Some 56 students who have completed the University of Bedfordshire (UoB), UK, Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) programme offered through Nations graduated on Saturday.

Twenty-seven students who completed studies in the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Business Administration from UoB, were also recognised at a grand ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel.

The MBA programme was introduced in 2017 and the Bachelor’s programme a year after. The Bachelor’s in Business Administration programme allows University of Guyana (UG) students with 240 credits to read for a first degree from UoB in that subject area.
Students who completed Levels Four and Five of the Association of Business Executive (ABE) programme are also qualified to enroll in the Bachelor’s in Business Administration programme, which could be completed in a year.

With a flexible class time, affordable programme cost and reasonable payment plans, students can complete a Bachelor’s degree and MBA within four years at Nations.
Nations Principal, Dr Brian O’ Toole said in the past 10 years, over 900 students have enrolled in the Australian and University of Bedfordshire MBA programmes, and to date, more than 700 have graduated.

“The MBA programmes offered at Nations are not focussed just on academic learning but encompasses the handling of complex real-life scenarios as well as networking among students and the wider Nations academic community,” he said.

Lecturers of the UoB programme are drawn from a pool of academics and industry experts in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.

The Nations principal added: “This programme is offered at a faction of the cost if one is to study abroad and it is an accredited and internationally-recognised qualification from one of the top young universities in the world.”

Over the past two years, doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs, among others have enrolled and completed studies in the UoB MBA programmes, which is offered in a number of areas, including Human Resource Management, Marketing, Hospital and Health Services Management and Oil and Gas.

Nations also offering courses through Cambridge University, an LLM programme through the University of London and is currently in discussion with the University of Hertfordshire, another top university in the UK, to introduce a series of programme here.

Nations Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Dexter Phillips said Saturday’s graduation is a significant step in the relationship between Nations and the University of Bedfordshire.
“It is the first graduation in Guyana for students who completed the University of Bedfordshire programmes offered here. Nations is expanding and our goal is to offer internationally-recognised programmes in line with the developmental needs of Guyana,” he said.

Deoranie Kellawan, who completed the MBA programme and graduated described the one-year programme as refreshing and modern in approach in content delivery.

“The delivery of content of the University of Bedfordshire MBA programme was not done only through textbooks but also through informative youtube videos, Ted Talks, PowerPoint presentations and informative classroom interaction and discussions. Overall, it was an enriching and rewarding experience,” she said.

Kellawan, who was previously MBA programme manager at Nations has since been promoted to Director of Nations School of Business and Management.

George DeFreitas, Operations Manager at Dem Bake, who also completed MBA studies and graduated on Saturday, praised the UoB programme, contending that it was enjoyable, dynamic and practical as it drew heavily from real-life scenarios.

Nations in recent years has been expanding and forging relations with universities and professional organisations.

Recently, Nations established a partnership with the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), a leader in the UK in the field of occupational health and safety. Through this partnership, Nations is now offering internationally-recognised certificate courses in this area.

The University of Bedfordshire is an international university with a student population of over 20,000 from more than 100 countries. The UoB provides students with transformational opportunities through access to an excellent educational experience. It also works with leading universities and colleges in South East Asia, China, the Middle East and Europe. With 11 research institutes, the University of Bedfordshire leads and influences UK, European and international agendas across areas such as health, social policy and energy and technology. In 2013, the University of Bedfordshire won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize — the highest form of national recognition in the UK — in recognition of its pioneering research work.