News
Monday 17 October 2005
Student wins top business award
Richard Samuel, an undergraduate student at Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, has collected first prize in the undergraduate category in the eighth annual Awards for Business and Management Students, run by the Association of Business Schools and sponsored by SAP.
Richard, who graduated in the summer with a BA in International Business, was awarded a certificate and a winners’ cheque for £2,000 at the Association of Business Schools Annual Dinner on Monday 17 October.
Eight judges assessed Richard’s entry which described his work placement year over 2003/4 to be the most impressive from all the undergraduate entries received. There are over 100 business schools in the UK and most undergraduate business students spend one year out of their studies working, putting theory into practice.
Richard’s interest in international business led him to work in Tokyo, for an international engineering and construction company despite having minimal Japanese! He then spent six months on an international management programme at Orebro University in Sweden before returning to the UK. Here, he won a place on the ‘Inside Track’ placement scheme run by Shell Technology Enterprise (STEP) and the Design Council, helping a medium sized bakery packaging firm with its marketing strategy.
Jonathan Slack, a judge and Chief Executive of the Association of Business Schools said:
“Richard utilised the full 15 months possible for his placement in an exemplary way: working in different management cultures around the world and gaining invaluable experience of working within small and large organisations. He is a very worthy winner.”
Richard Samuel, winner of the undergraduate Award for Business and Management said:
“My placement year has given me three valuable take aways: confidence in working successfully outside my comfort zone; working in cross-cultural environments; and the ability to bring to bear a range of business techniques to deliver real commercial value. These experiences have hopefully laid the foundation for a successful career in consultancy.”
Notes for editors
The Association of Business Schools is the representative body and authoritative voice for all the leading business schools of UK universities, higher education institutions and independent management colleges.
The Association of Business Schools awards have run for 8 years. In 2005 there were three categories: the Undergraduate Award was based upon students’ work placements; the Postgraduate Award was aimed at students who have formed new businesses or introduced new products or services for an existing employer as a result of their studies; the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award was based on students’ understanding and application of the principles of CSR in business.
The ABS Awards are sponsored by SAP, the world’s largest business applications company and supported by The Guardian.
The ABS Awards were presented to winning students at a dinner at Oulton Hall Hotel, near Leeds which was part of the Association of Business Schools Annual General Meeting and Conference attended by business schools Deans and Directors from around the UK.
For further information, the opportunity to interview Richard Samuel and photography please contact:
James Birkett, Public Relations Manager, The Association of Business Schools.
Tel: 020 7388 0007.
Email: jbirkett@the-abs.org.uk
For any other information please contact:
Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on Tel: 0115 848 2650 or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk
Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Tel: 0115 848 6589 or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk
