‘The Impact Factor’ reveales vital role of business schools in UK

The Chartered Association of Business Schools (Chartered ABS) has partnered with ITN Productions to launch ‘The Impact Factor,’ a news and current affairs-style programme reporting on the often unheralded impact UK business schools have on the UK’s economy and on society more widely. 

From Airbus in North Wales, to a successful tech start-up in the Midlands, to hairdressers in Southampton, all have benefitted from working with their local business schools.

Globally acclaimed for their outstanding academic achievements, unparalleled industry exposure and a culture that encourages innovation and creativity, the UK’s business schools are a critical part of the UK higher education sector and contribute more than £13bn to the UK economy every year.

Presented by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, ‘The Impact Factor’ gives an unprecedented insight in to those at the forefront of academic excellence in our business schools across the country, and underlines the value their far-reaching impact has on UK productivity and beyond. 

Business schools are a catalyst for innovation, capable of building strong, research-led partnerships with organisations of all sizes in the UK and around the world.

This research helps to tackle real-world problems in business and daily life and has the potential to address the productivity challenges in the Government’s industrial strategy.

Through world-leading management education the UK’s business schools teach more students than any other university subject, including a third of all international students studying in the UK.

This is delivered through well-known MBA programmes and across undergraduate courses, specialist Master’s degrees, and management apprenticeships programmes.

Combined these courses bring in £5bn per year in course fees to universities and help build the UK’s academic and business reputation at home and abroad.

The Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, Anne Kiem, who gives an interview in the programme, highlights the opportunities and challenges that face UK business schools today:

“UK business schools are already among the best in the world in teaching the managers of tomorrow and addressing societies grand challenges through research. Unfortunately, these contributions often go unrecognised. This programme shows why business schools deserve the same level of attention from policymakers as other leading disciplines, and what they can achieve with the right infrastructure and support. We are proud to present this project as evidence of why business schools matter.”

Elizabeth Fisher-Robins, Head of Industry News, ITN Productions said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Chartered Association of Business Schools to help illustrate how a business school education can add value for students and businesses alike and to highlight business schools as the best place to train managers and as a home for research and thought leadership on business.”

Drawing upon ITN’s 60-year heritage and expertise in storytelling, ‘The Impact Factor’ combines a series of authoritative interviews, reports, and case studies from leading business schools who are creating industry-leading research, improving education standards and developing future business leaders:

• University of Edinburgh Business School,
• Bath Business School,
• Warwick Business School,
• University of Bedfordshire Business School,
• BPP University School of Business and Technology,
• Southampton Business School,
• Edinburgh Napier University Business School,
• Ulster University Business School,
• University of Portsmouth Business School,
• Queens Management School,
• Brunel Business School,
• Adam Smith Business School,
• Canterbury Christ Church Business School,
• Derby Business School,
• Cass Business School,
• Hull University Business School,
• York Management School,
• Coventry Business School, and
• Bristol Business School. 

The ‘Impact Factor’ also features special reports from Chester Business School, UCL School of Management, ESCP Europe, Aston Business School, Alliance Business School, Alliance Manchester Business School and Regent’s Business School.

About the Chartered Association of Business Schools: The voice of the UK’s business and management education sector. They support members to maintain world-class standards of teaching and research, and help shape policy and create opportunities through dialogue with business and government. The UK’s business schools contribute over £13 billion to the UK economy annually through their teaching, research and wider impacts. They teach more students than any other subject in UK universities. Business and management graduates go on to lead global businesses or become entrepreneurs, contributing to our dynamic economy. Business school research has an impact across society and helps to turn our capacity for invention into viable businesses. Our members consist of 120 business schools and higher education providers, as well as affiliate stakeholders, corporate members and international partners.

About ITN Productions: ITN’s bespoke production hub producing creative and commercially valuable content for the business, commercial, broadcast and digital sectors. Industry News forms part of this offering and is a communications tool for leading industry bodies and national associations produced in a broadcast news programme format, including interviews, news items and sponsored editorial profiles.