A LETTER FROM OBC!

A LETTER FROM OBC!. Air mail hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy.

[Audio] My dear colleagues I hope this note finds you all in good health and taking care of yourselves. I wanted to take a moment to share some of my history and accomplishments with you. My name is Oxford Business College but my loved ones call me OBC. I was born in 1985 with the vision of providing business studies in Oxford which did not exist at the time. Neither a computer hence writing to you by hand! Stanley Hunter my founder carried this vision with him as we started offering marketing and secretarial courses as well as preparing students for A levels and sixth forms. It was in 1989 when I got my first computer which allowed me to type my notes for the first time!.

[Audio] In the early 90s I witnessed the opening of Said Business School at Oxford University and Oxford Brookes with a university title which inspired me to always be at the forefront. I learned that to be first in line one must always think ahead and do things differently. Being an inspiration to others and creating a legacy is what makes you a part of history. I am grateful to Stan for not selling my name to the university and preserving my unique identity. During this time I was one of the first in the country who started offering international foundation programmes in Business Engineering and Law as well as Chartered Institute of Marketing and accounting programmes. My students achieved great success gaining admission to prestigious UK institutes such as Imperial College University of Brighton and many more. Additionally I had the honour of being one of the first colleges to receive accreditation and approval from the British Accreditation Council in 1995. My small class sizes personalised education and individual care became my unique selling point..

[Audio] With the support and guidance of my caretakers I developed my own M-B-A programme and approached Edexcel and Universities for accreditation. In 2004 Stan handed me over to Padmesh marking a new era in my journey towards higher education. I began offering H-N-C H-N-D and top-up programmes attracting students from Central Asia Russia and far east. I became a well-known and respected brand internationally. My students held a special place in their hearts for me due to the various non-academic activities I offered at the college. These activities brought students and staff together fostering a strong sense of community. Popular events such as Halloween Christmas Summer graduation boat trips quiz evenings and international dish days were eagerly anticipated and enjoyed by all..

[Audio] I was relocated from Kings Mead house to George Street in November 2006. With a renewed management approach I started seeing groups of students from India China and Russia enrolling with me. In the year 2008 I experienced a remarkable milestone in my business..

[Audio] However new challenges emerged when the University of Sunderland decided to withdraw their partnership due to lower than expected numbers in 2007. However thanks to the positive recommendation from the University of Sunderland we were able to establish new partnerships with the University of Wales. Please take note that up until that point I primarily enrolled international students. Education in the UK was free until 2006 and in 2007 a tuition fee of £3 thousand was introduced for home students. A significant change occurred in 2010 when the cap fees were announced at £9000 in the UK. However along with this positive development came a setback. The University of Wales received a poor review from the Quality Assurance Agency (Q-A-A--) and decided to withdraw all partnerships. We attempted to approach other universities but unfortunately our efforts were unsuccessful..

[Audio] Despite the challenges my foundation programmes and HNC/HND courses continued to thrive. Additionally I discovered that I was the first college to be registered with the student finance company allowing students studying at O-B-C to access a tuition fee loan of £6000. This marked the beginning of our recruitment efforts in the home market. Starting from 2010 we successfully met our targets with international students willingly paying high fees of £12 thousand or more for our nine-month programmes. As a result I promptly qualified for a tier 4 visa license. During this time we witnessed a significant influx of students from Libya the majority of whom were government-sponsored. As I enthusiastically prepared for the future a new challenge presented itself in 2011. We were informed that a review by the Quality Assurance Agency (Q-A-A--) was necessary to maintain our Student Loans Company (S-L-C--) and UK Visa and Immigration (U-K-V-I-) licenses..

[Audio] This prompted me to become a founding member of the Oxford Consortium of Independent Colleges with the inclusion of the Study UK group. The purpose behind establishing this consortium was to facilitate the sharing of best practices engage in brainstorming sessions to cope with evolving regulations and collectively advocate for our existence in the educational landscape. Thanks to the unwavering support of my incredible team and dedicated students I once again became one of the first colleges to secure all necessary approvals and pass the Q-A-A review with flying colors. In fact we earned a commendable report from the Q-A-A further strengthening my market presence and attracting government sponsors from Qatar Kuwait and the U-A-E among others. At the same time I registered with ucas offering a fast-track H-N-C and H-N-D programme. This approach appealed to students as it allowed them to complete their HNC/D in 12 months and then complete their business degree in just 2 years. This strategy attracted home students and helped create a balance between international and domestic students..

[Audio] Alongside these programmes my short-term executive programmes were also a success attracting students from corporations such as Ernst & Young Coca-Cola and various oil companies in the Middle East Africa and Russia. In 2014 I developed partnerships with institutions in Russia India and Malaysia offering short courses and foundation programmes. In 2015 I faced a legal battle with the University of Oxford regarding the use of blue colour in my logo and images of Oxford's university buildings. Ultimately we reached an agreement that led to a change in my branding but it also protected my brand as Oxford Business College..

[Audio] As I grew in reputation I started attracting students from prestigious backgrounds including royal families celebrities and billionaires. To further cater to the needs of students from affluent backgrounds I devised a new offering known as the "Global Plus" category. This specialised package priced at £28 thousand per year included a range of exclusive benefits. Students availing of this option enjoyed complimentary airport pickups complimentary membership to the Oxford Union round-the-clock assistance from dedicated O-B-C staff and even daily car pick-ups for students residing within a 10-mile radius of O-B-C-. This unique package proved to be highly attractive to wealthy students resulting in a notable increase in enrolment from this demographic..

[Audio] In 2018 Padmesh joined forces with Sarwar a socio-entrepreneur passionate about education. Together they built a strong team and expanded into the market of access and widening participation through partnerships with Bucks New University USP College of Further Education University for the Creative Arts and later the University of West London and Ravensbourne along with British Council accreditation. Now I partner with New College Durham as well. I became the first college to offer weekend classes evening classes and women-only classes. This new approach exceeded expectations and propelled me to new heights..

[Audio] From 2018 to 2021 I received recognition for my outstanding achievements ranking 6th for two consecutive years and securing the prestigious 1st position in 2020 and 21 in the Independent Higher Education category of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards in the UK. Additionally I was recently honoured with the Community Excellence award for my commendable services. Prior to partnering market research showed strong demand for students in Oxfordshire. Reasons for this included the absence of private colleges offering university programs within a 50-mile radius of Oxford the appeal of my history reputation and branding and the recognition of a strong desire among underprivileged students and disadvantaged communities to access higher education. Additionally a survey revealed a high number of applications due to flexible learning options membership opportunities to the Oxford Union and our status as the only higher education provider in the area after the University of Oxford and Brookes. As a result I found myself in a unique and advantageous geographic and strategic position..

[Audio] Now I have expanded to four cities with nine campuses/outlets and over 7000 students. I am proud to be the first college to take the Oxford-based education experience to other cities in the UK. This year you will see me expanding further across the UK. Additionally I have become the first independent college to be a member of CABs. I have a dedicated research team as well publishing many academic papers. I am deeply grateful to SK Hub for helping elevate my reputation and brand in this new digital era of technology social media and (A-I ). Under the visionary and entrepreneurial leadership of Sarwar Khawaja alongside the academic expertise of Fawad Inam and the support of a dynamic team I feel empowered to soar to new heights..

[Audio] I am grateful for all the support and love I have received over the years. I also thank OxBIIC for taking care of my students. While people may come and go I promise to always take care of you and continue to inspire you with my forward-thinking approach and the lessons I've learned from my mistakes. As I approach my 40th birthday I aim to live for a hundred years and never disappoint you. I kindly request that regardless of your significant growth you please honour my ethics and ensure the well-being of all my students. Please continue to take care of me and I will do the same for you. Best wishes Obc Thank You!.