Nano Conference #7 - Enabling Employability

Nano Conferences are a series of online, bite-sized, convenient sessions that share practices to enhance the student experience.

Running once a semester, Nanos include six presentations lasting only 15 minutes each, showcasing staff and student insights from a variety of disciplines and settings across the CU Group, as well as external speakers. This year, Nano #7 has taken on the theme of Enabling Employability. 

Agenda and speakers

• 10:30am Welcome - Brinder Rajpal, Academic Developer, Academic Enhancement and Professional Development 
• 10:35am University Social Responsibility: A Primer

This talk will tackle forms of university social responsibility with a particular focus on those that have an impact on student learning. A university that is committed to addressing societal challenges and contributing to the development of its community is said to be a socially responsible institution. Service-learning, which is a form of experiential education, combines learning objectives with community service to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs. Examples of student-led service-learning projects will be presented and discussed to shed light on how student engagement with local communities reinforces learning in real-world situations that otherwise would not be possible to simulate in the classroom.

• Dr Abderrahim Agnaou

  Associate Professor of communication at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Dr Agnaou has served as the University General Education Coordinator, Undergraduate Studies Coordinator, and Chair of the University Academic Council. He earned the Teaching Excellence Award in 2018 and is interested in Civic Engagement and Service Learning in Higher Education.

  

• Dr Gloria Oliomogbe

  A lecturer in project management in Coventry University London with research interests in constructs of project value and competitiveness, the dark side of projects, and project management education. She’s also interested in the implications of digital technology for project management and projects.

  

• Dr Hayat El Asri

  Dr El Asri teaches on the Business Management and Leadership programme at Coventry University Wroclaw. Her research interests include Knowledge Management, Procurement, ESG, and Artificial Intelligence. She holds a Doctorate in Knowledge Management and a MSc in Management Information Systems.

  

• Nina Mikitova

  Student, Coventry University Wrocław

• Hilda Adun

  Hilda is a Project Manager at Coventry University Group with over seven years of experience working with start-ups and high-growth companies in various sectors across Africa, India, and the United Kingdom while developing marketing strategies, brand campaigns, and connecting strategy to operations. In her role as Project Manager of a diversity and equality project – Black Interns Project – Hilda engages with employers, strategic partners, students, and wider stakeholders to gain buy-ins and execute the project.

  

• Nikhil Dodhia

  A former Coventry University student, Nikhil graduated with First Class Honours in Sports Therapy in 2017. He has experience working with amateur and professional athletes in both a sporting and clinical setting. He opened his own Sports Injury Clinic in 2021 and was awarded ‘Role Model of The Year’ for outstanding work done within the community.

  

• Elizabeth Horton

  Associate Director of Research and Engagement for the Research Institute for Global Education. Elizabeth has over 20 years of experience in higher education, actively contributed to the field by developing curriculum and advocating for employability-focused education. While currently engaged in exercise for health research, she is one of the leaders of research enriched learning across the University.

  

• Amanda Rodrigues Amorim Adegboye

  Associate Director of Research and Engagement for the Research Institute for Sustainability, Equity and Resilience. Amanda is an Epidemiologist and a registered Public Health nutritionist with over 20 years of experience in Research and Teaching & Learning. Having worked in HEIs in the UK and internationally she has vast experience in designing innovative courses, supervising early career researchers, and mentoring junior academics.

  

• Sam Oxford

  Associate Director of Research and Engagement for the Research Institute of Health and Wellbeing. Samuel has 20 years of experience as a Sports and Exercise Scientist, has extensive expertise in research and teaching. He has worked across various schools in HLS, actively contributing to the creation and approval of courses. Samuel provides guidance and fosters the professional growth of staff members engaged in research and teaching.