QMYOU Alumni Magazine Issue 77 | Page 14

Tasty ‘Ice Queen’ results from cool student challenge Over the summer, some projects took on a more light-hearted, fun approach to student learning. To get the creative juices flowing, one academic challenged his students to develop a new ice-cream. I NTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT and Leadership students were set the task of developing an ice-cream that represented the University. The question was posed: “If Queen Margaret University was an ice-cream, what would it be?” The branding exercise involved the students taking into consideration different elements of the University’s work as well as its flagships in healthcare, sustainable business and creativity and culture – QMU's areas of expertise. Richard Bent, Director of MBAs at QMU, explained: “This was a fun project but with a serious branding side to it. The students had to think creatively about the different elements involved and how they might link it with the University’s research and commercial interests. The combined effort resulted in ‘Ice Queen’. The new ice-cream product combines honey, raspberries and oats with ice-cream from the renowned Musselburgh business, Luca’s. Richard continued: “The team of ten students finally agreed on this wonderful combination which quite accurately reflects some of QMU’s recent work. The inclusion of honey was a no-brainer. QMU has become renowned for its pioneering research into the antibacterial properties of honey. Recently, our research showed that if used in higher quantities, honey from Portobello was equally as effective in the fight against bacteria as the world-famous Manuka honey. The inclusion of honey represents the University research into food and its specialism in health sciences.” Fruit and spice oat biscuits, from the Edinburgh firm Nairn’s, are included to demonstrate QMU’s commercial support of small and medium sized businesses. The spice also represents the spice trail and the University’s international dimension. The oat biscuits, raspberries and Luca’s ice-cream represents Scotland’s rich natural larder and QMU’s particular interests in Scotland’s food and drink sector. Richard said: “We were delighted that Yolanda Luca from Musselburgh’s Luca’s Ice-cream agreed to support the project. Yolanda is a QMU graduate and the students wanted to include Luca’s as it represents the University’s interest in family business development and community engagement.” Luca’s made the Ice Queen and the students and Principal, Professor Petra Wend, taste-tested the first batch. Richard concluded: “Our first batch of 80 pots went down a storm. It was so delicious that we now hope to include it on our menu at corporate university events. It would be hard to think of a more fun, seasonal way to carry out a branding exercise. Now the only decisions we have to make are whether we want tubs or cones?”❒ QMU hosts international hospitality conference Scotland’s reputation for hospitality was tested when academics from all over the world arrived in Edinburgh for an international hospitality research conference. I N MAY, QMU hosted the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME) Annual Conference, attracting academics from as far afield as New Zealand, Nigeria, Turkey, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany. Although the event was geared towards academics, the world famous chef, Albert Roux, OBE and Legion d’ Honneur, himself a QMU honorary graduate, shared his wisdom of the hospitality industry with university experts from around the globe. Now in its 22nd year, the conference was run by The Council for Hospitality Management Education which represents UK universities offering higher education programmes in hospitality studies, hospitality management and related fields. The conference allowed the academic members to share examples of best practice which will contribute to the professional development and status of hospitality management education in the UK. 14 QMYOU / Sustainable Business Chef Albert Roux OBE, head of the famous cooking dynasty behind establishments such as Le Gavroche (first ever restaurant in the UK to be awarded three Michelin Stars) and more recently Greywalls in Gullane, Scotland, joined leading UK academics in presenting keynote speeches. Alison Phipps, OBE, Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies at Glasgow University has published widely in the field of modern languages, tourism, intercultural studies and European anthropology. She addressed the international conference of academics alongside Professor Angela Roper, Director of the newly established International Centre for Hotel and Resort Management at University of West London, and Peter Ducker, Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality. Trevor Laffin, Head of QMU’s Division of Business, Enterprise and Management, said: “We are very proud to have hosted such a prestigious conference in Scotland and to be involved in a topic of global importance to both developing countries and established economies.” ❒