Flinders University has transformed the way it delivers business education to raise the bar on 21st century work-readiness.
Professor Phyllis Tharenou, Vice-President and Executive Dean of the College of Business, Government and Law, says the new and contemporary Flinders Business program will reinforce its number one rankings in the areas of student support, overall quality of education experience, teaching quality and learner engagement, as found by independent assessments by QILT and the ISB*.
A recent report by Professor John Spoehr at the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute found that forty per cent of tasks most people perform at work will change within 10 years, as new technologies are implemented.
“The research evidence shows that it is no longer sufficient to educate business graduates in business fundamentals alone – they need to be career-ready,” says Professor Tharenou.
“It’s why we have changed our approach to teaching to focus on developing enterprising graduates with the innate ability to adapt to whatever the workplace throws at them.
“We need to equip them will the ability to create new opportunities for themselves, be their own boss and apply innovative thinking to their workplace.
“It’s clear that the game of business has evolved and our graduates need the capability to adapt and grow in a world that will be more automated, globalised and collaborative than ever before.
“In addition to new course material, our business students have access to an ecosystem of real-world learning opportunities through our rigorous placement program that involves more than 150 businesses.
“Our exceptional live industry projects and placements with host organisations mean that Flinders graduates are best prepared to make a difference in the workforce.”
A suite of exciting new topics has been added to the business program and include New Product Innovation, Social Media Marketing and Innovative and Creative Thinking.
Flinders Business students also have the unique opportunity to test their budding skills in a fertile entrepreneurial space, Flinders New Venture Institute, which is South Australia’s world-class startup hub.
Many of the new topics have been made available through an international partnership with the Fox School of Business, a US top ten business school for entrepreneurship and cutting edge online teaching.
According to Professor Tharenou, expanding the business curriculum is a natural and vital step in ensuring that graduates are fully equipped to thrive in the future world of work.
“Universities can’t afford to sit still and Flinders is embracing the forces of disruption to offer students the training they need to be game-changers in the future world of work,” says Professor Tharenou.
Flinders Business has received outstanding rankings by its domestic undergraduate students on the overall quality of educational experience, engaged learning, teaching quality and student support they receive as evidenced by the latest 2016 QILT survey, where Flinders is a leader in SA and nationally.
Likewise, the 2016 ISB sees Flinders’ international graduates exceed the national and global averages for student satisfaction, with a similarly spectacular performance in learning and support.
Flinders Business was re-launched on 5 July 2017 at a gathering of some 120 business leaders and influencers in South Australia, including Paul Di Iulio, CEO of Campbelltown City Council, Mark Jones from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Daniel Russo from Westpac BT Private Bank, Dr Niki Vincent, Commissioner at the SA Equal Opportunity Commission, and Dipak Dhamala from the Honorary Consulate of Nepal in South Australia.
More information on the new business program can be found at Flinders Business.
* Footnote:
QILT – Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching; No. 1 in Business and Management for domestic undergraduates compared to other SA universities and Go8
ISB – International Student Barometer; 100% ranking for overall support, No. 1 nationally in 11 learning elements