Businesses invited to help shape courses of new university in Milton Keynes

Businesses are being invited to attend a workshop to help shape the future of a new university in Milton Keynes.
Picture: PAPicture: PA
Picture: PA

Cranfield University is working in partnership with Milton Keynes Council to develop MK:U, which is set to “completely transform how we think about higher education,” making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop a university ‘with business, for business’, equipping students for the 21st century workplace.

MK:U’s subject focus will include entrepreneurship, robotics, artificial intelligence, cyber and analytics.

Work has already started on entrepreneurship, and cyber.

Cranfield University is planning a series of consultation workshops with employers and entrepreneurs to help MK:U develop truly relevant and innovative education,

Businesses will be able to tell university chiefs what skills gaps they are experiencing, what they look for in new employees, and the skills they have found beneficial. They will also like to understand the technical and interpersonal skills that they would like to access via future MK:U students.

The workshop will be informal discussion sessions and the information from these sessions will directly inform the way we design MK:U courses at a very early stage.

The sessions will be taking place as follows:

> Cyber skills sessions – suitable for those with an interest in cyber or that work with or employ people in roles that require cyber skills:

> Session C2: Friday February 8, 2.30 – 4.30pm, at NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, RBS Building, 300 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 2AZ

Entrepreneurship skill sessions – aimed at entrepreneurs at any stage in their career:

Session E1: Monday January 28, 8.30-10.30am, at Dentons Office, The Pinnacle, 170 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 1FE

Session E2: Friday February 8, 12.00noon – 2pm, at NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, RBS Building, 300 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 2AZ

Business people who would like to attend should email [email protected] to help the organisers plan for light refreshments.