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Students go GaGA for global experience

Students go GaGA for global experience

Published on: 17 February 2016

Students from Newcastle University are being encouraged to expand their global outlook and sit face-to-face with major players from some of the world’s biggest brands.

Global outlook

Hosted by Newcastle University Business School, Gain a Global Advantage (GaGA) – taking place from 12.30 on Wednesday 17th February – is an afternoon filled with inspiring talks and interactive workshops from senior executives from the corporate world. The event will also feature a ‘World Café’ session which will give students the exclusive opportunity to have one-to-one meetings with speakers from the event.   

GaGA aims to arm students with an array of advice and insights from globally successful people, encouraging them to think globally during their studies and after graduation. And with 76% of employers valuing a global outlook from employees – a dynamic global perspective is essential.

Giles Morgan, Head of Global Sponsorship at HSBC, will open the event, sharing the story of his career, from Newcastle University graduate, to expanding HSBC’s global commercial sponsorship portfolio.

He will be joined by Stéphane Catherine, Vice President of Customer Management (EMEA) at Ubisoft, who will show why global collaboration is critical to the success of the gaming industry. As a leading creative brand - Ubisoft are worldwide publishers and distributers of interactive entertainment and services with a portfolio ranging from Assassins Creed, through to Just Dance and Rayman - and Catherine’s talk will focus on how the company builds global marketing campaigns and distributes games globally. Ubisoft have offices in the North East and it is hoped that this will raise student awareness of North-East based businesses and encourage graduate retention in the region, which forms part of the University’s civic mission. 

Prof John Wilson with Business School students

Succeeding in today’s inter-connected world

Professor John Wilson, Newcastle University Business School, Director said: “Business spans borders and our students need to think globally if they are to succeed in today’s inter-connected world. The GaGA event is a great way to show students that once they start work, they will be part of this international corporate sphere.

“It is vital to establish an international mind-set amongst students early on in their university careers because in today’s competitive job market students need to make their CV stand out and differentiate themselves from the competition. 

“GaGA provides students with the chance to ‘see the bigger’ picture after they graduate and what the University has to offer them to enhance their employability.  Their fellow alumni, and those who have been in their position as students, will provide an insight as to what really makes a person stand out from the crowd when looking for employment.” 

As part of the Business School’s Global Experience Opportunity initiative, the GaGA event is open to all students from Newcastle University, as a way to build their understanding of business in a global context. The day will give them guidance from internationally successful business leaders who will advise them how to market themselves on an international platform, and inspire them to think innovatively about advancing their careers.

The Global Experience Opportunity is a programme of activities created to provide students with opportunities to develop their global employability, through a mixture of study and international work experience opportunities. By introducing students to the international business community, the scheme helps to equip graduates with the practical skills needed to succeed in global markets – enabling them to differentiate themselves in today’s competitive graduate job market.

Other speakers at Gain a Global Advantage include Newcastle University Alumni: Steve Hulme, CFO, PayPal Credit; Sam Waterfall, Obvious Candidate Founding Director; Mark Batty, Head of International Development at Boden; Sohail Shaikh, Director of International Retail at Mothercare; and Louise Noble, current EMBA student and former Footwear Business Director for Nike EMEA. 

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