Alumni - Dan Wood | BA Publishing
Studying for the BA Publishing at Oxford Brookes was an enlightening, enjoyable and wholly worthwhile experience. The diversity of fellow students – older, younger, international and so on – made for a dynamic and exciting atmosphere. The course was at once relevant, practical and academic and has proved extremely useful in my career.
The links with business and the top-class industry and teaching experience amongst the tutors and lecturers is second to none in my view. I felt supported, encouraged and challenged to achieve my potential. It also goes without saying that Oxford is a great place to live and study. The facilities at the university are of a high standard and in a great location. Furthermore, with its continuing reputation as ‘best modern university’, Brookes’ reputation speaks for itself and stands out on a CV.
After a short spell of teacher training at Exeter University on the Fast Track Teaching Programme for Leadership and Management in Schools, I went to work for Skills for Health (the UK Sector Skills Council). As a Marketing and Communications Manager, I now run their integrated electronic marketing and communications strategy and activities. This involves overseeing the development, production and management of a number of websites as well as electronic direct mail programmes, market research, an extranet, video, photographic and audio content and a range of other activities. I regularly travel the UK to meet with the full breadth of Skills for Health’s ‘customers’, suppliers and staff across the health sector.
I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA) in 2002 and again in 2006 in recognition of my continuing contributions to public life. Amongst other things, in recent years I chaired the British Youth Council and worked with a wide range of organizations and parliamentarians, and as spokesperson to the national media championing issues of importance to children and young people in the UK. I am now Chair of Operations for the UK’s largest coeducational youth organization with half a million youth and adult volunteer members. Alongside my work and volunteering, I am currently Bristol University’s youngest student of Strategic Management on their MSc programme.
The formative years I spent at Brookes helped shape my outlook, enhance my skills and capacity to learn, and set me on course in my career. I would warmly endorse what Brookes has to offer prospective students and commend the publishing course to those considering it.
Posted on 27 Sep 2007 around 9am