Teaching Excellence Awards
Congratulations to those members of staff who have received certificates of recognition in this years Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Awards.
Here are some quotes from our students about them.
"The most energetic lecturer one can have, one of the few that really make a difference in students' lives"
"I can definitely say that the way this lecturer teaches is brilliant"
"He is very good at helping one when needed and replies very quickly"
"He is very passionate about teaching and has a very indepth knowledge about the subject"
"He creates enthusiasm and passion in his students through his way of teaching"
Exemptions Towards Chartered Management Accountant Qualification
The Department is delighted to announce that all four of our MSc programmes have recently been accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Exemptions will be awarded from CIMA's professional examinations, according to the route taken through the MSc. For more details see CIMA's own website.
LOCAL GRADUATE RECOGNISED BY NEW AWARD
Kerrie McKnight, 22, from Falkirk is one of four graduates from universities in Glasgow to be recognised by a new awards programme. Kerrie has been awarded £1,000 by the partners behind Glasgow’s International Financial Services District (IFSD) for achieving top marks in her final exams.
She achieved a first in her BA (Hons) Finance degree from the University of Strathclyde and is looking forward to starting with PricewaterhouseCoopers in August.
The new awards programme was established by the IFSD Partnership to recognise the wealth of talent graduating from Glasgow’s four universities, prepared for careers in financial services.
Each of the four students was awarded £1,000 and all four students were nominated by their individual universities as ‘outstanding achievers’ from courses designed for careers in financial services.
The three other award winners were graduates from the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of the West of Scotland.
Jim Watson, director of financial services, Scottish Enterprise who presented the awards to the students on behalf of Glasgow’s IFSD said, “These awards recognise the great work being done by the universities in Glasgow and the relationships they have with the financial services sector to ensure a steady pipeline of well qualified graduates to work in the industry. And, the awards also recognise the breadth and depth of talent graduating from these universities which is, we believe, very reassuring for existing financial services companies in the city and prospective inward investors.”
Since its launch in 2001, the IFSD has been developed by a partnership of the public and private sectors led by Scottish Enterprise and Glasgow City Council. Over £1 billion has so far been invested to transform the previously run down area of the city centre. The District has attracted over 15,000 financial sector jobs from some of the biggest names in global finance including Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Barclays Wealth, BNP Paribas, HSBC, esure, Direct Line, Tesco Bank and Odyssey Financial Technologies.
Ends 27 July 2010
For further information please contact David Budge at Budge PR on Tel: 0141 553 1115 or e-mail david.budge@budgepr.com
Accounting & Finance Society
The Accounting & Finance Society held their first social event on Friday 19th February. It was a Charity event with the proceeds going to the Haiti DEC appeal. They raised £350 for this good cause.
CIMA and BAE Systems
Since 2007 CIMA and BAE Systems have been heavily involved in a unique opportunity to strengthen links with Strathclyde University. Both Strathclyde University and BAE Systems have highlighted below the benefits born out of this partnership; not just to students, but also employers.
BAE Systems
In order to develop and attract students, BAE have recognised the quality of Strathclyde graduates, which has resulted in the creation of the BAE business case study, developed by CIMA. Since it was implemented, it has been successful within the Management Accounting degree.
CIMA is committed to building links with universities and employers in order to promote careers in management accountancy and the opportunities afforded by the professional qualification. By engaging with students in bringing management accountancy to life, it enables them to see how the theory works within the teaching environment.
Strathclyde University
Individually and collectively, students diagnose and solve organisational problems through a series of case studies and seminars. In this time, students must appreciate the potential limitations that are periodically encountered. By using this method it enables students to be better equipped for case-study examinations which are a common part of the CIMA professional qualification.
Students involved will:
- gain the ability to interact with senior management accountants who deal with real-life
situations - gain a ‘unique’ insight into contemporary organisations and the key issues that
accountants face - increase their confidence in their own ability to problem solve.
- begin to understand the complexities of working as a management accountant
- develop intellectual, theoretical and conceptual understanding of case study situations
- enhance skills in analysis and the evaluation of evidence.
CIMA is committed to developing the partnership that it has built between Strathclyde
University and BAE Systems.
Feedback for Accounting Firms
KPMG
Strathclyde Universities Accounting and Finance Department have been extremely helpful in helping KPMG promote to your students. I received valued support from Jillian in terms of access to information on when and how to best target students. The department have also been instrumental in the setting up of the new Acc & Finance society which was highlighted as something we as an employer would be keen to see developed.
In terms of the graduates KPMG takes on from Strathclyde, we took on 14 graduates in 2008 and 1 vacation student.
PwC
At PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) we have recruited a number of students from Strathclyde University. These students come from a wide variety of degree backgrounds including Accountancy & Finance courses and demonstrate key skills and competencies that PwC look for. As a major employer of graduate trainees, PwC recognises the important role played by the University and the Accountnacy and Finance department in producing high-calibre, motivated individuals, who are ready to enter the world of financial services.
Deloitte
In the current year have recruited 12 graduates from the University of Strathclyde, many of whom have been students within the Accounting and Finance Department. We are consistently impressed with the calibre of the students who join us from Strathclyde and believe the range of classes covering technical areas as well as presentations skills and working in groups equips the students with the range of skills we as employers are looking for.
We have worked well with the department in the past by sponsoring student prizes, graduation balls and other student events such as five asides and have always found the staff, and in particular those in the Departmental office, to be very helpful in assisting us with our graduate recruitment efforts.
The Brightest and Best
The CA qualification attracts some of the brightest and best from the Accounting profession. Some of those up-and-coming stars of the CA world are former Strathclyde students. Full Story
KPMG
Strathclyde Universities Accounting and Finance Department have been extremely helpful in helping KPMG promote to your students. I received valued support from Jillian in terms of access to information on when and how to best target students. The department have also been instrumental in the setting up of the new Acc & Finance society which was highlighted as something we as an employer would be keen to see developed.
In terms of the graduates KPMG takes on from Strathclyde, we took on 14 graduates in 2008 and 1 vacation student.
PwC
At PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) we have recruited a number of students from Strathclyde University. These students come from a wide variety of degree backgrounds including Accountancy & Finance courses and demonstrate key skills and competencies that PwC look for. As a major employer of graduate trainees, PwC recognises the important role played by the University and the Accountnacy and Finance department in producing high-calibre, motivated individuals, who are ready to enter the world of financial services.
Deloitte
In the current year have recruited 12 graduates from the University of Strathclyde, many of whom have been students within the Accounting and Finance Department. We are consistently impressed with the calibre of the students who join us from Strathclyde and believe the range of classes covering technical areas as well as presentations skills and working in groups equips the students with the range of skills we as employers are looking for.
We have worked well with the department in the past by sponsoring student prizes, graduation balls and other student events such as five asides and have always found the staff, and in particular those in the Departmental office, to be very helpful in assisting us with our graduate recruitment efforts.
The Sky's the limit for Richard
A student from Cambuslang has graduated with a first class honours degree from the University of Strathclyde - and the highest set of marks in finance in a decade.
Richard Barclay, 22, was born with cerebral palsy - a condition which affects movement and speech. But his hard work and can-do attitude have ensured his condition has never got in the way of success. By the age of three, he defied his condition by walking for the first time. Today, he is top of the class in a department ranked number one in the UK by the Complete University Guide.
Richard said: "I am extremely competitive and have always had a determination to succeed in life. The course has been extremely interesting and stimulating, especially the topics covered in the honours year. There is no denying the syllabus is challenging, and I will not miss the copious number of days and nights spent working on my dissertation! However, the rewards were worth the effort. Now I'm seeking a dynamic career which will challenge me as much as university did, and one in which I can continue to carve out a successful legacy."
Richard has already completed internships with leading auditing and investment firms, and is keen to build his career in the Finance sector.
Among the first to congratulate him was Professor Andrew Marshall, Head of the University's Department of Accounting & Finance. Professor Marshall said: "Richard's marks were outstanding and the highest of any intake of students over the last ten years. His ability, work ethic and personality will make him a great asset for any company. We are very proud of his achievements and look forward to watching his career progress. He has been a real inspiration to the people around him."
In his spare time, Richard is an avid music fan and stays in close contact with his heroes from the American rock band, Toto. He said: "Music is my main passion, but as I was unable to pursue it due to limitations in my dexterity, I chose to play to my strengths and study a discipline that would stretch me intellectually. I chose to study at Strathclyde Business School because of its reputation among employers. The department was also exceptionally proficient at catering for students' individual needs, which I was very appreciative of. With a speech difficulty, oral presentations were always interesting! But if all else failed, humour usually won over the audience."
Among those celebrating Richard's graduation at the Barony Hall were his parents and brother Graham. He added: "My family is very proud of my achievements, but they have never pressured me. They are extremely supportive of me regardless of what it is I'm doing, whether it's pursuing my hobbies, education or career. They just hope that I am able to find a job relatively quickly so I can start paying my way! My attitude has always been that cerebral palsy makes me stand out from the crowd - so why not stand out even more by achieving excellence? I'd say this motto has been quite effective in life."
