05 January, 2023

Extended campus is the doorway to MTU and works closely with the different departments here in MTU. Read below some late 2022 highlights, new programmes, partnerships and more by the Department of Organisation & Professional Development.

 

ATLAS Conference

The Department of Organisation & Professional Development in collaboration with the Department of Tourism & Hospitality, was delighted to host the ATLAS (Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research) conference which took place on-campus from 6th-9th September, entitled Tourism 22 and Beyond - What Matters Now to the Global Tourist? The conference welcomed over 200 delegates from 28 countries, generating ca. €320,000 for the Cork economy. Congratulations to Dr Angela Wright, Don Crowley and Dr Breda Kenny who were recipients of a Cork Conference Ambassador Award from the Cork Convention Bureau, in recognition of the work involved in bidding for and hosting the conference. Of course, the smooth and successful delivery of the conference was testament to the great teamwork of many colleagues across MTU including, Kathryn Carey, Eileen O’Mahony, colleagues in the Department of Organisation & Professional Development and School of Business, Dr Breda Kenny, Dr Noel Murray and colleagues in the Department of Tourism & Hospitality, including the late Gail Cotter Buckley, RIP. The conference also received financial support from the Faculty of Business & Humanities. As result of the success of the conference and her ongoing work with the ATLAS Association, Angela has been recently appointed to the Board of ATLAS. Following the success of the conference and its positive impact on the Cork economy, the Cork Convention Bureau and Fáilte Ireland recently met with a number of Heads of Faculty/School/Department to encourage others to support bids for future academic conferences. The Bureau acknowledges the strong links with MTU and is keen to work with us further on any potential projects. 

  

 

New Programmes

September saw the commencement of the new Certificate in Applied Analytics for Business (Level 9) and the Bachelor of Business in Business Technology and Communications. Both programmes incorporate contemporary and up-to-date modules and technology and have had a very good start. The Certificate in Applied Analytics for Business has also attracted interest from MTU colleagues interested in this area as part of their CPD. This 10-credits SPA is delivered entirely online and has received HCI Pillar III funding through iEd Hub. Our Leadership Development, Supervisory Management and Operational Excellence programmes are operating at maximum capacity with deliveries again this year for Lilly and Boston Scientific as well as commencing a new partnership with TELUS International. The department is also pleased that the Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace was awarded Springboard funding for the next three years.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Niagara College Partnership

In October, the department welcomed students from Niagara College, Canada, to undertake their Be World Ready – Global Leadership programme. The group comprised 21 students and two faculty who spent a week at MTU. The programme included sessions on Diversity Management, Cross Cultural Competencies, Leadership and Collaboration, Gen Z study, Workforce Ecosystems, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Global Economy. Strengthened by industry visits to Dell Technologies, TELUS International and Rubicon Centre, the study trip was very well received and has resulted in some further partnerships and projects. Thank you to all staff who engaged with this group and facilitated the presentations.

            

                                        

MBA (Strategy) Update

Also in October, second year students on the MBA (Strategy) undertook their International Business Field Trip to Brussels. The trip incorporated strategy workshops together with visits and presentations from Port of Antwerp, Nike, EU Commission and EU Parliament. A busy itinerary resulting in a full immersion programme over 5 days looking at contemporary issues including disruption, digitalisation, transformation, and climate change. 

The department recently partnered with the MBA Association of Ireland (MBAAI) Cork Chapter to host an event at Johnson & Perrott Ltd Jaguar Land Rover. This was a very enjoyable and informative session for our MBA (Strategy) alumni and students with keynote speaker John Cormican from Jaguar Land Rover giving great insights into the challenges around digital transformation and designing systems for Electric Vehicles and Automated Driving via Connected Services. It was most refreshing to see such innovative thinking around the future of motoring and get a glimpse of how cars of the future will operate and the challenges to be faced before we get there. A great networking event and a very educational evening. Thank you to Jerry P. Crowley, MMII, MBAAI, and Dr Angela Wright for leading.