Professor Michael Williams

Professor Michael Williams is the Deputy Dean of the School of Management. Prior to entering academia, he worked in both public and private sectors in domains including finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and government with firms including British Telecom, Standard Chartered, and Canon. He holds editorial board membership of a number of journals, has chaired tracks and mini tracks at leading international events (including AMCIS, ECIS, and ICIS), and was the inaugural chair of the established iSHIMR conference on health informatics.

In 2017, the news of a consortium of 12 Indian and British universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, receiving a £7 million grant from the U.K. government to build self-sufficient solar-powered buildings in remote Indian villages was in the limelight in every media platforms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the project "˜SUNRISE', to be in line with Indian government plans of turning the country into a solar energy leader. Holding responsibility to lead this entire project is Swansea University, which has extensive experience and research expertise. The award illustrates Swansea University's pioneering work on "˜buildings as power stations' concept and its leading leading role in research in areas such as solar energy including the UK's first "˜energy-positive classroom'.

"With an ever-expanding list of choices for study abroad destinations across the globe, what attracts international students to study at Swansea University is its beautiful location"

The University's foundation stone was laid by King George V in 1920 and since then the University has been contributing positively to the higher education scenario of the world through its quality education and cutting-edge research approaches. Conferred Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework and ranked 10th in the UK for Graduate Prospects in Destination of Leavers from Higher Education 2018 the University is 10th in the UK, when compared to universities that provide a wide range of degree courses, based on institutions in the Times Good University Guide 2018. "The School of Management has been ranked within the UK Top 30 Business Schools for research and ranked within the Top 10 for world-leading (4*) research impact by Research Excellence Framework 2014," proudly says Professor Michael Williams, Deputy Dean of School of Management. Housing 10 research centres, it will be indeed right to say that the School of Management (SoM) aptly stands upon the contemporary research expectations.

Williams pinpoints, "Through its enterprise and innovation activities, the School's strategy focuses on three global challenges: Health & Wellbeing, Digital Society and Sustainable Economies. Researchers and students are encouraged to prioritize their activities within one or all three global challenges, which provide collaborative opportunities for the University's research community including industry giants such as Fujitsu and Pfizer. A Media Suite with industry-standard equipment is also based within the School,available to both students and staff for project work."

Enabling the students to study in a multidisciplinary, open innovation environment, the School of Management offers UG and PG courses in Business Management, Accounting, Finance, Economics and Marketing along with Doctorate and MPhil opportunities. The school also conducts a Foundation Year,designed for students who want to progress onto undergraduate study at the School, but do not yet have the required qualifications.

A Pathway to Success

With an ever-expanding list of choices for study abroad destinations across the globe, what attracts international students to study at Swansea University is its beautiful location. Close to the city centre, with an excellent student lifestyle and a perfect study environment, the campuses of the University are located near appealing beaches.

"The School of Management witnesses a high percentage of international students who get exposure to different cultures and mingle with students and faculty members who hail from different corners of the world," states Williams. The University has been appreciated highly among the international student community for rendering constant support throughout their stay at the Swansea.

Williams shares, "Although the cost of living in Swansea is one of the most affordable in the UK, we also offer a number of scholarship schemes. The School of Management has its own scholarship, called the Developing Futures Scholarship which not only offers financial support for students, but also provides the opportunity to enhance employability skills".

Moreover, for assuring students go through a trouble-free transition, the University has initiated "˜MyUniHub' providing wellbeing and money advice, together with an Academic Success Programme. There is also a free app providing round-the-clock safety reassurance and a "˜Welcome Week' programme to help students integrate into university life.

The University also lays substantial emphasis on providing its graduates with the skills required for the changing business market. Having a cordial relationship with India, the School of Management boasts of an academic partnership with St Joseph's College of Commerce in Bangalore. "The Director of Research for the University, Dr. YogeshDwivedi, travels to India for giving guest lectures at prestigious conferences within the field of Digital Marketing and Innovation," mentions Williams.

Upholding such academic and research excellence as well as a strong student support system, the University also stimulates its students to celebrate different festivals of varied culture and join Students' Union, which has over 120 societies and 50 sports societies like Indian Society, Hindu Society, Yoga Society and many more. The University has an impressive Sports Village with a range of training facilities for all levels.

"With plans to celebrate the University's centenary in 2020, we aim to deliver world-class education and a vision to create a better world with the effective use of collaboration, innovation and fresh thinking and we feel proud of our community of graduates across the world who are a part of this success." concludes Williams.