Boardroom life ( for students.

Part-time MBA students enrolling on the 2006 programme at Durham Business School are to be offered a new opportunity to experience life in the boardroom.

The school's part-time MBA programme, which kicks off in January, will for the first time include the "Boardroom Simulation". This is designed to bring alive students' theoretical studies, as well as providing an insight into management within blue chip companies.

It offers students the chance to take on roles as executive board members, work in groups to gather information about their nominated company and then develop a strategy to meet the real-life needs of that business.

After weeks of intensive information gathering and debate, the exercise culminates in a 90-minute boardroom meeting at which students will have to convince the chairman that their strategy for the company could deliver future performance effectively.

They also have the chance to work with real, external company executives who volunteered to "chair" each group's board and received each group's presentations.

First piloted with Durham's full-time MBA students in 2004, the module is to be expanded to the part-time programme following extremely positive feedback from last year's participants.

They were assigned to companies such as Amazon, Tesco, Calsonic Kansei, Zara and Hankook.

More than 60 students from 26 different countries took part in the simulation, including Norwegian student Solveig Marie Laake, who was MD of the "Tesco" team which gave the best overall group performance. She says: "Our tutors always stress the importance of networking and this became clear during the exercise. If I was to do it again, I would network more with the other MDs. It can be lonely at the top and support from people in similar situations would have been very useful." Board chairs last year included Michael Sherwin, group finance director of Games Workshop Group who "chaired" the Amazon group.

Mr Sherwin was unconvinced by his board's strategy but was highly impressed by their team approach and rapid personal development.

"The content isn't nearly as important as the process," he says. "There was a tremendous amount of learning going on, even in the final meeting. They achieved a tremendous amount in the way the team developed."

Anne Woodhead, director of the school's part-time MBA programme said: "I am delighted that we have been able to extend this exercise to the part-time MBA programme. The feedback from last year's full-time participants was extremely positive. The programme generated huge levels of enthusiasm and a real sense of achievement.

"We aim to be as innovative as possible in our approach and ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to develop skills which they can take back into their everyday working environment.

"It is a particularly exciting exercise for our part-time participants as they may have the chance to apply immediately what they have learnt in their own working environment ( however large or small their organisation."

Students also study modules on finance, managing in global and competitive environments, people management, methods of inquiry and management of information.

Additionally, the programme includes a focus on the "softer" attributes that individuals need to succeed as managers. This includes a focus on negotiation, presentation, project management and leadership skills.

For further information on the part-time MBA programme, which starts in January 2006, contact Dee Clark on [phone].