The University’s academic partnership with CILT has led to the accreditation by the Institute of the Business School’s MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management course, with the agreement running until 2019.

David Bell is retiring as CILT’s Regional Officer, Northern Home Counties and Eastern. Staunchly backing the University’s collaboration with CILT during his time with the Northamptonshire-based body, he has also been supportive of the Business School’s emphasis on practice-based learning.

“In this part of the world I have found it difficult to find academic institutions offering courses in logistics and supply chain management,” said David.

“In recent years, the University of Bedfordshire has come in and started helping to develop the careers of people working in supply chains and I find that stimulating and helpful, and I have tried to encourage it.”

An individual membership organisation that looks after and helps the careers of people working in logistics, transport and supply chain management, CILT boasts some 15,000 members in the UK and a further 18,000 worldwide.

Elizabeth Parkin, Head of the Business School’s Management and Business Systems Department, added: “CILT’s accreditation of our Logistics and Supply Chain Management course shows that the degree is well developed for the current needs of businesses.

“The practice-based teaching the Business School provides is designed to give students more ‘hands on’ experience and to integrate academic theory into the real demands of business. This approach can only stand our students in good stead when they seek work after graduating.

“Working with professional bodies such as CILT is very valuable to us in designing courses which have genuine relevance to business as well as students. We have been fortunate in having David’s involvement with us over several years.”

Based at the University’s Luton campus, the Postgraduate course, led by Dr Qile He, Senior Lecturer in Business Systems, focuses on the management of contemporary logistics and supply chains in various industry sectors.

Photo: David Bell (left) with Dr Qile He (right)