Kingston University business students create solutions to real-world problems faced by Ministry of Defence

Posted Tuesday 1 November 2022

Business Management MSc students worked with the Common Mission project

Students at Kingston Business School have been given the opportunity to enhance their critical thinking and research skills in a collaboration with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The postgraduate business management students are taking part in the Mission Driven Entrepreneurship: Hack4MoD, a new module that provides them with the tools to address challenges faced by the MoD.

Run by the Common Mission Project, students are tasked with delivering solutions on an array of issues affecting the government department, such as finding a way of prioritising musculoskeletal injury research in order to prevent injuries for military personnel.

Kingston University Head of Enterprise Education, Martha Mador, said the project will enhance future skills for students. "H4MoD challenges our students to expand their limits. It includes research, data analysis and working with clients, helping students to develop their critical skills for employment and life," she said. "Common Mission brings together business and government departments and provides a rigorous and creative space for students to work in," she added.

Business Administration MSc student Bhavana Angadi Suresh said she was looking forward to working with MoD and getting creative on the 10-week programme. "I was excited when I discovered we would have the opportunity to work with the MoD. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on solving problems for the military," she said.

Through the University's HackCentre programme, students can participate in courses such as Hack4MoD and work in cross-disciplinary teams to solve challenges for public, private, or third sector organisations and pitch their ideas to clients. Solutions might include new or improved products and services, or provide new insights and thinking about the problem.

The University has previously hosted a hackathon in collaboration with Kingston Chamber of Commerce, where businesses were invited to pose one or more real-world challenges they expected to face due to Covid-19 crisis.

The ideas the University students came up with helped businesses plan alternative engagement methods with their clients during to the lockdown. Meanwhile, participating students benefited by developing their consultancy and innovation skills.

Find out about undergraduate and postgraduate courses in business management at Kingston University
Find out more about Common Mission Project and the H4 courses.

Categories: Enterprise and business, Future Skills, Students