Business students at Memorial will soon have a unique opportunity to experience the U.K.’s fastest growing innovation space.
The Faculty of Business Administration is relaunching its Harlow Campus Program in winter 2023, following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Revamped program
The business school used the hiatus to revamp the program, increasing its focus on academic rigour and creating real-world business exposure for participants.
“Harlow Campus is located in what’s known as the U.K. Innovation Corridor, and we want our students to tap into that.”
“We wanted to use this opportunity to look at the program and see where it could be improved,” said Dr. Erin Oldford, interim associate dean (undergraduate programs). “We found that the Harlow Campus is located in what’s known as the “U.K. Innovation Corridor”, and we want our students to tap into that and gain unique, applied experiences they can bring back to their studies and use in their future careers.”
Memorial’s Harlow Campus is located in Old Harlow, midway between London and Cambridge, and centrally located in the Innovation Corridor.
This fast-growing region is a hub for commercial innovation, especially in science and technology.
Business students will connect with that innovative culture by completing a directed study course where they’ll explore a business or entrepreneurship challenge with a local company.
The Harlow Campus Program is open to undergraduate business students.
Applications are due by Sept. 15 and information sessions are ongoing throughout the summer.
Strategic approach
Dr. William Lawton, academic director for Harlow Campus and a member of its board of directors, says this new approach is a good fit with the board’s strategic direction.
“We’re actively trying to complement our existing study abroad model with initiatives that raise our visibility and make Memorial more relevant to stakeholders in the region,” he said. “One of our approaches is to use Harlow as a landing pad for Newfoundland and Labrador med-tech companies and leverage our location in the Innovation Corridor. The business faculty’s shift from classroom-based learning to more direct engagement with local businesses ticks all the right boxes for us, and for students.”
Students will also complete four other online Memorial courses during the semester.
“Our revamped approach will allow students to work with each other as management consultants, tackling real-world issues faced by U.K. businesses,” said Dr. Oldford. “In doing so, students will apply their business knowledge while also experiencing how business is done in the U.K. We expect this to be an invaluable experience for business students at Memorial.”
