All Posts By

salome belasco

Online transition experience for Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business student

By | BISB, News, student testimonial, What's New | No Comments

Meet Nickolai Birjoo – a first-year student of the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business (BISB).

As a result of COVID-19 all students had to transition from face to face to online learning to facilitate the continuation of teaching and learning. This transition fortunately was smooth based on the technologies that Lok Jack GSB had in place. See below Nickolai’s experience for online learning.

To put it bluntly, the online learning experience, born from necessity, has been an easily accessible way to stay on top of my education throughout a time where there is no in-house option due to unforeseen circumstances. Quickly implemented, smoothly operated and dynamically adapted to the needs of the pupils – I would say my favourite part of the experience has been how continuous it has been, bridging the offline and online gap. Due to the administrative efforts of program advisors and the IT staff, I am able to work in a virtual class that is almost exactly the same as a physical one, kilometres away from the campus. The professors have not missed a step when issuing class work and interacting with their students, making it extremely easy to carry on with any given subject. Lok Jack GSB has really prepared for such an easy transition with three distinct online learning platforms, which each offer features that aid in the completion of the courses offered. All lecturers have been quite interactive with the students, an aspect of the online class that has not gone unnoticed. The access to such personal interaction has made some lectures more digestible for some students, which is a welcomed comfort for working in such a remote environment. It is as easy as holding a button when a student wishes to voice any opinions or concerns, another facet of classroom life that has not been sacrificed. I am truly impressed by how well the online lectures have been handled by the school, especially under such short notice.”

For more information on the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business speak to Ms. Kersha Garner, Academic Advisor at 299-0218 ext. 200 or email: admissions@lokjackgsb.edu.tt. Visit the website here

Why is it a GREAT IDEA to pursue a Business Degree?

By | BISB, Blog, What's New | No Comments
Selecting a degree can be difficult, hence, you want to select something that can be valuable in the long-term as well as flexible in an instance where you want to switch fields. Check out five reasons why a degree in business is the best route of study below:
 
  1. It is a Practical Choice

Business majors have more job security than other majors because they are needed in virtually all industries. Whether in banking, manufacturing or, energy sector, all industries need people with business acumen to function and prosper. This will always keep the demand for business majors relatively high, even in tough economic times. 

  1. Learn Transferrable Skills

Business programs place a huge focus on teaching students the ability to think critically, problem solve in innovative ways, and manage their time logically, skills that you can apply in any job, business and even in your everyday life. 

  1. Combine your passions

Even if you don’t see yourself working as an accountant or finance manager, a degree in business can help you broaden your horizons and pursue your passions successfully. If you want to be your own boss and manage a successful business, you’ll need to know how to write a detailed and viable business plan, obtain financing for your business, track your profits and losses, and be comfortable with many other aspects of business management in order to keep your business profitable. This is, yet again, where experience in studying business can really come in handy in a practical way. 

4.Higher chances of landing a job  

Did you know that the average business student lands a job within six months of graduatingThat’s because there’s a huge demand for business graduates in today’s economy, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and the opportunities are widespread.

5. Broader options of specialization areas  

As a business student, if you enter into a business studies programme, you will have plenty of options for specialization. For example, you could specialize in management, marketing, human resources, accounting, or business finance. You could also choose to specialize in a specific industry such as the fashion industry or in the humanitarian non-profit sector. In general, business careers offer more opportunity for career advancement than other careers. With advancement comes salary increases, professional respect, an opportunity to challenge yourself, and many other perks as well. 

Check out the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business 

Alumnus of Master of Marketing guest lecture students of Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business

By | BISB, News, What's New | No Comments

Kristofer Granger, Alumnus of Master of Marketing programme guest lectured students of the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business in their Marketing Principles Course using Domino’s as an example. They were then treated with Domino’s at the end. 

 

To learn more on the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business speak to an Academic Advisor today! Call 299-0218 ext. 200 or email: admissions@lokjackgsb.edu.tt 

Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business Student Ambassadors

By | BISB, News, What's New | No Comments

Meet the Student Ambassadors for the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business programme (BISB). 

From left, Mya Marie Berment,  Jeroam Des Vignes, Okera Duncan, Maryanna Samuel, Navindra Jaggernauth and Julia Harripersad. 

Student ambassador of the BISB programme are required to:

  • Be an exemplary student and adhere to the Business Schools’ code of conduct, behavioural and dress code policies
  • Maintain good academic standing with a GPA of at least 3.0 on cumulative coursework
  • Represent and participate in the Business Schools’ on and off campus events
  • Be knowledgeable of basic facts about the UWI-ALJGSB and the BISB programme
  • Promote the Business School and in particular the BISB programme
  • Contribute content to the Business Schools’ website and other promotional material

 

Benefits of being a student ambassador:

  • Build transferable skills such as: leadership, team work, problem solving, critical thinking, written and verbal communication, confidence and public speaking for future employment
  • Be able to use the experience gained on your resume to enrich career prospects
  • Be exposed to possible international opportunities

 

To learn more on the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business speak to an Academic Advisor today! Call 299-0218 ext. 200 or email: admissions@lokjackgsb.edu.tt 

International Guest Lecturers for Self-Awareness and Leadership course for Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business

By | BISB, Blog, What's New | No Comments
Students of the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business Cohort 2 got the opportunity to gain insights and engage with guests lecturers; Dr. Jo-Ann Flett, Organizational Consultant at Partners Worldwide,  Wayne, Pennsylvania, Fulbright Visiting Faculty and      Ms. Maria C Horning, Program Director, Geneva Global, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They covered content on Self-awareness and Leadership.

Learn more on BISB here: https://bit.ly/39Zcv7Q

 

 

Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business Service-Learning Project at Edinburgh Special Needs Centre

By | BISB, Blog, What's New | No Comments

As part of the curriculum for the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business programme, students have to partake in socially responsible activities. Cohort one had the opportunity to interact with members of the Edinburgh Special Needs Centre. 

They got a chance to engage with the students through games and certain subject areas. One of the students who volunteered stated: “Whether someone is disabled or not, each child has a purpose in life and also a talent in this school such as Terence, who is a great singer or my brother who enjoys football and cricket. Each person develops a certain skill and ability that gives them a purpose to lead a happy life.”

Another student’s feedback was, “this created leadership development for the community. I would always remember teaching this young boy, Terrance, an amazing singer and great at Maths. I taught him how to read, understand and then attempt fractions and number questions.”

Stay tuned for more insights on the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business. 

BISB Student visit to Cocoa Estate

By | BISB, News, What's New | No Comments

Students of the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business programme (BISB), Jeroam DesVignes, Maryanna Samuel and Navindra Jaggernauth volunteered at the Ortinola Great House on November 24th, 2019.

These students are also ambassadors of the BISB programme, they assisted students from Semester at Sea as they experienced the chocolate making tour. Special thanks to Nikita from Ortinola Estates Ltd and lecturer Tobias Frenking.

Do you want to be a part of this experience? Learn more about the Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business 

Convergence of ERM, Future Credit ratings and the Corona Virus

By | Blog, executive education, Uncategorized | No Comments

Ken Hackshaw, Enterprise Risk Management lecturer would like to proffer a prediction of sorts:

Given the Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on the global stock market, the global supply chain, health industry, airline industry etc. The role and value of Enterprise Risk Management will see a significant increase in use and applicability. Regulators therefore, will also increase its oversight, relevance and dependence on ERM. Additionally, international credit rating agencies, as part of its international rating criteria/methodology will put greater emphasis on the effectiveness of ERM at private and government agencies.

This prediction is predicated on the following:

  • post the financial crisis of 2008/2009, we saw a ramping up of the use and importance of risk management disciplines across the financial services industry.
  • The value of risk culture building and disaster preparedness after the Deepwater Horizon oil spills and other major disasters.
  • The role of Business Continuity planning after the Fukushima volcano and subsequent tsunami

That being said, we at the Trinidad and Tobago Risk Management Institute (TTRMI) have been preaching from the mountain tops about being proactive and anticipatory: about future proofing your business: about doing Horizon scanning to identify emerging risk and about improving the risk culture of your organization and yes about Business Continuity planning.

One may argue that Covid-19 outbreak is like a black swan, no one anticipated this risk event, and that maybe true but we  would have said many times: Risk management is a force multiplier and can be viewed as being similar to the the airbag in your vehicle, it will not prevent the accident from occurring but it will reduce the impact WHEN, not if, accidents occur.  I therefore agree that this risk of Covid-19 could not be planned for but I submit that institutions that had/have a robust and integrated ERM program will fear better than those who had nothing.

Currently many organizations in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere, are scrambling to put “things in place” as a result of the covid-19 outbreak, when they should have been “implementing contingency plans.” This would have been accomplished as part of the business impact analysis they would have conducted many moons ago, and as part of the risk assessments they would recently conducted or updated.

 

While strong risk management practises can’t stop the spread of Covid-19 or prevent other pandemic risk events, enterprise risk management processes can help organizations anticipate the impact of these kinds of unforeseen, extraordinary events.   

Note the following:

While ERM is not a new concept, its increasing influence on ratings and regulations cannot be ignored. As the methodologies employed by rating agencies and the reporting requirements set by regulators become more prospective in nature, ERM analysis as a leading indicator of a firm’s ability to operate within a controlled risk/reward framework becomes that much more influential on how a company is rated or regulated. 

 

We are living in a new VUCA world, of which Volatility and Uncertainty (V&U) will bring the most risks.

For more information on Enterprise Risk Management, Contact Umesh Sookoo at 299-0218 ext. 367 or email: u.sookoo@lokjackgsb.edu.tt

Lok Jack GSB to host the Founding Father of Industry 4.0 at DLIC 2020

By | conference, Events, News, What's New | No Comments

The UWI – ALJGSB will feature the originator of Industry 4.0, Henrik Von Scheel at the annual Distinguished Leadership and Innovation Conference (DLIC) on May 8th, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain. Hailed by Financial Times as one of the leading authorities on strategy and competitiveness, he is notorious for his personal involvement to define the core differentiating, competitive aspects and to identify how to innovate and where to transform. As one of the most influential business thinkers, his work has been applied to national economies, influenced GDP growth, reset policies in governments, set standards currently applies by 26 NATO members, ignited hyper growth in companies and fuelled the profit of fortune 500 companies. Von Scheel will discuss putting Industry 4.0 into practice to shape the future and growth of organisations and of the nation. 

The emergence of Industry 4.0 continues to gain momentum with the development of technologies fondly known as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT). Organisations will be challenged to reinvent their businesses, with customer centricity and experience at the core of every solution.  Leaders will be required to champion innovation in an eco-system reconfigured for employees to explore lateral functions and multi-disciplinary roles. Data analysis will become the backbone of future business and traditional businesses are being forced to dismantle silos and adopt more collaborative frameworks, encouraging agility and preparedness for global markets. Combining smart technologies with industrial platforms and practices, will achieve faster, more flexible and efficient processes to increase quality and reduce costs. Are you ready to harness the potential of Industry 4.0 within your organisation?

For further information, or to register at the early bird rate, please click here: https://bit.ly/36mjHs7 or contact the Conferencing team via 645-6700 ext 299 or  email conferencing@lokjackgsb.edu.tt

Lecturer of Master of Information Systems and Technology Management recognized as one of BT150 for Re-inventing the modern organization through digital transformation

By | Master of Information Systems and Technology Management, News, What's New | No Comments

Congratulations to Mr. Arthur Phidd, lecturer of Master of Information Systems and Technology Management programme at UWI-ALJGSB for being one of 150 global executives for being recognised for reinventing the modern organisation through digital transformation in 2020. Each executive selected for this initiative demonstrated excellence in responding to disruptive forces while enabling teams to succeed through the creation of new exponential business models, a key challenge moving into 2020.  Mr. Phidd is also the SVP Chief Information Officer at BNB Bank, located in Hauppauge New York.

Additionally, the leaders who were selected for this would have built effective teams who can disrupt, fund innovation and build new models that are transitioning the modern workplace. Their stories are a reflection of the industry showcasing the era of the growing digital maturity.

For more information on the Master of Information Systems and Technology Management programme, speak to an academic advisor at 868-645-6700 ext. 200.

 

X