Summer Graduation at the University of Salford

Graduation day is a day of happiness and celebration. It is a day of endings and of new beginnings – it is the end of your hard work and commitment toward achieving your degree and the beginning of working towards achieving your dreams.

Graduation day is the reward for your perseverance and focus and the prize – Your Degree Certificate.

The University of Salford recently celebrated its summer graduation for the class of 2018. Students from all over the world were joined by their family and friends to celebrate this important day in their lives. Wearing the cap and gown and walking down the aisle – a day of pride and a dream fulfilled.

If you have also had dreams of earning your Masters degree and attending a university graduation ceremony with all its pomp and glory, join us today and live your dreams. For more information download programme catalogue.

Here are all the highlights from our fantastic Summer Graduation 2018! 🎓

Are you willing to take the ‘Risk’?

Every business faces risk. These risks present potential threat to the success of the business. Risk is defined as a probability or threat of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be avoided through preemptive action. 

What I found interesting, is the next part of the definition of Risk here: Risk is not an uncertainty (where neither the probability nor the mode of occurrence is known), a peril (cause of loss), or a hazard (something that makes the occurrence of a peril more likely or more severe).

So Risk is not an uncertainty and it can be avoided with preemptive action. This is where Risk Management in business comes into play!

What is Risk Management?
risk man·age·ment
noun
(in business) the forecasting and evaluation of financial risks together with the identification of procedures to avoid or minimize their impact.

 

Risk management is a proactive process for resolving problems before they occur. It focuses on identifying what could go wrong, evaluating which risks should be dealt with and implementing strategies to deal with those risks. Businesses that have identified the risks will be better prepared and have a more cost-effective way of dealing with them. Risk management is the practice of using processes, methods and tools for managing these risks.

 

A risk management process is pretty simple and involves following steps:

  • Identification of the risks (there are several kinds of risks: strategic, compliance, financial and operational) surrounding the business  activities
  • assessing the likelihood of an event occurring
  • planning the framework to respond to these events
  • implementation of the plan of action as necessary
  • monitoring the effectiveness of your risk management approaches and controls

 

There is another interesting aspect of Risk Management : Apart from assessing the effect of the negative; It’s also about managing the positive outcome of risk: opportunity. More and more businesses are now focusing on harnessing the ‘opportunity’ for their strategic success.

Our Online MBA Risk Management caters to the demand of specialised risk managers in the global business arena. It explores the range of concepts and functions of risk management and associated practices within the business sector. Download the catalogue to learn more about the programme and the enrolment process

 

How to choose a career for yourself

When It Comes to Careers, Change Is a Constant

Apparently, it is one of the toughest and most crucial decisions (apart from choosing a life partner) that each one of us take in our lives. You can be at any stage of your life – a professional working in the field for several years – trying to do something new or just venturing into the practical world after finishing your education; determining your career path can prove to be an extremely overwhelming process.

There are hundreds and thousands of career options. And with the advancements in technology, social media and online interfaces, newer careers have boomed in last few years. The more choices we have, the more anxiety it causes us and the more we fear the consequences of making the wrong decision. We have a natural tendency to not want to close doors, so instead we will scramble back and forth to keep each option open “just in case.” Instead of helping us, this leads to a debilitating sense of indecision.

 

For most of us, our career paths are predetermined. Predetermined by parents, friends, peers, society and circumstances. As a child, we swim (or just try to) in the river, which our parents and society trust is the best path to our successes. We are told how to keep afloat and follow the pack and what our goals should be. Our job isn’t to think about our path—it’s to succeed on the path we’ve been placed on, based on the way success has been defined for us. Now, some of us develop passions and interest on the path they are put onto and make successful careers; whilst others are left pondering on their career decisions. But everyone, (including the successful ones) should pause and introspect if it was really them who chalked out their career paths? The map of your career path should be self designed.

With a little self-exploration and some research, you can easily choose a career that will leave you feeling fulfilled.

Ideally, everyone would know their true calling early in life and find happiness in their work, but it often doesn’t work that way. One survey (of New York professionals) found that they expected to change careers three times in their lifetimes; lifelong careers may not be the norm any more.

Here is what you can do:

Identify your skill set : Evaluate yourself on the various aspects where you are good at. Ask friends, family, colleague for their inputs and narrowing down your strengths.

Jot down your interests and passions: Enlist the things you love to do. It could be sculpting, nature walks, travelling, volunteering, building things, woodcraft etc.

Determining the Option Pool: Bringing together your wants and the reality (skill set), you get a pool of practical options for your career choice.

Be lead by your own aspirations and not societal expectations: Your career choice should be an informed personal decision based on a thorough knowledge of your own strengths, skills, interests, style and values; and not what society expects to become or do in life.

and most importantly,

Believe in yourself!

 

For more information about our Online programmes that can help shape your career; download the catalogue.

 

 

Benefits of joining an Accredited University

A degree can have a significant impact of your career aspirations, from the opportunities extended to the salaries offered. However, your choice of university or college will have a major influence of these career opportunities. As more universities begin to offer degree programmes online, it’s especially important to know which ones provide the academic excellence desired by many employers.

The quality of your education is probably the most important consideration in making your decision as regards a college or a university, after all you will be investing a substantial amount of your time, effort and money in obtaining this degree and will be expecting a return on your investment.

Due to technological advancements and a growing need for organisations to have a qualified workforce, the number of universities and colleges that offer online programmes to meet this requirement have increased dramatically over the last few years. However not all programs deliver an excellent education.

Accreditation means that an institution was evaluated based on specific guidelines. Some of the benefits that an accredited university offers are:

  • To ensure that education provided by institutions meet an acceptable level of quality
  • Facilitate a graduate’s entry into certain licensure and certification programs
  • Ensure a university honours its promises to students
  • Monitoring and Improving education standards

Recruiters place importance on credentials and will likely verify whether a school is regionally accredited and this can have a direct impact on not only whether you get the opportunity offered but on the salary that is being offered. So ensure the degree programmes you consider are offered through a respected – and accredited – educational institution.

From the student perspective an accredited university will help you stand out from the competition when applying for the best jobs and give your prospective employers the confidence that you possess the skills and education they are looking for.

Robert Kennedy Collegewith almost 14,000 students from almost every county in the world offers one of the most diverse, accredited and globally recognised online master’s degree programmes in both Business Law, Leadership and Management through exclusive partnerships with British universities. For more information download programme catalogue.

Considerations for choosing a business degree program

It’s a competitive world today and education is a key to success for many. Therefore, choosing a promising degree program is vital to ensure a promising career. As a prospective student, what factors affect your decision of pursuing masters and choice of the course?

 

I studied this survey by mba.com Prospective Students Survey Report* and found it interesting in understanding the key aspects of candidate behaviors and preferences in selection of a graduate business programme. The Survey Report explores the business school pipeline from the prospective students’ point of view, analyzing motivations, intended career outcomes, and program choices shared by 10,017 prospective students in 2015.

UNDERSTANDING THE MINDSET

Professional MBA candidates have the most work experience and are most likely to continue working while pursuing their degree. They want to gain more respect and recognition in the workplace and advance professionally to the next level through promotions and salary increases. They are more driven by information that shows how a program can fit into their life (e.g., distance to work/home, class format, and schedules)

QUALITY MORE IMPORTANT THAN COST

Two-thirds of prospective students are determined to get into the best school possible, so quality and reputation of program are top school selection factors. Prospective students weigh the quality and reputation of a program more heavily than they do financial aspects; however, total costs are among the top three factors they consider.

 

CAREER GOALS POST QUALIFICATION

Students deciding to enroll in a graduate business program typically have three general career goals in mind for their postgraduate employment: 1) continue on their current career path, 2) switch careers, or 3) start a business.

 

 

INCENTIVE TO CONSIDER BUSINESS DEGREE

Three in four (77%) prospective students first considered business school because of a special event or trigger. The most common event is when a candidate starts a search for a new job and realizes he or she lacks the necessary knowledge, skills, or abilities to be competitive for the position they seek.

At RKC we bring you the best of both worlds, flexibility of online learning with the benefits of traditional learning environment and networking.

Begin the journey of your Masters here and enrol for you dream Online MBA qualification.

 

*The mba.com Prospective Students Survey is a product of the Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®), a global nonprofit education organization of leading graduate business schools and the owner of the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®).

Student Testimonials – Hear the success stories of our LLM Graduates

Online education is fast becoming one of the key gateways through which people are able to realise their educational and professional aspirations. It does not matter whether you are at the pinnacle of your professional career or just starting out; you are maybe looking for a change in career path or enhance subjective knowledge. Online education can just help you achieve this & more; all at your own pace.

Watch the motivating testimonials of Ms. Sofia Maria Gadain and Mr. Basil Abuhamdieh, two individuals from different walks of life and from different countries and different motivations in doing the Masters; but have one thing in common – They both graduated from the University of Cumbria Online Master of Laws (LL.M) programme! 

Click here for more information on the online programmes offered by Robert Kennedy College through exclusive partnerships with British Universities.

Make the Most of Your RKC Experience

Graduate school programs such as an MBA can provide the advanced skills required to take a career to the next level. They not only offer academic knowledge but also peer interaction to test ideas, hone abilities and gain insights into one another’s strengths. Building and nourishing a strong academic network can form a valuable circle of influence to provide a pool of knowledge and sounding boards for challenging career moments. Academic networking can build upon the theoretical benefits of a graduate degree when applied within practical professional arenas for a lifetime of learning.

Robert Kennedy College (RKC) in Zürich, Switzerland, hosts and manages the online portion of master’s level programs. A notable advantage of the RKC combined online and residency program is the global network of professionals from several universities interacting in the online forums and Campus Café. With over 5,000 students from 130 different countries, the opportunity to build an international professional network is exceptional. These interactions are not only virtual; students also meet face-to-face while attending their residencies.

The Masters level programs bring mid- to senior- level professionals with wide ranging experience and geographical locations together. Within a traditional university, students are all living and working in the city or region. However, at RKC, students live and work in their home country, bringing their local perspectives into each discussion and lesson. Students learn how to effectively collaborate and achieve results within remote working groups. In an ever more international world, developing this flexibility is a unique skill.

Robert Kennedy College students and alumni are able to network with thousands of others opening access and creating career opportunities that otherwise may have been missed.

One example of such post academic business collaboration is Mircea Baldean, MBA, alumni from the University of Wales/Robert Kennedy College program and Carol Aebi, MBA, alumni from the University of Cumbria/Robert Kennedy College program. Carol and Mircea interacted through the RKC online forum then stayed connected after graduation. When Mircea was developing a new business idea, he tapped into his university network for validation and concept development, engaging Carol for her start-up strategic expertise. The two also partner with Gabriel, a Silicon Valley-based geospatial technologist, and their business MeetVibe, Inc. was founded. From Zurich to Toronto to San Francisco, the team works remotely but in a very cohesive and collaborative manner, a valuable skill developed through the RKC program.

RKC Alumni and MeetVibe founders – Mircea Baldean and Carol Aebi, joined by co-founder Gabriel Paun (left) at Web Summit 2017

Their app is the next evolution of social technology, creatively layering IoT interactions with market-validated social technologies into a unified platform. Last year they released the MeetVibe beta for iOS. Students from across programs joined in. Influences such as Asad Imam, Mohamud A. Verjee, Slobodan Bogovac, Joyce Njeri, and Jeremy Hewitt all provided guidance and spread the word. With a network of support, in January 2017 the beta for Android was released.

MeetVibe launched their business offer in July 2017 at the largest tech conference in Asia, and participated in the Web Summit, the biggest tech conference in the world held in Lisbon in November 2017.

Are you maximizing your professional networking opportunities and tapping into this talent pool?

It is not enough to simply collect a list of names or link social media profiles. Meaningful relationships extend beyond the online environment and are built with time and attention. Carol and Mircea’s MeetVibe app can help. Sign up today and share calendar availability and social media profiles with fellow students and alumni. Schedule a virtual meeting, call or get-together to develop valuable relationships.

Make the most of your RKC experience – build a global professional network to support your success!

Congratulations to MALIC 2017 Graduates!

 

Congratulations to the students of Robert Kennedy College who graduated in early November in the stunning setting of York Minster with a Masters degree in Leading Innovation and Change, a programme in RKC’s exclusive partnership with York St John University.

Students graduated alongside an array of leading figures in the charity sector, conservation, psychology, business, sport, music, television and the Deaf community, who were awarded honorary degrees. Recipients included children’s campaigner Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, actress Dame Penelope Wilton, and Steve Rowe, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer. Also recognised were the Yorkshire Rows, the oldest all-female crew to row across the Atlantic who started learning to row at the Guy Fawkes Boat Club in York.

Professor Karen Stanton, Vice Chancellor of York St John University, said: “This year’s honorary graduates are an especially motivational group of people.”

The graduation ceremony was streamed live from York Minster (in the video above, take a look at the ‘view’ our graduates get when they take to the stage to receive their degrees). Some students, for this special occasion, wore their national costume under their graduation gowns.

There were different entry points for the guests and the graduating students. While the guests entered the Minster by the Great West Door (facing Deansgate), the graduating students entered by the South Door (near the Roman Column and the statue of Constantine). At the appropriate time, they were directed onto the stage where their award was conferred with a handshake, and as the new graduates they joined the academic procession at the end of the ceremony. Both the students and the guests then came together for refreshments and visited a series of exhibitions at Holgate.

 

At this formal graduation ceremony, 16 students from Robert Kennedy College came together from around the world.                          (RKC announcement begins at 26:50). It was a truly diverse group with students from countries like Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Ghana, Mexico, Jordan, Cyprus, Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and Guatemala. They depicted the truly global student community that Robert Kennedy College produces year after year. You too can be a proud graduate and part of this global community by enrolling into our Online Masters programme. Don’t take our word for it, have a look at the group of happy RKC graduates for yourself: