University of Surrey high-performers embrace MBTI
Top academic performance doesn’t necessarily mean a person will perform well in the workplace.
Like anything else, skills such as good leadership and increased self-awareness have to be learned, using the right teachers and the right tools.
The University of Surrey’s Industrial Doctorate Centre (IDC) annually recruits high-performing students as research engineers in its prestigious EngD programme. The programme is an opportunity to combine cutting-edge research with business application in a sponsor company.
To knock students into shape before making this big leap, the university brought in OPP to initiate MBTI-based training for the new research engineers. This added invaluable assets such as enhanced interpersonal and leadership skills to the high flyers’ portfolios, and was a great success. The concept of MBTI type has created a new buzz within the EngD programme and is now part of the researchers’ vocabulary and working process.
Noelle Hartley, Manager of the IDC, commented: “Having experienced it myself, I came back to the MBTI tool with enthusiasm and commitment, but I was concerned about the appetite that my community might have for it, as the academic culture and tone is so very different. My reservations were unfounded, and feedback confirms that our students consider type fascinating – and, best of all, useful in their time at the university and their sponsor company.”
Established in 1894, the University of Surrey aims to give its students a competitive edge through the power of education and innovation. The MBTI programme is the latest innovative initiative, marrying students’ academic excellence with skills that enable them to excel in the modern workplace. All of which pays off – the institution’s all-round success has been reflected in fantastic leaps up the university league tables.