Students will be offered the chance to hone their interpersonal skills using virtual reality (VR) thanks to a new partnership between Henley Business School, Bodyswaps and Meta.
Workshops to try out the new technology will be offered to students and guests at the business school’s upcoming open days.
The immersive scenario simulations use a combination of the latest technologies (VR, AI, 3D and data analytics) to provide scenario-based simulations where students can learn and practice soft skills and receive real-time feedback. Some simulations include:
- Public speaking & presentation
- Job interview simulator
- Inclusive leadership
- Customer Service
Henley is one of only 106 colleges and universities in the world to receive the Bodyswaps and Meta Immersive Learning grant.
The web-based platform simulations can be accessed from any device: PC, Laptop, Tablets, Mobile phone and VR Headsets.
Dr Fabio Goncalves de Oliveira, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Henley Business School who, said: “I am very excited and happy to be one of the first recipients of this grant, which will enable us to offer Henley students the opportunity to practice soft skills in virtual reality.”
CEO and Co-Founder of Bodyswaps, Christophe Mallet said: “Immersive technologies represent an immense opportunity to improve education for traditionally underserved populations. This grant, the largest of its kind ever, will demonstrate the impact VR learning can have at scale and show the way for a more human-centric and equalitarian future for education.”
Prospective students and guests will be able to try out the new technology at Henley business School’s forthcoming open days on Saturday 4 March, Saturday 18 March and Tuesday 4 April.
Henley Business School students can book a 20-min slot for experience the VR simulations by accessing this calendar and signing their names.
Dr Fabio Goncalves de Oliveira is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Henley Business School. He has twenty-five years of industry experience working in marketing and sales management positions at multinationals in Brazil and England.
Fabio has fifteen years of academic experience in higher education. He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, teaching undergraduates, masters and MBA students. Currently his role covers innovation, entrepreneurship, strategic management, leadership, digital marketing and digital transformation. His research interests explore how digital transformation and digital technologies impact on management, innovation and the decision-making undertaken by board of directors.
Together with his academic career, Fabio worked in the corporate sector in management and directorship positions for companies such as Electrolux, Xerox, Toshiba and Laureate International Universities. In these roles he led sales, marketing and trade marketing teams to execute commercial and marketing strategies in B2B, B2C and D2C.In collaboration with other academics Fabio has published several articles and book chapters.
His research findings have been presented in conferences in Italy, France, the Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, Spain and Belgium. He is a certified instructor of AI and Cloud Computing at the Huawei ICT Academy of Henley Business School.
