Recently, 14 HELP Academy students were presented the prestigious Dean’s Award from the University of Derby (UOD). The Dean’s Award is presented to the deserving individuals whose first and second-year academic achievements and activities are resonant with the core values of the university.
The awards ceremony was attended by Ms Gail Thrippleton, UOD’s International Partnership Manager; Dr Costas Theodoridis, UOD’s BA Business Management External Examiner; Mr. Brian Wilkinson, the CMI representative, as well as the faculty members and students from the Department of Management Studies (DOMS).
In her opening address to the students, Ms Gail Thrippleton said that Dean’s Award was a special way of recognising top performing students at the UOD programmes. It serves as an inspiration and motivation to the other students to strive and achieve their potential in their studies. She also said that the students have made great progress through the years of partnership between the University of Derby and HELP Academy.
Dr Theodoridis also added that the improvement of the students’ work also stems from the success of their partnership and the effective delivery of the programme carried out at HELP Academy. As an external examiner, he mentioned that the students at HELP Academy are very promising and that the standards of their work are up to par with the students at the University of Derby in the UK.
Ms Thrippleton said that the University of Derby and HELP Academy has achieved a lot in the four years that they have been in partnership. Their main achievement was the International Study Trip to the UOD UK campus in July 2017, where over 40 students visited the University of Derby and took part in a week of activities. It was supported by their partners, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), where the students participated in a student leadership challenge.
The trip provides a comprehensive yet enjoyable learning experience for the UOD students which includes opportunities to attend seminars and lectures, as well as visits to Derby’s industry partners. This allows the students to gain a wider perspective and new insight of how businesses and large corporations operate in the real world.
Tong Zi Yan, a Year 3 Accounting and Finance student at the UOD programmes and recipient of the Dean’s Award, said that the one thing she enjoyed about her course is how practical her classes were. Rather than focusing solely on the theory aspect of accounting and finance, students will also have internship opportunities to earn experience and apply whatever they have learned in the working field.
Raja Nur Syazwina, who is in her third year studying Business Management, also echoed Zi Yan’s sentiments and said that through the stimulating academic environment and the teaching efforts from the lecturers at the UOD programmes, she was able to have a good grasp of the concepts and applications taught in the classroom and how it relates to a future career in Business Management.
The HELP Education Group prides itself on its choice of partner universities, which are top-notch in terms of quality of programmes and ranking. The University of Derby is a modern, innovative education provider with over 160 years of expertise in education. It is ranked among the Top 50 UK universities in the Guardian University Guide 2017.
Through its partnership with HELP Academy, three 3+0 degree programmes from the Derby Business School are being offered to students who are interested in a high-quality education. They are: BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance, BA (Hons) Business (International Business) and BA (Hons) Business Management.
Two UOD programmes have received the accreditation from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) — Business Management and International Business. Through the accreditation, students will be enrolled as Affiliate Members of CMI and will receive an Advanced Diploma in Management and Leadership. Other than that, taking a management qualification will result in professional recognition from potential employers and improved performance in the workplace.
The department also offers a Diploma in Business Management and a Certificate in Business Management to better prepare students for further studies in the field of business. DOMS focuses on providing a unique educational experience for students through the special modules offered to enhance students’ intellectual and academic skills.