Knowledge Hub

100% PRINCE2® funding available until March 2011

2011-02-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

As a business owner you want to keep the ideas in your company fresh and your staff motivated. One of the biggest issues with running a successful business is in keeping employees on top of their game and ensuring that you have the edge over your competitors.

Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) is encouraging all social enterprises to apply to the body before the end of March 2011 to receive full funding for the PRINCE 2® Foundation course as part of the ‘Beyond 2010’ initiative.

John Sentinella, Business Development Manager at the University, said: “Training can provide an excellent way for social enterprises to address a wide range of needs, from developing management skills to computer design techniques, helping to give that all important competitive edge. With 100% funding is available until the end of March this is a great opportunity for these organisations to benefit from this kind of training.”

The Knowledge Hub provides a range of courses for employee development, with PRINCE 2® Project Management being one of the most popular. The course focuses on creating and managing a defined organisation structure as well as emphasising the effectiveness of dividing projects into manageable stages that can be more easily monitored.

PRINCE 2® has become the benchmark standard in project management and is now an internationally-recognised qualification.

For more information on PRINCE 2 ® or any of the courses offered by the Knowledge Hub click here or call 0800 328 5334. To find out more about Beyond 2010 and SEE, click here.

The University is here to back you up

2011-01-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

In these difficult economic times, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to justify additional spend on increasing their staff numbers. In fact, because of the financial pressures being experienced right across the country, many companies have had to let go of staff when they would rather be expanding but can’t absorb the extra cost.

If this sounds familiar, then a University of Bedfordshire graduate intern might well be the answer for your business. Since its launch last year, the University’s graduate internship scheme has provided over 100 local companies with keen-minded and enthusiastic graduates, who are given a subsidised placement in their suited industry for between eight and twelve weeks.

Some placements have even developed into permanent roles, with Bedford-based cremePR being one example. “Good quality PR graduates who don’t want to move to London are like gold dust,” said Maria Kennedy, director of cremePR. “This scheme found me exactly the right candidate locally, who has since been recruited by us. It was a very cost-effective way of recruiting and I would recommend this to anyone else looking for a graduate, or even an extra pair of hands.”

Tony Moliterno is now settled in his new position as PR executive at cremePR. “Having completed other unpaid internships in the past, it was refreshing and motivating to be paid a wage for my work and be able to put the skills I’d learned at University to good use,” he said. “The internship gave me the ideal opportunity to start my career with cremePR, where I am able to continue learning on the job in a supportive environment.”

Due to its popularity, there are few places left so this is the last chance for businesses to apply and take us up on this great opportunity. The scheme forms part of ‘Backing Young Britain’, a national initiative to help companies in these times of economic strain and support graduates seeking to boost their CV with valuable work experience.

To apply for one of our graduate interns, shortlisted on your behalf from a pool of pre-screened candidates with relevant skills, click here, call 0845 328 5334 or e-mail knowledge@beds.ac.uk.

Is Customer Satisfaction Dead?

2011-01-24T05:25:00.000-08:00

Customer satisfaction has long been a key objective in marketing with resources all being directed to gaining high levels of satisfaction with products, services and customer experiences. However, the latest University research concludes that this is not what ultimately influences consumers.

The Knowledge Network will be hosting its second event for 2011, ‘Customer Satisfaction is Dead’, which looks at how to target and maintain customer loyalty in 2011 and helps businesses to understand how effective marketing can aid growth in these highly competitive times.

At the event Professor Jillian Farquhar, Professor of Marketing Strategy at the University’s Business School, will present her research on sustainable marketing strategies at the event. Also speaking is Anthony Prior, of Sheridan Global Ltd, who will discuss the latest innovations in market research technology.

The event is open to all but will be of particular interest to business managers and marketing professionals from the public and private sectors. It will be held on Wednesday 23rd February 2011 at 5.30pm at the Putteridge Bury Conference Centre.

For more information on the event or to book your place please visit
the website, email info@theknowledgenetwork.co.uk or call
0800 328 5334.

Back to basics: Business building seminars

2011-01-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

Are you looking to start a business and build yourself a successful, mini-empire? Haven’t a clue where to begin or the best way to go about putting your ideas into fruition? Well, we can help you!

Basics of Building a Business (B3) is a series of FREE seminars aimed at University staff, students and members of the public from Bedfordshire who are interested in setting up their own business, but need a little guidance on how to go about it.

The series, which has already run a successful term in Luton, is made up of eight evening seminars being held in room P2.04 at Bedford Campus. Each seminar will be delivered by a successful businessperson with expertise in their topic of discussion and include a mixture of theory, case studies and interactive exercises, to enable and encourage you to form your own business or start up an enterprise.

The series will also give delegates the opportunity to enter the University’s B3 Business Plan Competition 2011.

For the full list of seminars or to register your interest, visit www.beds.ac.uk/knowledgehub/entrepreneurship/basics, email the Knowledge Hub at knowledge@beds.ac.uk or call 0800 328 5334.

Celebrating and supporting graduates in employment

2011-01-14T04:41:00.000-08:00

The Knowledge Hub started the New Year with a bang as we celebrated the achievements of participants who took part in the Supporting Graduates in Employment training project.

112 participants enrolled on the programme that completed in December, which invited graduates and employees with graduate level experience to participate in a project combining a CMI Level 5 qualification with a customised training programme delivered by local business consultants, lecturers from the University and career advisers.

As well as celebrating and congratulating the graduates on their achievements, the project has helped to develop strong relationships with our local authorities by boosting the number of people with NVQ qualifications at Level 4 or higher and contributing to the local authority’s education objectives.

The final dissemination event for the Supporting Graduates in Employment project was held on Thursday 13th January 2011 at 6pm at the Putteridge Bury Campus, where the successful participants were presented with their certificates, followed by a selection of presentations by some of those involved on their positive experience during the Supporting Graduates in Employment programme.

2011 set to be bigger and better

2010-12-29T05:07:00.000-08:00

As 2010 gives way to 2011, what better time to look at the range of events offered by the Knowledge Network in the next twelve months? With the theme for 2011 being ‘Innovate To Accumulate’, we’ve got some great events taking place, covering subjects such as sustainability, attracting foreign investment, opportunities in e-health, advances in project management, and much more. Click here to read more.

Fight the festive flab this Christmas

2010-12-22T04:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here and as the temptations of festive food can be too much for some, we've enlisted the help of Professor John Brewer, Director of Sport at the University, who outlines the best ways to ensure the Christmas hangover doesn't carry on way into the New Year. As well as the obvious 'don't eat so much', John's expertise in sports science also reveals some interesting facts about how our bodies respond to the excesses of food and drink at Christmas, and how just a short amount of exercise each day can dramatically improve your productivity once it's time to return to work. Click here to read more.

Top tips to help your business

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

We're always trying to give you some extra help so make sure you check out the Top Tips section of our website. Whether you're looking for advice on branding, how to manage your cash flow or online retailing you should find something useful from a local expert! If you can offer some tips in your own area of expertise to readers of our ezine or our web visitors please drop us a line at knowledge@beds.ac.uk
You can sign up to our ezine online by clicking here
To view our Top Tips please click here

What is Innovation?

2010-11-11T06:42:00.000-08:00

‘Innovation: doing or making something new that’s useful and has value’
Whether you agree with this definition or have one of your own you know that Innovation is important to your company. We're running innovation clinics to provide you with a free, 30 minute consultation to help you innovate in your business. Whether you have a great new idea, a business problem or any other issue, we’ll identify your need and either deal with it ‘on the spot’ or set out a framework and plan to work through it together. If we feel other experts can help you further we can refer you to them as well.
Take advantage of this great service now - there are limited places!
Running on Wednesday 24 Nov and Wednesday 8 Dec 2010.
Find out more and book

Robots: what will they do next-care for us?

2010-11-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

The last few decades have seen a technological boom, with the internet, computers and mobile phones becoming as common in UK households as bread and milk. As well as greatly enhancing communications and revolutionising business on a global scale, technological innovations have pushed the boundaries in terms of artificial intelligence. Strange to imagine, but the type of domestic robots featured in science fiction films may soon be happily sitting alongside your MP3 player, plugged into the wall to charge.

The UK is advancing towards serious economic and social problems as we see an increasingly ageing population. Amongst other socio-economic impacts, this will result in a significant shortage of carers to support the elderly and infirm in their daily lives.

As part of the ‘Changing Lives’ programme 2010, our team of researchers will open their work on the development of robotic homecare systems to encourage and support independence for less-able-bodied individuals. Join us at the Knowledge Network event on Wednesday 24th November 2010 at Putteridge Bury Conference Centre. For more information click here or call 0800 328 5334.

Something for the little ones!

2010-10-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

Family fun this week in the University Theatre
On Wednesday (27 October) at 5pm Stuff and Nonsense present The Little Red Hen the early learning classic for ages 3 - 7. An adaptation of a nursery favourite featuring animal puppets, sing-along songs and comic routines.
On Saturday (30 October) from 3pm we are delighted to welcome Potted Pirates, the new show written and performed by CBBC's Dan and Jeff, packing pirates, parrots and buried treasure into an hour of swashbuckling fun.

Tickets are £10 adult and £5 for children. Phone 0800 328 5334 to book tickets.
For more information click here

Don’t let your PRINCE2 practitioner status lapse!

2010-10-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

If you've already worked hard to gain your PRINCE2 Practitioner status don't lose it now! As an important addition to our project management portfolio, we’re now offering PRINCE2 Re-registration Courses for qualified PRINCE2 project management practitioners who need to re-register every three to five years to maintain their status.

It’s simple to stay up-to-speed with the latest developments and best practices on our one day re-registration courses. Successful delegates will review methodology and sit a one hour exam, leaving the course with renewed Practitioner status.

Courses will be available throughout the year at our Putteridge Bury Campus and where possible the Bedford and Milton Keynes campuses too. For more information, or to book your place on the course, please click here.

From SFX to Surgery!

2010-10-05T03:07:00.000-07:00

You could be forgiven for thinking that computer graphics and animations are only used in shoot ‘em up video games or cartoons. But the truth is they are being used increasingly to provide significant advances in medical healthcare. Our Knowledge Network is holding an event to demonstrate how these advances can be of benefit to everyone.

‘Advances in Medical Healthcare Using Computer Visualisation’ will look into the developments in medical healthcare and provide an overview of the Virtual Physiological Human initiative in which the University’s Centre for Computer Graphics & Visualisation (CCGV) is heavily involved.

Professor Gordon Clapworthy, head of CCGV, will be the keynote speaker and will focus on specific tools that are being developed which cover many serious conditions such as brain cancer, lung cancer, heart failure and osteoporosis, and surgical procedures such as stent placement, which is used to treat vascular disease.
A support presentation will be provided by non-invasive chest assessment specialist, PneumaCare, outlining how developments in medical visualisation are being used within their organisation to provide better healthcare.

The event will take place on 28th October at the Putteridge Bury Conference Centre in Luton starting at 6pm with coffee and registration. Tickets costs £10 and include wine, a finger buffet and the opportunity to network.
For further information, or to book your ticket, click here.

Box office opens for theatre's second season

2010-09-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

We’re really excited about the University Theatre’s new season which is starting in October! There’s going to be lots of great new performances in dance, comedy, theatre and music.

Look out for comedy with The Great Brainers, international dance with artists Retina and State of Flux, and performances of The Little Red Hen and Potted Pirates in our brand new Family Theatre during the October half term week.

There really is something for everyone! If you want to find out more about the theatre programme or get involved as a volunteer, click here

Basics of Building a Business Seminars are back

2010-09-29T01:39:00.000-07:00

.......... and better than ever!

We’re very excited about the new B3 seminars starting in October! The aim of the seminars is to encourage and help staff, students and members of the public who are interested in setting up their own business.

This year the sessions have got an exciting new format which will make them shorter and more interactive so you can get more out of them. The one hour sessions will run over eight weeks and will be a mixture of theory, case studies and group exercises. They will run first in Luton and then will be repeated in Bedford.

Each week we’ve got a different business expert coming in to talk about a different topic relating to setting up a business, including business idea formation and vision creation, company formation, defining the market, competitor analysis, developing products and services, building a team, costing and pricing, and raising investment.

B3 links directly into two University business competitions, the Business Concept Competition 2010 and the Business Plan Competition 2010. These have been designed to encourage people to use the knowledge they have gained during the B3 seminars to submit business ideas and plans.

Both the seminars and competitions are free, so if you are interested in setting up your own business make sure you come along to get some free expert advice! Remember they’re available to the public as well so pass the message on.

Sessions will run on Thursdays at 6.15pm, in Room J211, Vicarage Street, Luton campus from 14 October to 2 December 2010. They will then be repeated at the University’s Bedford campus, Room P2.04, Polhill Road, from 3 February to 7 April 2011.

For more information and to book, click here.

Language: the final frontier!

2010-09-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

So your product is ready, you know how to ship it, the website is up and running, you’re good to go, right? Not quite. You might even be trading overseas already but there is one final barrier getting in the way of international success – your inability to communicate meaningfully with your client.

Always there with a solution to help your business, we are now offering Beginners Language and Culture courses for professional purposes designed to help you compete in the expanding international market. If you or your employees can speak another language, even at beginner’s level, it can lead to a whole new range of opportunities, partnerships and success.

The beginner’s level Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish and Russian language courses are business focused and cover subjects like business introductions, getting by in the workplace, booking into a hotel, dealing with professional contacts and using the telephone. You will also be taught vital cultural information which will help you avoid any accidental and embarrassing faux-pas!!

If you work with international companies, go abroad frequently for work, or if you are an individual and want to improve your future employability, one of our language courses could be just right for you!

Courses are available subject to demand, and will run for a total of 27 weeks from October 2010. Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm in the University’s Vicarage Street Campus in Luton. The cost of the entire course is £367 per person.

For more information click here.

Project management skills put to worthwhile causes

2010-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

MSc Project Management students raised money for charity recently during their Project Charity task. The students were divided into eight teams and each team was asked to carry out a project which would raise as much money as possible for their chosen charity.

Each team was led by one of our PRINCE2® qualified students who used their skills to manage the projects - and they must have managed them very well as over £1,400 was raised!! The money will be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital, Cancer Research UK, the Red Cross, Save the Children, Oxfam and Happy Days.

It was a great way for the students to get some practical experience and they raised lots of money in the process, so well done!

Prepare to win investment

2010-09-10T01:55:00.000-07:00

If you have a business idea that you need to pitch to investors, we’ve got the perfect event for you!

The latest Venture Academy Series event, Investment Readiness, will teach you how to give the perfect pitch and impress potential investors. You’ll also learn how to avoid being caught off-guard with tricky questions that might be thrown your way.

At the end of the day a number of entrepreneurs will be selected to attend the next Venture Academy Series ‘Meet the Investors’ event. This takes place in November, and delegates will be able to present their perfect pitch to potential investors.

The event is taking place on Thursday 7 October at Butterfield Enterprise Hub. For more information and to register to attend, click here.

Films for free!

2010-09-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

Do you know of any local organisations in the voluntary or public sectors who would like an educational, fundraising or training film made for them for free? Mediatrain, a project within the University, could be exactly what they are looking for!

Mediatrain provides a not-for-profit film production service to these sectors and works with a variety of organisations, giving them access to the University’s broadcast-quality production facilities. Undergraduate students carry out work experience placements with Mediatrain where they work with experienced production teams to produce short films. The students get great experience and the organisations get a fantastic film for free! All films are professionally developed in the University’s media production facilities.

A recent organisation to use the service was LAMP - a Christian charity that supports young homeless people in Luton – and they have secured £5,000 worth of funding as a direct result of showing their Mediatrain film to a community fundraising group!

Mediatrain, in conjunction with Social Stampede, a local production company with a strong track record in broadcasting, also provides a low-cost professional film production service to companies in other sectors; and media sector organisations can benefit from a subsidised internship scheme where recent media graduates are placed in companies for up to three months. This Government supported scheme enables companies, especially SMEs, to develop new projects and fill gaps in their workforce.

For more information, please contact Jim.Hornsby@beds.ac.uk

Funding Vouchers to help you grow

2010-08-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has recently announced new funding for SMEs! The funding will give businesses access to academic expertise from universities throughout the region.

There are 75 Innovation Vouchers now available and each one gives an organisation £3,000 worth of one-to-one consultancy. SMEs, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations in the East of England can apply.

To be eligible for the scheme you must aim to demonstrate at least one of the following: increase profitability/efficiency savings, enable better informed business decisions/improved processes or service, increase market share, a fresh source of ideas and/or job creation.

We’ve already supported a lot of companies through this scheme, and we’d love to help more businesses grow .

If you want to secure a voucher for your business you need to apply directly to EEDA - click here.

If you want to read some case studies from the previous Innovation Vouchers click here and if you want an informal discussion about this scheme email consultancy@beds.ac.uk

Food-related tourism: a tasty treat for rural regions

2010-08-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Our next Knowledge Network event will be a treat for anyone who likes fresh local food!

The event will look at food-related tourism and the benefits it can bring to rural economies. Dr Sally Everett, Head of the University’s Tourism Research Institute will present University research examining how food-related tourism can deliver social, environmental and cultural development in an economically sustainable way.

There will also be local producers on hand offering their products for tasting! Look out for jam, cheese and chillies – with more to be confirmed!

Julie West, the CEO of Tastes of Anglia, will also be speaking at the event so you can find out her expert views on this expanding form of tourism.

Food Related Tourism will be interesting to anyone working in food and tourism and those of us who just enjoy sampling the local cuisine while on holiday. The event will take place at the Putteridge Bury Conference Centre, Luton, on 23rd September 2010, starting at 6.30 pm. Tickets cost £10 and include a finger buffet, wine and the opportunity to network.

Click here to register.

CPD Open days 2010

2010-08-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

The University is hosting two open days to showcase part time training and we’ll be there to highlight the professional training available.

If you want to develop your skills which could lead to career progression, or if you are a business looking to upskill your workforce, then come along to see what we have to offer! There will be lots of information on Continuing Professional Development courses, part-time undergraduate and post-graduate courses so you can see which one will be best for you.

Courses on offer are in areas such as project management, languages, sciences, business management and many more. You can find out about one day workshops, intensive courses, distance learning courses, weekend study days, bespoke training and part time studies.

The events are free to attend and everyone is invited! There will be one at Polhill campus, Bedford on 7 September, 4 to 8 pm and one at Park Square campus, Luton 9 September, 4 to 8 pm.

We hope to see you there!

For more details and to book onto the event, click here.

Knowledge Hub Sponsors Award at University Conference

2010-08-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

We were proud to sponsor a prize at this year’s University Conference - an annual get-together for over 300 staff and research students to share knowledge, teaching and learning activities, and to discuss the marketplace for services offered by the research.

To highlight and present the research at the University a poster exhibition was held for two days during the conference and showcased during the closing session.

To recognise the hard work that had gone into creating the posters, four of the research students won prizes for designing the most interesting and engaging ones. We sponsored the award for ‘Research Impact.’

Well done to Lindsey Smith from the Institute for Sport and Activity Research (ISPAR) for producing a brilliant inspiring poster, demonstrating her research work within the Institute. Lindsey is currently researching for her a PhD about physical activity in children, in particular how to increase physical activity levels in the PE lesson without compromising the time limits set within the national curriculum.

Lindsey was presented with her award by Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon CBE.

Knowledge Hub mastery!

2010-07-23T04:57:00.001-07:00

Warm congratulations to our colleague Sarah Waller, Business Development Manager here at the Knowledge Hub, for achieving her MBA with commendation. She received it at a glittering graduation ceremony in Luton this week. She somehow managed to fit in all the studies and lectures around a very busy work schedule organising major conferences and events such as the University theatre programme, The Politics Show during the general election, the Reflective Practice conference and many more. Well done Sarah!

More Fantastic Business Ideas at Enterprise Summer School

2010-07-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

We hosted the Enterprise Summer School last week and, like last year, it was a great success! The event gave the students practical experience of the business world, as well as enterprise skills training. It started with workshops exploring all the different aspects of setting up a business. The students were then split into teams to come up with a business idea and plan to pitch to a panel of business experts in a ‘Dragons Den’ style format.

The winning pitch came from GreenSphere who had developed a healthy bar and lounge idea that serves locally sourced organic drinks and foods.

The judges were very impressed with all of the pitches as they were energetic, imaginative and well thought out. The other teams were ColorLife, Yummy Yogurt, Mita and Event Solution.

The Enterprise Summer School is an excellent way for students to gain an insight into starting a business and extra skills which can give them an edge when it comes to applying for jobs. Look out for the next one in 2011!

GreenSphere (pictured with trainer Andrew Corcoran) are Raíssa Cavaignac de Sá Vale, Dong Tingting, Yin Yee Ling and Wan Mohd Khairilnaim.

The Enterprise Summer School is delivered in partnership with blueberry training Ltd.

New qualification for the travel industry

2010-07-12T02:48:00.000-07:00

We are offering a new management qualification which is specifically for people working in the travel industry. The Foundation Degree in Travel Operations Management is a two year course that is delivered online, which means delegates can fit studying around work and home life. The course has been developed with the input of travel employers so it covers everything a travel manager needs to know! To find out more call 01582 743487, email Silvanos.Gwarinda@beds.ac.uk or click here

Need to update your project management skills?

2010-07-08T02:36:00.000-07:00

We are now offering PRINCE2® re-registration courses. Registered practitioners need to keep up-to-date on the latest best practices in project management and re-register every 3-5 years. The one-day course gives an overview of any recent developments and changes to the PRINCE2® method prior to delegates re-sitting the Practitioner exam. The first course is scheduled for 6 September. For more details click here.

It's not too late to reflect!

2010-06-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that you can still get tickets for the 16th annual International Reflective Practice Conference which is running from 23rd to 25th June at the lovely Putteridge Bury campus. There will be lots of brilliant speakers, including poet and novelist Ben Okri OBE who is the keynote speaker!

Reflective practice is becoming a more common technique is businesses, so come and learn all about it from the experts! To find out a bit more about the conference and to book tickets click here.

Renewable energy educators win Business Innovation Award!

2010-06-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

We were very proud to sponsor the Business Innovation Award at the inaugural FSB Bedfordshire Small Business Awards on 27 May, which took place at the stunning Luton Hoo.

We were delighted to present the award to renewable energy educators, Ecostyle Ltd, who impressed us by their commitment to importance of helping young people understand the issues surrounding renewable energy. Their models of wind turbines and solar panels really make the technology easy to understand. They are a business based in Luton, manufacturing locally, so the local economy benefits too.

Ecostyle’s demonstration models, used to promote awareness and understanding of renewable energy, encourage the production of energy from sustainable sources.

Well done to Ecostyle!

Chamber members - see you at the Summer BBQ!

2010-06-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

We will be attending the Bedfordshire and Luton Chamber Members Summer Reception next Thursday (10 June) - so if you are a Chamber member come and find us at the mini exhibition where you can catch up on what the Knowledge Hub can offer your business! For more information about the event click here.

Welcome to our Innovation Director

2010-06-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

I’m so pleased to announce the appointment of Wesley Randle as Innovation Director for the University of Bedfordshire. Wesley comes to us with a rich pedigree full of innovative research, academic success, awards and a wealth of professional experience. Here at the University of Bedfordshire, he has the task of enabling local businesses to access the help they need to be able to innovate and achieve sustainable growth. He’s full of ideas so watch this space for exciting initiatives to get your business innovating!

Students enter real-life court….

2010-05-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

It was all a learning experience as MSc Computer Security and Forensic students went to South Beds Magistrates’ Court.

Twelve students attended two morning sessions at the Luton-based magistrates’ court as part of an arrangement with local magistrate John Sentinella.

John, who is also a Business Development Manager here at the Knowledge Hub , arranged the visit where the students were given a unique insight into the functions of the Court.

They were briefed on the function and procedures prior to the visit and were then able to discuss the events of the morning with John and the other magistrates.

Geraint Williams, the Computer Science and Technology Infrastructure Manager at the University, said: “This gives the Computer Security and Forensic students an opportunity to see the workings of a court as part of their studies. This is the second year of running such sessions and has proved popular with the students. We’re hoping to give level three BSc students the same opportunity in October and repeat these sessions for the new MSc students in May 2011. Computing students studying security and forensics may need to give expert witness at some point after graduating. This experience will help them in understanding courtroom procedure and the role of expert witness.”

One of the students, Ahmad Alenezi, said: “It was an excellent experience and we saw many cases; the first one was related to our subject because the suspect wrote on Facebook.”

Another, Jibran Mir, said: “We learned a lot of things from this visit; we now know what the court looks like, where people are in the courtroom and how the judicial system works.”

The field trips continue a successful year for security and forensic students in which they enjoyed a number of excellent opportunities.

It's good to be back!

2010-05-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

Thursday 6th May was a memorable date in everyone’s diary but particularly mine – it was my first day back at the Knowledge Hub after taking ten months off for maternity leave! I am really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things here at the Hub and thank Ellen for doing such an excellent job while I was away…

With so much going on at the Knowledge Hub I have a lot to get my teeth into – exciting stuff! It’s good to be back.

Alice Wilson

Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator

Improve your customer satisfaction

2010-04-30T03:43:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can get a qualification in IT service management?

We’re offering our first ITIL® V3 Foundation Certificate this June which will give you a set of concepts and practices for the effective management of IT services. This three-day course is APM accredited and is a great way to improve staff and customer satisfaction and increase your own understanding of the ITIL® V3 framework. If you’d like to know more, click here.

Inspirational innovation day

2010-04-23T04:08:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic day on Wednesday at the Innovation Day and it was great to see so many Bedfordshire businesses there. The aim of the day was to encourage people to look at innovation in a whole new way. Delegates were told to look at opening up innovation and collaborating with others as a way to turn research and ideas into business.

The day was really interactive with workshops, speakers, networking – all rounded off with canapés and local Bedfordshire wine! Throughout the day local business leaders and professors showed the latest thinking on growing businesses, developing products using the latest technology, promoting a healthy office environment, and even how to create human muscle in the lab!

It was a great chance for businesses to network and find out how other businesses are innovating as well as seeing what the University has to offer in terms of training, research, and support. I did pick up on a couple of conversations that were very promising – two local businesses were talking during the networking lunch and found out that one had a problem that the other had a solution to! This is why these events are so great – you never know who you’ll bump into!

Jon Block a keynote speaker from ITV.com said he was really impressed that an event of this scale was put on in Bedfordshire, which was good to hear. He also stated that this was brilliant timing, as when budgets are tight, innovation can help to lift businesses, industries and the country as a whole out of a recession.

My personal highlight of the day was the end keynote speech by Steve Head who is a high performance specialist. Steve’s talk was centred on ‘getting more from less’ and really made you think about the changes you can make for free, which can have a massive impact on your workforce and the results they produce.

We organised this event with our partners Luton Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council, Bedfordshire & Luton Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Business Link, Basepoint Business Centres, and East of England Development Agency.

Time to Innovate

2010-04-14T03:18:00.000-07:00

As Innovation Day fast approaches (21st April if it’s not already in your diary!), just thought I’d point out we’re running some very informative workshop sessions on the day. It’ll be a great way to gain access to some fantastic talent within a small group setting, as well as insight into the world of breakthrough ideas.

To book your place please visit and to book a workshop sessions please visit this page

Students have the iFactor

2010-04-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

Attendees of the B3 lecture series have been busy going head-to-head with their business ideas to win cash prizes in this year’s iFactor awards.

The winning entry came from Smart Wares, a team who came up with the idea of a range of educational toys and products for blind or visually impaired people, as well as general consumers.

As well as scooping up some prize money, Smart Wares will have a 10-minute slot to pitch the concept to a wider audience during Innovation Day, which could include the media, partners and private investors.

Guy Jacobs from Bloofers will present the iFactor 2010 trophy to Roman Latypov, the creator of Smart Wares.

Roman received £2,000 in prize money, followed by £750 for second place, and £500 for third place. Roman will also get up to £1,000 of free consultancy from the Knowledge Hub help him with business formation or with intellectual property protection.

Honouring Young Business Talent

2010-04-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of presenting the Young Business Person of the Year Award at the first Conquest Business Awards held in Bedford. We sponsored and judged this category. The quality of entries was extremely high and I particularly liked the fact that such a wide variety of sectors entered the awards.
One young man stood out from the crowd. Reece Woods from Pristine, a working-at-heights business, demonstrated his relentless energy, enthusiasm, passion and sheer hard work since forming a window cleaning business in his early 20s. He’s continued to create, reinvent his business, and do whatever it takes to generate success. His story is an inspiration. Something that every teenager should read.

We also presented Heather Townsend of The Efficiency Coach with a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate. Well done to both of our winners!