MSc PMBE/CPM Study Week October 2014

The full-time and open-learning students on the MSc Project Management and the Environment and the MSc Construction Project Management met together on campus for the October 2014 Study Period. So here it is. In numbers...

4 Study Periods - there are four 'intensive' study periods each year (two each year for open-learning students) and they bring together the full-time and open-learning students on campus and are also shared across the MSc PMBE and the MSc CPM. Students and staff enjoy these intensive sessions as they are able to share experiences and knowledge as well as renew friendships and make connections within the industry. The full-time students feel that they benefit greatly from being able to interact with the open-learning students who are already working in industry (UK and overseas). 

5 days - the length of the October Study Period.

12 students - studying full-time

5 students - studying via open-learning

The students in front of St Paul's on the London field trip - photo by George Blumberg

2 field trips - the first to Stewart Milne in Witney: 

The students visited Stewart Milne Timber Systems in Witney (Oxfordshire) to find out more about timber frame construction - one of the most advanced and sustainable forms of construction. Take a look at the Stewart Milne website for more information about the benefits of timber frame and offsite construction.  

At Stewart Milne Timber Systems in Witney - photo by George Blumberg

The second field trip was based in London and the students visited the Bloomberg Square Project, site of the new Bloomberg HQ in the City of London - click on the link for more information on the construction project. Some interesting discoveries have been made on this site as the ancient Temple of Mithras has again been uncovered by the new construction works. Take a look at the report from the Daily Mail. 

On top of the Bloomberg development - photo by George Blumberg

The Bloomberg development - photo by George Blumberg

The students also visited the Crossrail development at Farringdon. If you want to find out more about Crossrail click on the link to visit the website. It's got all you need to know about the benefits of Crossrail, the route and construction - including some amazing photos of the 42km of new tunnels and how they were constructed under London. There is also a feature on 'building a sustainable railway'. 

The Crossrail development at Farringdon - photo by George Blumberg

2 guest lecturers - Donnie MacNicol, a specialist in developing project and programme leadership to support organisations deliver their strategy and difficult change whilst meeting operational demands, and Martin Buckland, Project Manager with the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust who is working on the reconstruction of the Wilts and Berks Canal. 

1 group meal - at Pizza Express. More networking opportunities. This time with food.

4 special sessions for the open-learning students - including a welcome, library induction, academic adviser one-to-one sessions and research methods session. 

And finally...

1 careers talk

The organisation and the concentrated nature of these intensive study periods has been praised by our students who particularly like the site visits, workshops and guest lectures from industry experts that are a major feature of the study periods. Find out more about previous study periods on the blog here.