The Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Business and Management: It’s never been more relevant

When COVID-19 first became headline news in early 2020, different countries across the world saw a run on basic foodstuff and household goods. Empty supermarket shelves became an all too familiar picture – and the first indication that something was going seriously wrong with the world’s supply chains. 

But prior to COVID-19, how much of the populace would even have known what a supply chain is? Or how much we depend on the supply chains that crisscross the planet, keeping global trade moving on a daily basis? 

The reality is that supply chains and the other critical operations and function of business remain largely unknown or misunderstood. While COVID might have changed that to a certain extent, there’s possibly still some residual perception of business and management as being dry or boring or impossibly complex. Yet business is all around all of us, all the time. And the role of businesses has never been so relevant, says Rajeev Bali, Academic Director of the Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Business and Management.

“Business is what keeps economies and societies moving and they have an increasingly important role to play in how our systems and structures, our knowledge and essential resources are managed. Understanding the fundamentals of how businesses operate and how they are interconnected – how different entities are managed and how different sectors and economies fundamentally work – is absolutely critical in understanding modern life and the challenges that we face; as well as the solutions to those challenges.”

The Certificate is a perfect introduction to the world of business, strategy and management, says Raj. And it’s an accessible programme that welcomes participants from a huge breadth of backgrounds and geographies. 

Dupe Balogun has her own venture, Topkidz, which offers childcare services to families in the UK. She also holds a Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management. But a number of challenges and objectives dovetailed in 2020 that brought her to  ICE and to the Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Business and Management. 

First there was the uncertainty and fear engendered by the pandemic, which closed down her business for eight gruelling months.

“COVID was a major disruption that made me realise I needed to update my thinking on strategy and look at ways to diversify, building on the skills, knowledge and experience that I already have. The pandemic and the lockdowns hit us hard as small business owners and got us wondering if this would be the end for us. So I decided to be proactive and to apply for this course partly as a challenge to rethink my approach, and to explore how to streamline operations and delegate more to my staff. I was also interested in building towards another passion that I have: lecturing. I felt that this course would give me the update and the impetus to push forward in both directions.”

Coming back into education for the first time in more than 20 years meant grappling with some trepidation, but the ICE learning experience was as welcoming and supportive as it was inspiring, she says.

“From the get go you are exposed to new ideas and new ways of doing things, and you get to explore all of this with people from all walks of life – fellow students, old and young. Coming out of the course, I’ve already started to apply a lot of these ideas to my own business and I’m seeing stunning results.”

Building her online presence has led to a surge of interest from clients, including two calls from potential customers – the first exploratory calls in more than 10 years, says Dupe. Better still, streamlining her operations has led to gains in efficiency – these in turn have translated into two days each week for herself. 

Dupe is currently putting this time to exceptional use, pursuing her other passions and servicing a re-ignited love of learning. 

“My business is doing well, I’m now lecturing two days a week and I have plans to further my education with a PGCE teacher training diploma and then a PhD looking at the barriers that face female entrepreneurs and how to overcome them. My experience of ICE has given me the impetus to do more, to get more from my business and my life, and to really pursue my passions.”

The course is delivered over three terms that comprehensively address the fundamentals of corporate strategy, strategic leadership, the diverse functions of business from accounting to marketing, and the big ideas that are reshaping the global business environment such as corporate accountability and sustainability.  It’s a stimulating learning experience, Raj insists, that equips each learner with essential understanding of the economy, the current corporate context globally and the players that operate within it. 

“Each term we work through the really key concepts. In unit 1, we explore what strategy means and how it plays out in leadership and corporations, and its role in control and restructuring. Units 2 and 3 are when we drill right down into the different functions of management, and we unpack key areas like budgeting and finance, marketing and communications channels, culminating in sessions on customer values and the big themes of sustainability and more.” 

Units last eight weeks, covering four topics – intensive and interactive contact time via online channels, says Raj. Between these topics, students are encouraged to blog around specific examples or contexts that interest them; these could be related to their own lives, business interests and or objectives in business, he adds.

“Blogs aren’t formally assessed as such, but they’re great exercises that can really hone research skills and the ability to create and refine an argument. In my experience, students find that blogging exercises the mind. The more they write, the better their arguments become.”

Learning is largely based around sessions with the cohort and teachers, forums and presentations and talks by guest industry experts, who bring concepts to life by rooting them within real-world experience. And the online nature of the course means that students who may not want to contribute directly during live sessions, have the option to send their questions to Raj and his colleagues via the online forums. 

“This is an accessible course which means we bring in students from a genuine diversity of backgrounds, interests, sectors and industries. Our cohort is made up by people from the UK, Europe, North America and beyond. Some have a business background, some are motivated by a sense of curiosity or a desire to simply formalise their knowledge. Others are keen to move up the ladder in some way in their careers. What everyone has in common is a hunger to learn.”

For even the most experienced academics, it is often humbling, says Raj, to meet and teach people who want to learn; people who intentionally and voluntarily join the course to expand their thinking and to analyse the why and how behind things. 

“This is a very supportive and welcoming context for people to come in and learn. You don’t need to have prior knowledge or experience in business or strategy, and we encourage everyone to let go of any trepidation, fear or shyness they might feel when they join us at ICE. We won’t just bombard you with theory, and everything you learn is fleshed out in real-life examples again and again. So sign up, come in and ask questions. And remember,” he laughs, “there’s no such thing as a silly question!”

Find out more

Learn more about the Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Business and Management.