Exeter University Context
The University of Exeter Business School in Penryn, known as the Sustainable Futures Department, encourages students to work on the interface of sustainability and business, with a heavy focus on employability. The Department offers taught undergraduate programmes, such as a BSc Business, BSc Business and Environment, Law with Business LLB and a Politics and Management BA, all integrating multiple work experience opportunities whilst framing learning objectives around sustainability goals.
The Business Field Trip (Cornwall) module allows 3rd year Business School students to scrutinise aspects of strategic human resource management, economic behaviour, marketing, enterprise and planning in real time. The module aims to integrate and focus prior learning through the practical experience of a business field trip, which will also allow students to network, carry-out primary research and meet fellow students while maintaining a strong employability focus by building on existing skills and knowledge. For reference the previous trips in recent years have been to New York, so we had big shoes to fill with the switch becoming Dundee city - Circular Tayside was open to the challenge!
The focus of the trip is for the students to gain business experience and provide stimulating trip observing and interacting with existing business schemes that either capitalise or monitor environmental benefits - The proposed agenda comprises two working days in the Dundee area and a single working day in Edinburgh.
DAY ONE - Cutting-edge research and applied sustainability
DAY TWO - Edinburgh: International finance and the political context
DAY THREE - Circular design and climate-positive enterprise
Cutting-edge research and applied sustainability
Day one provided an experience educating how innovative and sustainably driven our city is becoming, the theme for the day was centred around "Cutting Edge Research and Applied Sustainability".
We started with a visit to the Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce building to be joined by John Alexander and Naomi Clarke alongside Alison Henderson to help explain the actions Dundee has taken and is still implementing to become a circular economy.
We visited the University of Dundee and met with Kirsty Macari MRTPI FHEA AoU who hosted a panel to discuss the Circular manifesto; a thinking exercise where the Exeter and Dundee business students collaborated together to produce a series of imaginative ideas. Followed by a visit to Abertay University to meet our final academic host of the day, Jonathan Wilkin, who had provided us with a tour of Abertay's innovation food labs highlighting their success in working with businesses like Arbikie distillery!
Edinburgh: International finance and the political context
The students visited JP Morgan then they went to the Scottish Parliament for guided tours and were greeted by Chris White, the Parliamentary assistant who assisted in coordinating this trip. Additionally they got the opportunity to meet Willie Rennie, with over twenty years experience in politics as MP for Dunfermline and Chief Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Circular design and climate-positive enterprise
Day three was centred around "Circular Design and climate-positive enterprise".
We started the day with a visit to the The James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie hosted by Jonathan Snape and colleagues to explain the science underpinning indoor farming and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre, developing carbon positive products and supply chain resilience under future climate change scenarios.
The group enjoyed a guided tour of V&A MUSEUM EVENTS LIMITED hosted by Peter Nurick the Communities Producer for V&A - the guide included the history of the V&A museums and the unique construction process for the museum inspired by the Arbroath cliffs. The visit included access to the museum exhibits and talk by Peter about the extensive community engagement programme.
Our last visit of the day was held at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc hosted by Colin Arnold and Gill Simpson, along with the chance to hear from senior members of the team about the journey of the site and the innovation programme. The tour showed the plans they have to refurbish old buildings into new workshops to provide education and innovation buildings and exciting plans to welcome lots of new tenants.