Dr. Siv Vangen has been and continues to be connected with the school in a number of ways. She gained her degrees (BA, MSc and Phd) from the Business School and held various academic positions in the period from 1993 up until 2002 when she left to take up her current position with the Open University Business School. She visits the school regularly to tutor on weekend schools (Strategic Issues Exploration) and to maintain joint research activities.
Siv's research is focused around two inter-connected strands concerning the development of practice oriented theory about the management of collaboration (partnerships, alliances and networks) as well as process theory about the accessibility and usability of theory for practitioners. With both strands, the aim has been to develop and deliver theory around a set of Collaboration Themes that grew out of her research with practitioners about the challenges they face when working collaboratively across organisational boundaries. Her research has earned prestigious awards and the resulting theory is acknowledged internationally.
In her role at the Open University, Siv is among other duties preoccupied with the development of a new and exciting MBA course currently refereed to as Making a Difference and concerned with developing students' capacity to shape and affect change.