Leading Business School Joins Thames Valley Economic Partnership

March 12, 2003

Professor Roland Kaye, Dean of the OUBS, said joining the Partnership is a new venture for the school: “It positions us alongside a group of major companies across a wide range of business sectors and our membership reflects the growing links between the business school and commerce generally.”

The Thames Valley Economic Partnership, based in one of Europe’s premier business locations, has members that include more than 80 companies, local authorities and government agencies. The Partnership is committed to supporting the Thames Valley business community, promoting the region to an international audience and encouraging investment from across the world. It supports existing companies in identifying new markets and expanding within the region.

The OUBS already works closely with a number of member companies and organisations to promote programmes of management development leading to the prestigious MBA qualification. Kathy Whymark, OUBS corporate development manager with responsibility for the Thames Valley region, said: “Many of our clients are already members of the TVEP and for OUBS to join demonstrates that the School is keen to be seen as part of the business community.”

TVEP Chief Executive Shaun Whittaker said: “TVEP is delighted to welcome the Open University Business School as a member. Strengthening the links between business and education is key to building the economy of the Thames Valley and maintaining its competitive position as a leading knowledge based region in Europe.”

Editor’s Notes

The Open University Business School (OUBS) is Europe’s leading business school and the major provider of management development programmes delivered by supported distance learning. It is one of an elite group of UK and European business schools to hold both the prestigious EQUIS quality kitemark, awarded by the European Foundation for Management Development (efmd), and AMBA (the Association of MBAs) accreditation for its MBA. The OUBS has 30,000 students based in the UK and more than 40 countries and since its inception in 1983, more than 150,000 managers have studied an OUBS course. Its website can be found at http://oubs.open.ac.uk


Contact:

OU Media Relations

Fiona Leslie

+44 (0) 1908 653256

F.M.Leslie@open.ac.uk