to be having issues with grip. This resulted in dropping down to 8th fastest on the timing sheets.

With there being such a large entry for Superstock 600, the two qualifying groups (A and B) were merged to form the grid for the race. I was very frustrated at being 9th fastest throughout qualifying and ending up 15th on the grid due to this system, having lapped faster than a rider who was actually on the front row of the grid! However as they say, its the same for everyone.

I managed to put this out of my head or race day, and posted the 5th fastest time in morning warm-up prior to the Easter Monday race - things were looking good again!

Leading up to the race, I don't think I've ever been that nervous! Things didn't go well at the start and I didn't get off the line very well at all. I got 'boxed' on the first lap, ending up crossing the line for the first time in 20th place. I quickly got into a rhythm and started to pick riders off one by one, getting upto 15th by lap 11 with the rider in 9th well in my sights. My plan was to continue to pick one off every lap to gain as many championship points as possible. However, on lap 14, I may have carried a little too much speed into Paddock Hill bend when the rear went light and came round on me, spitting me over the highside, and that was the end of the race for me.

Not the end to the race I hoped for, as I'm confident I would have had some good points, but there are more positives than negatives to take from the weekend. We will take all the information learned at weekend, to Thruxton Round 2 and hope for a good race!

I'd like to thank all the Seton Interceptor Yamaha team for all their efforts, the team is mega!

Roll on Thruxton Round 2!

University Life as PR Student “I had my first experience of a telephone interview this week!”

2010-03-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

So you are probably wondering what second year Public Relations students do apart from fret about getting a internship for next year? Well I go to a weekly placement too at Hatch Communications, in Leeds! And apart from that of course, I do go to University lectures and tutorials. After a successful first term I am more determined that ever to achieve more of those high 2:1’s and firsts this year. To keep up the good work I have realised that organisation is the key; I am one of those “list writers” and constantly with my head in my diary forward planning for the next deadline and happily scribbling through the jobs I have completed that day.

Public Relations assessments are very varied. This is great as it challenges us at all the different obstacles we will have to face during our practical PR experience. This term we have one exam to study for, two sets of group assessed work and one essay to prepare, all alongside the portfolio of course.

The emphasize I place on this portfolio may surprise you but the attention on our portfolios is vital and mentioned from the very first lecture you attend in September, you literally cannot get it out of your mind! It is not only important as a grade for a module but it is an example of what you can really do in the work place and whether this is to do with how “good” your weekly placement is or just to what extend you use your initiative to get a “good” weekly placement is a mystery.

Personally I think this year’s weekly work experience is far more important than ever as it is a great way to show what you can really offer to your possible internship employees.

Reflecting on last year in terms of the portfolio as a first year student I didn’t have a full understanding of what had been asked of me. I had experience in In house and agency work in preparation for my portfolio but I wasn’t sure how to apply the work I did on a weekly basis to my coursework. This year however I was counting portfolio times before December! I get excited to see my own work in real media publications and I have begun to understand that this is what makes PR so exciting; you can start from a simple creative brainstorm and work towards real results!

So you’re doing a PR degree?

2010-02-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

What is Public Relations? A question I get asked many a times by family and friends on my occasional weekends back home to London and if I am honest I often find myself asking the same question. I don’t know where to begin with my answer; maybe such a degree can only be explained and understood through experience. It then comes to the question, where is best to gain such valuable experience and how to appropriately contact the Kings and Queens of communication.

I am a hardworking (of course) second year student at Leeds Metropolitan University studying Public Relations. I have decided to use this blog to discuss and reflect on what it takes to study PR at Leeds Metropolitan and more importantly how to get your foot in the PR world of work.

I want to focus on all the angles which contribute to this exciting career and discover what the best route there really is. Academic and personal issues, both short term and long term placement opportunities and what the future holds in term for employment opportunities for Public Relations student are all issues that I am looking to explore.

Joanna Trinick

Leeds Met: fun, hard work, opportunities, challenging and friends.

2010-01-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

I am in my final year of my Business and Management degree. After undertaking a year placement at Farnell, an electronic component company (more interesting than it sounds) getting back into the student way of life has been a mixed bag. On one hand am totally enjoying the late nights and monster lie ins, all students will know what I mean! On the other getting into the routine of studying again has been a challenge.

I have found that self study is an art due to all the mad distractions you need to keep focused. However I have received great support from the university one thing I have learnt is not to be afraid to ask questions.

The following words can briefly sum up my experience of studying at Leeds Met: fun, hard work, opportunities, challenging and friends.

When I finish university I am hoping to move to Singapore as my family already lives there and get a “proper” job, I’m hoping ……

Final year of a PR Degree

2009-12-21T02:45:00.000-08:00

My name’s Emma Long and I am currently studying my final year of a PR degree at Leeds Metropolitan. Originally from Norfolk (don’t hold that against me!) I chose to study at Leeds Metropolitan University as it is considered the best PR course across Europe.

The course has allowed me to explore both practical and theory elements of the industry encouraging students to undertake both short term placements and longer sandwich year placements allowing you to experience a year in industry. I undertook my placement year at Air Products, an industrial gases organisation based in Surrey where I was a member of the Internal, External, Community Relations and Change Management communication teams. It was a year that I thoroughly enjoyed and believe set me up ready for the demands and pressures of final year whilst being a brilliant opportunity to build contacts and experience to my CV.

The highlight of my final year so far has been being nominated for the Claire Maskall award. I was lucky enough to be shortlisted and was a brilliant experience which will set me in good stead for the future. It is opportunities and experiences like this which makes Leeds Metropolitan and good choice for a PR degree.

Julian Casablancas @ Leeds Met SU 10th December

2009-12-15T03:20:00.000-08:00

Any fan of The Strokes will understand just how special it was to see front man Julian Casablancas perform his solo album Phrazes For The Young right here at our university. Bringing with him from New York a retro sound similar to the work of The Strokes, it was a treat for fans new and old.

Wearing a black, leather blazer that no one else could get away with Julian introduced the gig with Ludlow Street. Anybody who still wasn't dancing by this point soon began to rock out as upbeat, pinnacle album song 11th Dimension went down a storm.

Although quiet natured he expressed his thanks to the crowd. What was actually said remains a mystery due to that distinctive, gravely, deep voice. The crowd were very welcoming to an acoustic version of The Strokes smash single You Only Live Once. I was singing along with arms firmly in the air.

Praise must be given to the band also. No band could ever upstage the other members of The Strokes but these guys certainly gave them a run for their money. There were some pretty impressive guitar solos in 4 Chords of the Apocalypse and Out of the Blue. With The Voice and a great band playing great music, Julian delivered an album that although similar to his work with The Strokes, had a fresh and fun twist to it.

Introducing the final surprise song, Julian admitted that he wasn't sure whether to play it or not. It was I Wish it Was Christmas Today. When I first heard it at home I wasn't too sure how seriously to take it, with it being a wee bit cheesy. Nonetheless, it is Christmas and everyone got into the spirit! A quick thank you and Julian was off the stage in the blink of an eye. That's what was so good about this gig. It was Julian and the band performing his awesome album to the crowd. No gimmicks or effects. He absolutely rocked it.

What the students thought:

Ruth, 19

“Everybody went a bit crazy when 11th Dimension came on. It was a really good atmosphere.”

Dave, 24

“I love The Strokes so was quite excited at the thought of Julian playing in Leeds. His solo stuff is just as good.”

Lucy, 20

“I enjoyed it lots. The ticket price was a bit steep but I suppose it was worth it!”

Hollie Richardson

BA (Hons) Journalism

Faculty of Business & Law

Leeds Met

A visit from the tyne

2009-10-14T08:11:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday August 13^th BTEC Business students travelled all the way from Newcastle College to find out about Leeds Met, university life and the city itself.

The morning kicked off with an informal, yet informative presentation from Nicola Horner: Marketing Co-ordinator, covering all aspects of the Leeds Business School.

Aspiring young students were interested in everything from Law to Marketing and had plenty of questions about the university and the courses themselves.

Also present were student representatives Ellie Langton from BA Marketing and Racheal McHugh from BA Marketing who had their work cut out for them acting as “bankers” in the games that followed…

After the presentation and Q&A sessions the students were split into five groups and each group was given £250, sadly though for the students, these notes wouldn’t have much hope of been passed in the shops.

The challenge was to build a bridge of 50cms wide and 10cms off the ground, within 30 minutes, using only the tools which were available for purchase from the dedicated bankers. These tools included; paper, sticky tape and paper clips.

The teams set off to work with dedication in their eyes as they faced the challenge of ingenuity, the time flew by and before any of us could be ready, it was time to test the integrity of these structures…

The only way to truly test these not so magnificent feats was of course with tiny toy cars. The structures were judged on quality, budget used, time taken, whether a car was actually able to make it from one side to the other and how many cars it could hold in total.

As the students watched on some were met with disappointment and others with roaring victories as bridges fell and others stood tall, but the most important thing was of course that everybody got involved, had a great time and cheered their rivals along.

The day concluded with a tour of the Civic Quarter Campus and then students were free to go into the unknown and enjoy the delights of Leeds, before returning to their home in Newcastle.

Victoria Crampton

Freshers Week

2009-09-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

You can definitely tell it's the first day of Freshers' Week, freebies are flying around left, right and centre and the foot fall in the Rose Bowl has certainly picked up.

Today my "job" has been to lend a helping hand on events such as The Apprentice, Babble in the Bar and Are and You the Next Dragon?

Watching Freshers struggle to throw an egg off a flight of stairs without breaking it may sound like a strange way to spend your morning, but the principles behind it were valid. The point was to see how different people handled the challenge and to see what they came up with, using the few and simple tools they were provided with. Sadly for the eggs no one managed an entirely successful landing, but people got creative and that was the whole point.

Babble in the bar was great fun as I got to try my hand at cocktail making and shaking the shakers - something I have always wanted to do, they tasted great and more importantly they were free!

The Apprentice is by far and away the best event we have going, it's a great opportunity to be set a real "Alan Sugar style" challenge. Newlife Foundation a children's charity has supplied Leeds Met with boxes full of jewellery, the aim is to sell the contents to anyone and everyone, raising as much money as possible for the charity. A worthy cause indeed, not to mention that the winners get a trip to Alton Towers.

The turn out could have been better, but the Rose Bowl was taking all the focus, and maybe for some 10am was a little early. However it's well worth getting up for - lots of freebies, prizes and fun, not to mention a chance to meet new students and start making friends. So join me in spreading the word as these events and many more are going all week, just check out the Freshers Festival programme or one of the many signs dotted across the university.

Victoria Crampton