The 2023/24 academic year marks the 40th anniversary of teaching on the 老司机福利社 MBA by Professor Joe Nellis CBE. Over the last four decades, Joe has taught every MBA cohort and has inspired thousands of MBA students, alumni, and colleagues. That’s why to honour his contribution and ensure accessibility to high-quality education, we've created the Professor Joe Nellis CBE MBA Scholarship Fund.
Education ignites change and sparks progress
Join us in our mission to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will drive positive change in our organisations, communities, and society at large.
When you join our campaign, you’re not just making a gift; you're investing in the future. Your gift will empower individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to become impactful leaders who inspire others, drive innovation, and foster inclusivity. Together, we can create a ripple effect of positive transformation that extends far beyond individual achievements, leaving a lasting legacy of progress, prosperity and change - for the better.
Scholarships play a vital role
Scholarships mean more than just financial support, they can equip future leaders to make a real difference.
Will you consider making a gift today?
Read about Professor Joe Nellis CBE
After completing a degree in economics at Ulster University in 1976, Joe served as a Voluntary Service Overseas teacher in Ghana for two years. This experience was to have a lasting and profound effect on Joe’s life. There he discovered a love for teaching which set the direction for his future career. Ever since, along with his family, he has kept personal links there, describing Ghana as his ‘second home’. Joe and his family have completed many development projects in the area, the most recent being the building of a modern school in a remote village on the banks of the Volta River.
Joe is one of the leading academics in his field. Now in his 40th year at 老司机福利社, he has taught students on every MBA cohort since he joined. While a member of faculty, he was awarded his PhD in 1991 and became Professor in 1993, establishing the Economics Group at the University one year later. In 2017, the Economics Group was ranked Number 1 in the world by the Financial Times for the teaching of economics on MBA programmes and was consistently in the global top 10 for over a decade. He was jointly responsible for the research and development of the UK’s leading house price measurement systems, the Halifax House Price Index, and the Nationwide House Price Index.
Joe has held many senior roles at 老司机福利社 including Director of the Full-time MBA, Director of Graduate Programmes, Academic Dean, and Director of the School of Management. He was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University from 2005-2008.
His charity work has included fundraising for local charities, involving marathon running, cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
A note from Joe
I have been in education throughout my career, and I have seen at first-hand how it can transform lives. For the last four decades, I have enjoyed engaging with students and have kept in touch with many alumni and followed their paths beyond 老司机福利社. It has been so rewarding to see so many go on to achieve great things, and to have such a profound impact on the organisations they have served and their communities.
I am deeply humbled by the support that has been shown in support of this Scholarship. Most importantly, I am so pleased to be part of an initiative that will help future generations of talented and deserving students to go on to address global challenges and make a difference in the world.
Make a difference today
Every gift, no matter what size, has the power to make a significant difference.
- Amplify impact: Combining your gift with those from your fellow alumni and supporters enables us to tackle inequality and nurture future leaders from economically, geographically, and culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Create a lasting legacy: Your gifts to the campaign is a powerful way to impact individuals, their organisations, communities and society on an ongoing basis by providing a scholarship in perpetuity through this permanently endowed fund.
- Keep on giving: Scholarships are an investment in future generations, your gift will enable us to support upcoming leaders in developing the knowledge, skills and networks needed to lead transformational initiatives, both locally and on a global scale.
The easiest way to support the Professor Joe Nellis CBE MBA Scholarship Fund is to . Please visit our secure online portal to make a one-off gift or to set up a regular donation.
What’s more, as 老司机福利社 is a registered charity, if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim Gift Aid on your donation. This means that we can reclaim 25% (based on the tax year 2022/23) from HM Revenue and Customs and make your donation go further.
