Developing future-ready digital skills through industry collaboration
On Thursday 28 May, Alliance Manchester Business School hosted the ITMB x Fujitsu Panel, bringing together Year 2 students from the BSc Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) programme with senior leaders from The University of Manchester and Fujitsu, as part of a unique industry collaboration.
The event was designed to showcase student-led ideas for improving the University experience through digital transformation, while also highlighting the value of collaboration between higher education and industry.
It followed a wider programme of activity between ITMB and Fujitsu, established with support from the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation at AMBS and developed by Dr Tatiana Martinez, Programme Director for ITMB. Together, these activities created space for students to present their projects, respond to questions, and take part in conversations about innovation, systems change, and the future student experience.
Putting thinking into practice
The panel followed a Human-centred Design workshop delivered on 21 April 2026 by Fujitsu’s Kevin Rowe, Chief Technology Architect UK&I, and Martin Russell, Design Center Lead UK & Europe, as part of the Year 2 Digital Transformation course unit, led by Dr Hossein Jahanshahloo.
Coordinated by Dr Tatiana Martinez, the session introduced students to industry approaches to digital transformation and innovation through a rapid, collaborative design-thinking process used by Fujitsu with clients and stakeholders. The workshop gave students the opportunity to apply theory in a realistic organisational context while developing creativity, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Working in teams, students were challenged to develop innovative concepts addressing the following question: “How might we improve the experience of students attending The University of Manchester through the transformation of existing systems and processes into a digitised platform?”
The workshop also encouraged students to move beyond abstract ideas by testing how digital solutions must respond to real organisational constraints, user needs, and strategic priorities. Second-year ITMB student Rutendo Puso highlighted the importance of this stage of the process:
“The mentoring sessions that we’ve had with Kevin were definitely very, very helpful. We were guided on how to think through each user persona and how to narrow down our ideas and illustrations. This definitely helped us come in here feeling like we know a little bit more about what we’re talking about.”
Turning ideas into solutions
Following the workshop, two teams were selected to develop their concepts further and present them at the panel. The ideas selected were:
- One Manchester, a proposal for a unified student platform, developed and presented by students Amena Elnaem, Rutendo Puso, Huishi Li and Michael Akinkugbe-Ojo.
- DIGI, a governance-focused proposal designed to improve how digital strategy is experienced at student level, developed and presented by students Jacey Tedjasasmita, Cecilia Urrutia and Zhihan Zhou.
Both projects responded to the challenge in different but complementary ways. One Manchester proposed a single digital front door bringing together systems such as Canvas, SEAtS, My Manchester, Microsoft 365 and AppsAnywhere into one dashboard, with features including notifications, assignment tracking, room booking and AI support.
DIGI focused on the structures behind digital change, proposing a governance model that would make digital initiatives more coherent, visible and student-centred through a Digital Experience Governance Board and a Digital Experience Directorate.
The student presentations were shared with a panel of senior University leaders, academic colleagues and Fujitsu representatives, including:
- Professor Duncan Ivison, Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Manchester
- Professor Ken McPhail, Head of School, Alliance Manchester Business School
- Alex Goffe, Deputy CIO, The University of Manchester
- Kevin Rowe, Chief Technology Architect UK&I, Fujitsu
- Martin Russell, Design Center Lead UK & Europe, Fujitsu
- Professor Michelle Carter, Head of Management Sciences & Marketing Division, Alliance Manchester Business School
- Professor Ali Owrak, Director of Teaching, Learning and Innovation Centre, Alliance Manchester Business School
- Dr Chris Smith, Business Engagement Lead, Alliance Manchester Business School
- Dr Hossein Jahanshahloo, Associate Professor of Financial Technology, Alliance Manchester Business School.
Reflecting on the presentations and ideas showcased at the panel, Kevin Rowe, Chief Technology Architect UK&I at Fujitsu, highlighted the strategic depth he observed in both the students and the programme itself. He said:
“AMBS has some really fantastic leadership and professors. It’s a brilliant environment. The University is providing real skills for the talent of the future, and this programme reflects what we’re doing around digital transformation. Using design thinking to enable digital transformation, the concepts and solutions the teams have come up with have just blown my mind. I am very proud of what they’ve done. There’s some really, really neat stuff in there, and it’s changing the way they’re thinking, which is great.”
Together, the projects demonstrated how ITMB learning extends beyond the classroom, with students applying concepts from business analysis, software and digital transformation to a live challenge with real relevance to the University and student experience.
A programme built around industry engagement
The ITMB x Fujitsu Panel reflects the distinctive nature of the BSc Information Technology Management for Business programme. Developed with support from more than 40 leading global employers, ITMB sits at the intersection of business, technology, and digital innovation. The programme is designed to equip students with both technical understanding and strategic capability, preparing them to face the challenges of the modern workplace straight after graduation.
Reflecting on the opportunities available to students, second-year ITMB student Jacey Tedjasasmita said:
"The expectations for what students can deliver when they go into industry just keep getting higher, even as fresh graduates. Opportunities like this really help us get a feel for how things actually work in a safe environment. We get applicable learning while knowing there’s a safety net and people guiding us. So, when we do go into industry, we feel more prepared for what’s coming and we know exactly what steps to take.”
For Dr Tatiana Martinez, Programme Director of ITMB, the event demonstrated how partner-enabled learning translates into real impact for students and their future careers. She explained:
"Initiatives such as the one held today demonstrate in practice the value of partner-enabled learning. Students are exposed to real world scenarios and are challenged to translate into practice key skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving and communication. These are skills that are currently sought by industry, meaning our students are better prepared to tackle the future of work and the job application process."
She also highlighted the creativity and adaptability of ITMB students in a rapidly changing digital landscape:
“ITMB students are consistently challenged by emerging technologies such as AI, encouraging them to think critically. Our students are being trained to a high level by experts; they are also the most knowledgeable stakeholders about challenges currently faced by students. ITMB specifically sits at the forefront of technology and organisational change, forming students who are not only well versed on emerging technologies but understand how to translate that into value and manage change.”
As a result of this strong emphasis on partner-enabled learning and applied experience, students graduate not only with strong academic foundations but also with substantial real-world experience. The programme currently has a 95% employability rate, with graduates progressing into roles at the forefront of business and digital transformation across a wide range of sectors.