Birmingham Business School

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Birmingham Business School is the business school of the University of Birmingham in England. Originally established as the School of Commerce in 1902, Birmingham Business School is the oldest business school in the United Kingdom.History and backgroundIn 1901, Sir William Ashley took the first Chair of Commerce at the school, where he fostered the development of its commercial programme. From 1902 until 1923 he served as first Professor of Commerce and Dean of the Faculty, which he was instrumental in founding. Ashley said that the aim of the new Faculty was the education not of the "rank and file, but of the officers of the industrial and commercial army: of those who, as principals, directors, managers, secretaries, heads of department, etc., will ultimately guide the business activity of the country".In its first year, the annual costs of the Faculty, including staff salaries, were £8,200. There were six students, a lecture room and two classrooms. By 1908, fifteen men had graduated from the School.From 1914 till 1919, University House became a nurses home during World War I. In 1964 the building became a mixed halls of residence until 2002, where it was closed due to the condition of the building and the changing living requirements of students.In March 2005 University House was officially opened by Sir Dominic Cadbury as the Business School's new £20m home. In 2008, the School expanded to add the Department of Economics to its list of departments that already included Accounting and Finance; Management; Marketing.A brand new £10m postgraduate teaching centre, the Alan Walters Building officially opened in December 2016.