The University is celebrating after being shortlisted in two categories of one of the region's most prestigious awards.
The Business School, and the Alumni and Brand teams have reached the finals of the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s Northern Star Business Awards.
The Business School was shortlisted in the Inspiring Futures category - which celebrates business success across the region - for its Young People’s Engagement Programme.
The programme for schools has proven invaluable for enabling young peoples’ employability skills and careers progression across the North-east, engaging with more than 750 youngsters across 30 schools, 10 of which were in areas of deprivation in 2018/19. During 2019/20, prior to the emergence of Covid-19, school engagement and session numbers increased significantly.
Developed in collaboration with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Aberdeen City Council (ACC), Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust (AFCCT) and education colleagues from North East schools, it delivers a busy and diverse programme of both on-campus activities as well as upskilling workshops in the community.
Meanwhile, another hugely successful initiative - a collaborative project between the Alumni and Brand teams – was shortlisted in the Marketing Magic category for its ‘From Aberdeen to…’ campaign. Devised to increase student recruitment, conversion, retention and employability by demonstrating the varied career paths available to students graduating from the University’s many distinct courses, the campaign highlighted a range of talented alumni now working in industries and roles across the globe.
The campaign has resulted in not only a raised national and global profile for the University, but through its engagement with alumni across the globe, has brought added profile to the Aberdeen region.
Martin Meyer, Head of Business School, said: “We are delighted that the Business School have been shortlisted and recognised for the incredible work this year that has gone into developing the Young People’s Engagement Programme.
“This would not have been possible without the dedication and support of all the staff within the Business School, in particular Pamela Cumming, Lucia Giuntoli and Professor Norman Hutchison for building the foundations of the programme.”
Katina Allan, Head of Alumni Relations, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Marketing Magic award. ‘From Aberdeen To…’ has been a great campaign to work on as it tells a fantastic story of the talent that is grown here in Aberdeen.
“The University of Aberdeen boasts a fantastic array of alumni working in diverse industries across the globe and we are proud to share their stories which act as inspiration for our current and future students.”
This year saw a record 130 nominations submitted for the 12 categories in the annual awards, which are in their 17th year. The winners will be unveiled during a black tie ceremony at P&J Live next March.