The FINANCIAL — The University of Auckland Business School is focused on producing world-class graduates and that vision has come a step closer with the opening this week of its new, purpose-built home – the Owen G Glenn Building.
"The building offers a very different teaching and learning environment from those in most universities around the world," says Professor Barry Spicer, Dean of the Business School.
For the first time, the Business School's 480 academic and professional staff, 6517 undergraduate and 1,350 research and taught postgraduate students will be together, in one location.
Teaching facilities range from large-scale lecture theatres to case rooms and computer labs, all with leading edge technology capability covering projection, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA's) and laptop computers, with a central technology support centre.
The building itself is centred on a seven-storey atrium with a "social bridge" linking the arms of the u-shaped building at the upper levels. The objective is to encourage staff, faculty and students to interact socially and in learning contexts on the bridges, creating a more interactive culture in the Business School.
"This fits with the overall environmental aim – that of producing world-class graduates, and research and ideas that underpin knowledge-based economies and societies," says Professor Spicer.
Research is a key focus for the Business School and activities in this area encompass accounting and finance, commercial law, economics, information systems and operations management, management and international business, marketing and property.
Research involves the Business School in collaboration across faculties within the University, with research-based institutions in New Zealand and across the world. Current collaborative projects connect the School's researchers to leading institutions including Yale University, the Bureau of Economic Analysis in Washington and the World Bank along with research centres in areas such as leadership, entrepreneurship, and indigenous development in other leading universities.
Professor Spicer says advanced knowledge and continuing study of business, management and economics are vital to cultivating the careers and contributions of business leaders, managers and professionals.
The Business School offers a range of postgraduate programmes including honours and masters degrees which can lead to PhD study. The University and the School fund Masters and PhD scholarships for outstanding candidates.
It also provides professional postgraduate programmes through its Graduate School of Enterprise, including The Auckland MBA and a Master of Management aimed at mature aged students with work experience seeking to advance their careers.
The University of Auckland Business School is the first business school in New Zealand to gain what is called the "triple crown" – Association to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB); European Foundation of Management Development (Accreditation is known as EQUIS – European Quality Improvement System); and Association of MBAs (AMBA). The Auckland MBA was fully reaccredited in 2007.
The AACSB accreditation has resulted in the Business School being the first in New Zealand to be invited to open a chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, a global student honours society.
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