SBS Blog > Shaping the future of business: Strathclyde Business School in 2024 by David Hillier

Shaping the future of business: Strathclyde Business School in 2024

By David Hillier - Posted on 6 January 2025

With 2024 just behind us, Executive Dean Professor David Hillier reflects back on the successes for 2024 and looks forward to 2025.

As we close the books on another remarkable year at Strathclyde Business School, it's a privilege to reflect on the incredible achievements that have defined 2024. It has been one of ground-breaking research, impactful partnerships, and outstanding student success – all fuelled by our unwavering commitment to "useful learning." We've seen our students, faculty, and alumni make a real difference in the world, shaping the future of business and driving positive change across industries and communities.

While 2024 has been significant for celebrating the University of Strathclyde's Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years since receiving our Royal Charter, it has also been a year of forward-looking initiatives. For instance, at Strathclyde Business School (SBS), we are already anticipating a significant milestone for 2025: the 25th anniversary of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation. You may have also noticed that the Hunter Centre recently changed its name, reflecting its expanded scope and focus on a broader range of activities.

Here are some of the highlights that have made 2024 a year to remember at Strathclyde Business School.

Driving Innovation and Entrepreneurship

At Strathclyde, we believe in fostering a spirit of innovation that extends beyond the classroom and into the real world. This year, we've seen that spirit flourish in numerous ways:

The Hunter Centre's Evolution: The newly renamed Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation is a prime example of our commitment to staying at the forefront of entrepreneurial thinking. This change reflects the Centre's expanding role and its impact on a broader range of activities.

KTP Success: Our commitment to knowledge exchange was highlighted by not one, not two, but three Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) projects being shortlisted for the 2024 Innovate UK KTP 'Best of the Best' Awards. To make the shortlist for the Best Management KTP Award (University of Strathclyde/JWF Process Solutions Ltd) and the Best Impact and Transformation Award (JWF Process Solutions Ltd and Fishers Services Ltd) is a testament to our fruitful collaborations with industry partners.

New spin out: Since winning first prize for her startup MyEmploy at the Strathclyde Inspire Awards, Dr Joanna Butler, Department of Work, Employment and Organisation, saw her cloud-based software platform become SBS's first spin out in 2024. She created the company and tool based on her 15 years of experience working in employability and skills providers organisations, further validated through her PhD research.

Leading on Sustainability and Responsible Business

We recognise that the future of business must be sustainable and responsible. This year, we've taken significant steps to embed these principles into our research, teaching, and partnerships:

Launching the Responsible Business Institute (ReBI): Under the leadership of Professor Dimitris Andriosopoulos, ReBI is a strategic initiative that reinforces our dedication to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ReBI is already generating significant impact in the promotion of ethical and sustainable business practices.

Building Sustainable Communities: The Strathclyde Institute for Sustainable Communities (SISC), a joint venture between our Business School and the Faculty of Engineering, is a new centre of research excellence. Led by SBS's Professor Matt Hannon, SISC is exploring the vital role communities play in achieving a sustainable future.

Driving the Green Economy: I'm particularly proud that our academic team will be playing a key role in a £5.5 million centre aimed at supporting the transition to net zero. The new ReMake Value Retention Centre (RVRC), located within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), will drive substantial UK economic impact in partnership with the Universities of Exeter and Sheffield. It's incredibly rewarding to see us engaged in such timely and valuable research.

Shaping Future Leaders

At the heart of Strathclyde Business School is our commitment to developing the next generation of business leaders. This year, we've seen our students and alumni achieve remarkable things:

A Voice at COP29: Angeline Ondeng'e, one of our exceptional PhD students within the Stephen Young Institute for International Business, was given the incredible opportunity to be the University of Strathclyde's sole representative at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Angeline's experience will undoubtedly shape her research and inspire others.

HR Graduate of the Year: Khushboo Parikh, a recent graduate of our MSc International Human Resource Management programme, was named HR Graduate of the Year at the prestigious Hr Network Magazine Awards' Gala Dinner 2024. We are incredibly proud of Khushboo's achievement!

Recognising Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism: Undergraduate Anna Bennett was this year’s winner of the Lord Forte Prize, awarded for the highest overall marks in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Congratulations, Anna!

A Global Alumni Success Story: I was delighted to see the remarkable success of SBS alumnus Nabeel Qadeer, who was named the global winner in the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards Business and Innovation 2024 category. Nabeel's journey from our MSc Business & Management programme in 2012 to becoming a pivotal figure in Pakistan's entrepreneurial landscape is truly inspiring.

Global Recognition and Academic Excellence

Our commitment to excellence has been recognised on both national and international stages:

Triple Accreditation: We were thrilled to receive full reaccreditation from both AMBA and AACSB this year. Maintaining this "triple crown" of accreditations since 2004 is a testament to the consistently high quality of our programmes and our dedication to continuous improvement.

Financial Times Rankings: Our MSc Finance programme was once again recognised in the Financial Times' global ranking – one of just 13 UK schools to be included. Our Executive MBA was also ranked in the FT's top 100, and we were named among the top 100 European Business Schools of 2024. These rankings demonstrate the global recognition of our graduates and the value of a Strathclyde Business School education.

Celebrating Faculty Achievements: It's been a year of well-deserved recognition for our faculty:

Professor Tom Baum received a special award for his dedication to tourism education at the Tenerife Global Summit 2024.
Professor Anne Marie Doherty was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and Fellowship by the Academy of Marketing.
Dr Anna Spadavecchia was awarded the ‘Best International Paper’ prize in the Management History Division at the Academy of Management Meeting in Chicago.
Dr Brian Garvey received the 2023 Nevile-Plowman Prize for his insightful article on contemporary resistance in Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado.
Professor Peter McKiernan was became a member of the RRBM Fellows group by the Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) Working Board.

Research with Real-World Impact

At Strathclyde Business School, our research is not confined to academic journals. We are committed to generating knowledge that addresses real-world challenges and benefits society:

Pioneering Metaverse Research: Dr Andrew Davis, Dr Sharon Lemac-Vincere, and Dr Sissi Lehto teamed up with Scotland's largest health charity, Chest Heart Stroke Scotland (CHSS), to create a ground-breaking charity shop in the metaverse. This innovative project, now successfully launched and open to the public, has the potential to revolutionize the way charities engage with donors. It will be fascinating to see how this develops further.

Investigating Offender Rehabilitation: Dr Markus Gehrsitz was awarded an ADR UK Fellowship of over £150,000 for an 18-month project using administrative data to investigate the effects of offender rehabilitation policies on re-offending. This important research has the potential to inform policy and improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

Harnessing Satellite Data for Sustainability: Dr Steven Owens, Senior AI Lead in Earth Intelligence Finance, Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL), and Department of Accounting and Finance, has secured funding from the Scottish Government to collaborate with University College Dublin. This exciting five-month project, “Reaching New Heights: Strengthening the Scotland Ireland Partnership with Satellite Data,” will explore how satellite data can drive sustainability and climate resilience in Scotland and Ireland.

A Record-Breaking Year for Research Awards

The year 2023/24 was a record year for research awards at the Strathclyde Business School (SBS), achieving £4.4 million in grant awards across all six departments. This marks a phenomenal 80% increase from our position eight years ago with colleagues achieving their first grants, accessing different funding streams and building on previous research areas. Over the past eight years, SBS has secured £22 million in research funding, placing us 6th among UK business schools and maintaining our position as the number 1 business school in Scotland for research income throughout this period.

Our momentum has continued into 2024. Since January 1, SBS has been part of 23 successful research awards totalling nearly £6 million, demonstrating our strong performance and collaborative spirit across all Strathclyde faculties.

Here are some highlights of our recent successes:

Management Science: Professor George Wright, in collaboration with EEE, secured funding as part of the Leverhulme Doctoral Centre for Nature-Inspired Acoustics worth £2 million.
Economics: Dr Markus Gehrsitz led an ESRC-funded project investigating the effects of deferred school starts.
Marketing: Professor Beverly Wagner, in collaboration with Chemistry, contributed to an Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Rumbol Products Ltd, enabling the creation of innovative new products.
Accounting and Finance: Professor Dimitris Andriosopoulos through collaborations with the HaSS faculty secured funding from United States Environmental Protection Agency on advancing Climate Action Plan development.
Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Innovation: Dr Efstathios Tapinos in collaboration with academics from HaSS was part of a AHRC funded project worth £4 million concerning climate change.

These successes showcase our commitment to high quality multi-disciplinary research that drives meaningful impact across disciplines and industries. As we reflect on this year, we see SBS is well-positioned to sustain its success in research funding, and we look forward to building on this trajectory.

Engagement at Our Core

We are proud to be a business school that is deeply engaged with our local community and beyond:

Supporting Small Businesses: We were the first business school in Scotland to be awarded the Small Business Charter Award, recognising our world-leading support for scaling Scottish firms. Through programmes like Help to Grow and the Growth Advantage Programme (GAP), we've helped hundreds of SMEs thrive.

Scottish Impact Investor Readiness Programme: This year, we added the Scottish Impact Investor Readiness Programme, in partnership with the Scottish National Investment Bank, to our executive education portfolio. We were delighted to welcome 18 senior leaders to the programme and to see them graduate in November with extremely positive feedback.

Real-World Learning with Ofgem: Our Department of Accounting and Finance continued its successful Mentoring Programme with Ofgem, the GB energy regulator, helping students prepare for their professional careers. This is a fantastic example of how we connect our students with industry leaders.

Teaming Up with Partick Thistle FC: We're excited to be working with Partick Thistle Football Club on a number of student projects. This collaboration provides our students with invaluable real-world experience, applying their knowledge to help the club achieve its goals, and is another way we ensure our students get that 'useful learning' we pride ourselves on.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we look ahead to 2025, Strathclyde Business School is poised to continue its trajectory of excellence. We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of business education, driving impactful research, and fostering a vibrant community of learners and leaders. We're excited to build on the successes of 2024 and continue shaping the future of business.

Stay connected with us on our website and social media channels to keep up-to-date with all the latest news and developments. We look forward to sharing another year of success with you.