A new executive course launched by the University of Worcester in partnership with a private university in Germany, is attracting senior figures from a number of high profile firms.
Senior Managers from Miele, Sage, BASF, Mercedes Benz, and Ford are among those under taking the new Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) programme, to be delivered through the Anglo German Doctoral School in Germany on the Fachhochschule des Mittelstands campus, with staff flying in from the University of Worcester to teach.
The Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM) is a private university in Germany with seven campuses. The University of Worcester has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FHM to deliver the new programme.
Worcester's Professor Lynn Nichol, the DBA course leader, had previously worked with Professor Volker Wittberg, of the Anglo German Doctoral School, on a similar DBA programme, and as a result, Worcester Business School was approached as a potential partner to meet a growing demand in Germany for these programmes.
The DBA is a professional doctorate qualification aimed at working professionals and allows them to carry out research of benefit to their organisations. The University of Worcester offers a similar programme in the UK as well.
The German programme is now under way with 11 students in senior management positions and will run with 7 blocks in Germany and one block here in Worcester over the next 12 months, before the students will then be engaged in the thesis stage for 48-72 months. They will be conducting research in areas as diverse as digital marketing, strategic management, service quality, value chains and geo-politics and business strategy.
Dr Lynn Nichol said: "This is a very exciting development for Worcester Business School it marks the first of our UW DBA programmes delivered in another country, a venture we hope to shortly be extending to the UAE and Asia."
Dr Anne Dreier, Rector at FHM, added: "I'm very positive that this will be the beginning of a fruitful partnership for us. It's always exciting to bring new university partnerships into Germany."