Wolves global collaboration puts city on the international map

The University of Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (Wolves) hosted an online event in partnership with one of its key partners based in India - putting the City of Wolverhampton firmly on the map and showcasing the talents of international business students. 

Councillor Greg Brackenridge, Mayor of Wolverhampton, joined University Honorary Graduate and former Wolves player, Steve Bull, alongside staff and students from Podar World College based in Mumbai, India to hold the ‘Working in Partnership’ event which was hosted on Zoom and was open to applicants, enquirers, school counsellors and Transnational Education (TNE) partners across the globe. 

Podar World College (PWC) is part of the Podar Education Trust, which has offered education opportunities for over 90 years and works with the University of Wolverhampton to offer local students Business Management Undergraduate and Business Administration Master’s degrees. 

More than 80 students studying for the Business degrees at PWC were given a Marketing Consultancy brief by the University to develop a Wolves branded apparel range, that would appeal to a Gen Z Indian consumer.  

The students benefited from a guest lecture by the Marketing Manager at Wolves, took part in workshops and engaged with industry experts and brainstormed ideas. 13 groups of students pitched their ideas to an academic panel with 3 winning groups chosen - coming first was Trench, second was Goal Diggers’ and third, Poshak. 

Tim Steele, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Opportunities) at the University, said: “The event was designed to showcase what the City and University of Wolverhampton have to offer to a global audience, putting us firmly on the map and enhancing our global brand awareness by showcasing our strong partnerships. 

“The event focused on working in partnership both locally and regionally as well as globally and offered an opportunity to showcase the City, demonstrating how we work collaboratively with key organisations and institutions locally and around the world and the benefits these collaborations bring to all our stakeholders.” 

Russell Jones, General Manager Marketing and Commercial Growth at Wolves, said: “Working with the University of Wolverhampton and the Podar World College students has been a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience. The quality of the research and product development really blew us away.  I look forward to collaborating again with the University on more international projects, which can help expand the reach of Wolves as a brand and provide valuable real-life experiences for the students.” 

Isshika Jaggi, one of the students leading the winning group, Trench, said: “For our brand, Akela, we decided to revive lost Indian art forms through streetwear. Our team members came from different cultural backgrounds so we were able to source a wide range of unique embroidery and fabric. 

“The different modules on our course really helped to focus the team in terms of helping us as a business to come up with the right kind of strategies to target the right segment market and promote our products wisely. Working as a team we moved ahead and incorporated Indian artwork and culture into the apparel line, highlighting it with a Wolf logo, in order to have a larger impression on the audience.” 

Dr Gurmak Singh, Head of International Partnerships at the University, said: “In collaboration with the University of Wolverhampton Business School and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football club, we celebrate the success of students from Podar World college in the international project. 

“Podar World College and the Business School had a clear vision for the project; to provide students with an opportunity to engage with a successful international business here in the UK and to help students develop skills in working in such organisations.  Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club provided an excellent opportunity for Podar students to work with truly global, innovative, and modern enterprise.  

“The students produced excellent marketing projects promoting the Wolves brand in India. The students demonstrated all the attributes expected from business management student studying with us at the University of Wolverhampton. We are looking at plans to extend the project to other international partners and other UK-based organisations.” 

Joshua Whale, Lecturer in Enterprise & Entrepreneurship at the University, said: “It was incredible how the students engaged in the real-life project, developing employability skills whilst at the same time building their research, analytical, presentation and leadership skills. 

“It was a real boost for them to engage with such a high-profile, world-renowned Premiership football club, helping them to develop potential ideas for their international Wolves fashion line. 

“Wolverhampton Business School staff across a number of subject areas have been pivotal in supporting the academic journey of the students at Podar World College. The success of this project does not stop here, we have plans to continue and enhance the project with Podar and also to offer this opportunity to our other international partners. 

“Students really added ‘value’ to the project by drawing on international cultural dimensions from their own experiences in Mumbai and India. And it is this cultural awareness and business acumen developed through the business management course that has resulted in the excellent projects that students delivered.” 

For anyone who is awaiting the results of their qualifications, they can register their interest and book a phone call with a Clearing Adviser on results day, Tuesday 10 August. 

Anyone looking to study at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days. 

ENDS