PNU teaching team shortlisted for DCU President’s Teaching Award

The PNU teaching team were short listed for the coveted DCU President’s Teaching Award 2013-2014.

The project was devised by the DCU lecturing staff based in PNU, Riyadh to offer a diverse and innovative project to its first year students incorporating the subjects being taught over the semester. It also aimed to create a unique opportunity that allowed collaboration between DCU students in PNU and postgraduate students in DCU Dublin. The applied project centred on the launch of a real product that has been produced locally in Riyadh called ‘Clare Simran’ perfume. This perfume has been produced by the family of the Irish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as a means to raise money for an Irish based charity called ‘The Hoopoe Bird Foundation’.

All PNU students work in teams with an assigned mentor from a relevant Masters Degree programme in the DCU Business School. This mentor communicates with the team at various stages of the projecting offering support, advice and encouragement. Learning is drawn from four of the subjects taught during the semester; Finance, Statistics, Marketing and Communication Studies with each respective lecturer supervising and grading their relevant content. The project deliverables comprise of a report consisting of a financial analysis, conducted primary research with statistical analysis, a marketing plan with details of an online and offline strategy, and finally, an oral presentation which draws each of these elements together.

In order to showcase their applied projects the students were asked to promote their marketing strategies at a student event. This is a unique opportunity to display the students’ accomplishments and promote the PNU@DCU programme, as well as reinforcing the growing partnership between Ireland and Saudi Arabia.

Students fully engaged with the various elements of the project; in particular with the online and offline marketing strategy recommendations. Branding materials such as logos, posters and professional commercials were produced by teams to attract their specific target markets. Involved staff members in each subject area noted the enhanced engagement with module content that was witnessed as students began to immerse themselves in the project, overcoming any language barriers or challenges that were met. For the teaching staff, this project offered a unique opportunity to teach holistically, synergistically enhancing the learning of the first year programme