Monica Gibson-Sweet has been appointed as the new Dean of the University of Glamorgan’s Business School.
Taking up her appointment on October 1, Monica has a wealth of experience in higher education in the UK, most recently as Assistant Director of the Higher Education academy.
Monica, who is originally from Merseyside, is no stranger to Wales having been Head of Business and Management at the University of Wales Newport several years ago.
She commented, “I am very pleased to have been selected for the post of Dean of the Glamorgan Business School and am excited about leading the School going forward. I have had a strong sense of ‘hiraeth’ (longing) to return to Wales since I left in 2002. My father was born and raised in South Wales and this has contributed to my ambition to contribute to local and regional business, economic and social development as well as provide a first class experience for our students.
“The Glamorgan Business School has long held the reputation of being Wales’ leading applied business school, particularly in enterprise and supply chain management. The School has continued to build on this tradition and is now working in a range of areas including governance and leadership, workplace behaviours, sustainability, transport, competitive advantage, consumption, markets and culture, complexity, futures and innovation.
“It is vital that we continue to embrace innovation so that our research and consultancy supports contemporary business, curriculum and staff development. I look forward to developing Glamorgan’s reputation as an applied business school on a local, national and international level.”
Monica started her career as a commercial apprentice with British Aerospace and was sponsored to complete her business degree at Manchester Polytechnic where she eventually became a member of academic staff. Monica has also held senior positions at the University of the West of England, Leeds Metropolitan University and the University of Huddersfield.
Monica’s role at the Higher Education Academy was to promote learning and teaching within HE institutions in the UK and she had specific responsibility for programmes in inclusion, employability and employee learning and institutional strategy and change.
She commented, “The student experience is really important and is core to the business of any university. At the Glamorgan Business School we need to ensure that all of our students have the best possible experience so that they are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to support the achievement of their career aspirations.”
Monica is also keen to stress the importance of the Business School working with local employers in order to secure mutual knowledge transfer as well as a range of learning opportunities for Glamorgan students whether in a paid or voluntary capacity.
Monica’s national roles include membership of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Senate, Chair of the Academy of Marketing’s Education Sub Committee and Chair of the Academy of Marketing and Business, Management, Accounting and Finance Marketing Subject Centre’s Education Special Interest Group. Monica has published widely on a range of business related topics including enterprise and corporate social responsibility. Her current research interests focus on student experience and HE management.
Professor David Halton Vice-Chancellor of the University said, “Monica’s appointment to the Glamorgan Business School is a significant coup for the University. She has a long and valuable career history of working in Business Schools in the UK and is committed to offering a first class experience for our students. I look forward to working with her to build on the strengths of the Business School and to develop new expertise within the School.”
