Birmingham Business School
Encyclopedia
Birmingham Business School is the business school
of the University of Birmingham
in England
, located in University House
, a former hall of residence in Edgbaston
which has been extensively refurbished and expanded to provide state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities.
Originally established as the School of Commerce in 1902, it is the oldest Business School in England.
In 1901, Sir William Ashley took the first Chair of Commerce at the school, where he fostered the development of its commercial programme. From 1902 until 1923 he served as first Professor of Commerce and Dean of the Faculty, which he was instrumental in founding. At the time it was England's first Faculty of Commerce, and a hundred years later there are over one hundred Business Schools in the UK; Birmingham can perhaps claim to be the ancestor of them all. Ashley said in 1902 that the aim of the new Faculty was the education not of the "rank and file, but of the officers of the industrial and commercial army: of those who, as principals, directors, managers, secretaries, heads of department, etc., will ultimately guide the business activity of the country."
In its first year, the annual costs of the Faculty, including staff salaries, were £8,200 - there were six students, a lecture room and two classrooms. By 1908, fifteen men had graduated from the School, many with businesses waiting for their skills. Ashley stated: "I quite expect that before I retire I shall be able to gather round me a room full of Managers and Managing Directors who have been students in the Faculty of Commerce." Over the past 100 years it is estimated that more than 15,000 students have passed successfully through the School.
In 2002, the School celebrated its centenary and in March 2005 the School's new £20m home, University House, was officially opened by Sir Dominic Cadbury
.
In 2008, the School expanded to include the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies and the Department of Economics. The 'new look' BBS now includes five academic departments, comprising: Management, Marketing, Accounting and Finance, Economics, and the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies.
Recent research in the School has attracted widespread media attention, for example on the effects of the MG Rover collapse and the policy response to this (click here), led by Professor David Bailey
.
The current Director of the School is David Dickinson. Previous directors have included Jonathan Michie
, David Bailey
, Peter Turnbull, John Samuels and Colin Rickwood.
The School has an International Advisory Board chaired by Lord Digby Jones
of Birmingham.
In 2008 the School's MBA programme was ranked 67th best in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit in their annual ranking of the Top 100 MBA programmes in the world, with the School 4th best in the world in terms of diversity of recruiters and 7th best in terms of student quality.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise
, the Birmingham Business School was submitted under the Business and Management Studies sub-panel, and 90% of research activity submitted by the School was rated as being of international standing.
Notable BBS alumni include Manchester United
Chief Executive David Gill
, and Professor David Bailey
, Chair of the Regional Studies Association
.
Business school
A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration. It teaches topics such as accounting, administration, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems, marketing, organizational behavior, public relations, strategy, human resource...
of the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located in University House
University House, University of Birmingham
Originally a hall of residence at the University of Birmingham, University House became the home for the university's business school in 2004 after having been extensively refurbished and extended to provide state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities...
, a former hall of residence in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
which has been extensively refurbished and expanded to provide state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities.
Originally established as the School of Commerce in 1902, it is the oldest Business School in England.
History
In its first year, the annual costs of the Faculty, including staff salaries, were £8,200 - there were six students, a lecture room and two classrooms. By 1908, fifteen men had graduated from the School, many with businesses waiting for their skills. Ashley stated: "I quite expect that before I retire I shall be able to gather round me a room full of Managers and Managing Directors who have been students in the Faculty of Commerce." Over the past 100 years it is estimated that more than 15,000 students have passed successfully through the School.
The Birmingham Business School today
The School has over 130 teaching and research staff delivering a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and tailor-made programmes to companies and senior management teams. The School is accredited by AMBA and EQUIS and has a postgraduate research community.In 2002, the School celebrated its centenary and in March 2005 the School's new £20m home, University House, was officially opened by Sir Dominic Cadbury
Dominic Cadbury
Sir Dominic Cadbury is a British businessman and member of the Cadbury chocolate manufacturing dynasty. He is also the sixth Chancellor of Birmingham University.-Career:...
.
In 2008, the School expanded to include the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies and the Department of Economics. The 'new look' BBS now includes five academic departments, comprising: Management, Marketing, Accounting and Finance, Economics, and the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies.
Recent research in the School has attracted widespread media attention, for example on the effects of the MG Rover collapse and the policy response to this (click here), led by Professor David Bailey
David Bailey (economist)
Professor David Bailey is a British academic economist at Coventry University and Chair of the Regional Studies Association.-Academic career:...
.
The current Director of the School is David Dickinson. Previous directors have included Jonathan Michie
Jonathan Michie
Professor Jonathan Michie is a British economist and holds the joint post of Director of the Department for Continuing Education, and President of Kellogg College, University of Oxford, where he is Professor of Innovation & Knowledge Exchange...
, David Bailey
David Bailey (economist)
Professor David Bailey is a British academic economist at Coventry University and Chair of the Regional Studies Association.-Academic career:...
, Peter Turnbull, John Samuels and Colin Rickwood.
The School has an International Advisory Board chaired by Lord Digby Jones
Digby Jones
Digby Marritt Jones, Baron Jones of Birmingham, Kt is a British businessman and politician, who has served as Director General of the CBI and Minister of State for Trade and Investment...
of Birmingham.
In 2008 the School's MBA programme was ranked 67th best in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit in their annual ranking of the Top 100 MBA programmes in the world, with the School 4th best in the world in terms of diversity of recruiters and 7th best in terms of student quality.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
, the Birmingham Business School was submitted under the Business and Management Studies sub-panel, and 90% of research activity submitted by the School was rated as being of international standing.
Notable BBS alumni include Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
Chief Executive David Gill
David Gill (executive)
David Alan Gill is British football executive, currently Chief Executive of Manchester United F.C. and a board member of the Football Association...
, and Professor David Bailey
David Bailey (economist)
Professor David Bailey is a British academic economist at Coventry University and Chair of the Regional Studies Association.-Academic career:...
, Chair of the Regional Studies Association
Regional Studies Association
The Regional Studies Association is a major international learned society that is concerned with the analysis of regions and regional issues. Through its international membership, the RSA provides an authoritative voice of, and network for, academics, students, practitioners, policy makers and...
.