March - Westford University College

WOMEN'S DAYPANEL DISCUSSION06 12TH WESTFORD SHARJAH CUP

GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 09WESTFORD TOASTMASTERCHAMPIONS15

VOLUME: 28, MARCH 2021

March - The Month of ReadingLet Reading Fuel Your Imagination!


THE WESTFORD COMMUNIQUE www.mywestford.com

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Human Resource1. The Power of People: Learn How Successful Organiza-tions Use Workforce Analytics to Improve Business Perfor-mance By: Nigel Guenole, Jonathan Ferrar & Sheri Feinzig

2. Standout HR: Transform Your Company’s Human Resources from a Generic, Low-Value Commodity to a Strategic System That Fuels Business Results By: Vero Vanmiddelem

3. Intrapreneurship and Sustainable Human Capital Digital Transformation Through Dynamic Competences by João Leitão, António Nunes, Dina Pereira, Veland Ramadani

Marketing1. The Ends Game: How Smart Companies Stop Selling Products and Start Delivering ValueBy: Marco Bertini and Oded Koenigsberg

2. Driving Digital Strategy: A Guide to Reimagining Your Business By: Sunil Gupta

MARCH - THE MONTH OFREADINGRead! You’d be surprised what you find.

eading holds extreme significance in shaping the success of an individual. Books are not just the gateway to knowledge, but also a great foundation to develop a perspective for events in life. There-fore, with extreme pride, UAE celebrates March as the month of reading. This attempt is to achieve

the national strategic vision for reading to be “A way of life in the UAE by 2026” as stated by the Ministry of Community Development.

To celebrate this month of learning, below is an exhaustive list for everyone to learn and explore varied fundamentals and domains of business education.

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Organisational Psychology & Behaviour:1. ‘The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth’ By Amy Edmondson

2. Becoming a Manager: How New Man-agers Master the Challenges of Leader-ship By: Linda A. Hill

Financial Management1. Financial Management By: D. B. Crane

2. Financial Management EMEA: Theory and Practice by Michael Ehrhardt , Roland Fox, Eugene Brigham

Sustainability Management1. Transdisciplinarity For Sustainability Aligning Diverse Practices by Martina M. Keitsch, Walter J.V. Vermeulen.

2. Sustainable Development: Principles, Frameworks, and Case Studies (Social Environmental Sustainability) by Oke-chukwu Ukaga, Chris Maser , Michael Reichenbach

3. Achieving the Sustainable Develop-ment Goals: Global Governance Chal-lenges (Routledge Studies in Sustainable Development) 1st Edition by Simon Dalby, Susan Horton , Rianne Mahon, Diana Thomaz

Supply Chain Management

1. Operations in an Omnichannel World By: Santiago Gallino and Antonio Moreno

2. From Logistics to Supply Chain Man-agement by Claudio Ferrozzi and R. D. Shapiro

Research methods for Managers1. The Handbook of Marketing Research by Rajiv Grover; Marco Vriens

2. Understanding Management Research by Phil Johnson; Joanne Duberley

3. Qualitative Methods in Business Research by Anne Kova-lainen; Päivi Eriksson

4. Research Methods for Managers-John Gill and Phil John-son

Strategic Management:1. “Contemporary issues in Strategic Management” by Abdingdon

2. The Business of Platforms: Strategy in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation, and Power By: Michael A. Cusu-mano, Annabelle Gawer and David B. Yo�e

Leadership1. The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

2. The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century By Adam Davidson

Let us participate in UAE’s vision and contribute to cultivating a culture of reading to prosper as a knowl-edge-based society. Happy learning!



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WESTFORDIANSIMMERSEDIN THEIR BOOKS

Sayada Mehnaaz BA (Hons) in Business withInternational BusinessManagement, LJMU

Azeez ArshadMBA International CCCU

Fareeha Azeemi BA (Hons) in Business withInternational BusinessManagement, LJMU

Quintin JosephBA (Hons) in Business withInternational BusinessManagement, LJMU

Husna Said Omar HND (Business)

Zainab ShabbarHND Art & Design(Fashion)

Banmeet KaurBA (Hons) in Business withInternational BusinessManagement, LJMU

Hanine MazbouhMBA International CCCU

Joshua Parampethu JacobBSc (Hons) in BusinessManagementCCCU

Junaid KhursheedMBACardi� Metropolitan University

Layal KazanMBACardi� Metropolitan University

Mvindu MayengoMBA InternationalCCCU

David IssacHND (Business)



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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Soulbbatical By Shelley Paxton2. A New 20/20 Vision By Taylor Rochestie3. Ladies Get Paid By Claire Wasserman4. Sharper Image Success By Richard Thalheimer5. The Last Law Of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need To Read By Andrew Kap6. The Billionaire’s Secret: How The World's Wealthiest People Get Rich and Stay Rich with Preferred Securities By Herbert Tabin7. ENRICH: Create Wealth In Time, Money, And Meaning By Todd Miller8. Tiny Habits By BJ Fogg9. The ENERGY Formula: Six Life Changing Ingredients To Unleashing Your Unlimited Potential By Shawn Wells10. Weight Lifting Is A Waste of Time: So Is Cardio, And There’s A Better Way To Have The Body You Want By Dr. John Jaquish11. 7 Figure Agency Roadmap by Josh Nelson12. Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Story Brand Guide For Any Business by Donald Miller13. Industry Influencer Growing Your Brand Through Meaningful Connections and Engagement Online By Glenn Vo14. Stress-Free Money: Overcome These Seven Obsta-cles To Find Financial Freedom By Chad Willardson15. Be Your Own Commander In Chief By Yuri Kruman16. Beginner's Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now By Liz Bohannon17. Eat What You Kill: The Uncut Truth About Turning Your Idea Into A Thriving Business By Donald Williams18. Uplevel Your Business, Uplevel Your Life By Kristen S. David 19. From Nearly Bankrupt To Financial Freedom By Ivan Tapia20. Unknown To Unforgettable: How To Stop Playing Small, Land National Media Attention, And Position Yourself As A Power Player By Ashley Crouch21. Tax Free Wealth By Tom Wheelwright

1. Power Up: How Smart Women Win in the New Economy by Magdalena Yesil2. The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Tech-nologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen3. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh4. What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School: Notes from a Street-smart Executive by Mark McCormack5. The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm by Tom Kelley6. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz7. Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson8. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight9. Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Robert F. Kennedy10. Made in America by Sam Walton11. Certain to Win: The Strategy of John Boyd, Applied to Business by Chet Richards12. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis13. Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant14. Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant15. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout16. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspira-tion by Ed Catmull17. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck-Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collin

LIST OF 17 BUSINESS ANDLEADERSHIP BOOKS FOR MBASTUDENTS

LIST OF 21 BOOKS TOREAD IN 2021



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“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”

RAISING AWARENESSAGAINST BIAS & TAKINGACTION FOR EQUALITY -CREATING AN INCLUSIVE WORLD

erena Williams once stated “The success of every woman should be an inspiration to one another. We’re the strongest when we cheer each other on.”

Joining forces together, for a better tomorrow is a pledge that everyone at Westford took on International Women’s Day. Our eminent panel included some recognized names:

Dr. Hibah ShataChief Executive O�cer, Maharat Learning Centre

Mr. Ibrahim MogharbelManaging Director, The Great Place to Work

Ms. Nandini VohraManaging Director, The Guild PR

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Dr. Hibah Shata Charvi Bhatt

Ibrahim Mogharbel Nandini Vohra



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he discussion also threw light on Women’s mental and physical well-being; Women at work; and

Women’s creatives. An interactive dialogue, between all speakers, gave attendees a new perspective in recognizing the gaps in gender parity. The moderator generated questions, bought about a further in-depth discussion about the issues in the society and how they can be addressed. Sugges-tions on creating a more inclusive world were highly emphasized upon throughout the discussion. Inclusion is an important process as they are the smaller steps to a much larger, more impactful change. All three speakers stressed the importance of bringing small transformation within our communities, which will influence others over time.

Dr. Hibah spoke about being able to look beyond the challenges; she added that there is a prominent need for women in distress to help themselves to combat any mental illnesses. Women are said to impact fami-lies and societies positively and creating a culture around them is essential, even more at the workplace. Mr. Ibrahim stressed the importance of creating an inclusive envi-ronment at the workplace, recognizing the e�orts, and making them feel empowered. He said change and acceptance of change, should be entailed as a culture for women to be appreciated in the workplace. Ms. Nandini made an exceptional point of “education being our foundation of freedom”; it all starts with education and recognizing the abilities of women and supporting them by creating an environment to bring their whole selves to work. She recommended that it is essential to focus on what is missing, based on feedback we would be able to understand the gaps in women's participation in the industry.

An enlightening session, which ended on a note of making those minuscule e�orts for a more inclusive world, with no tolerance for a bias of any kind. There are initiatives in the environment to support women in all facets of life and involving them to make this world a better place to live; as they say, “We are all better together!”.

The session focused on 3 key areas:

• Identifying, celebrating, and increasing visibility of women’s achievements can help forge equality.

• Creating strategic collaborations based on a foundation of shared purpose, trust and appreciation can lead to positive change for women.

• Raising a worldwide awareness via meaningful narratives, resources, and activity, which can help combat gender bias and discrimination, and accelerate gender parity.

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A Dayto Reflect

InternationalWomen's Day

Nandini VohraManaging Director,

The Guild

Dr. Hibah ShataChief Executive O�ce -

Maharat Learning Center

Our Esteemed Panelists

Ibrahim MougharbelManaging Director - UAE,

Qatar, Oman & Kuwaitat Great Place to Work -

Middle East

Trixie LohMirmand Executive Vice President,

Dubai World Trade Center Vice President, Women-in-Biz

Engagement - SingaporeBusiness Council (UAE)

Raising Awareness Against BiasTaking Actions for EqualityChoosing to Challenge


VOLUME: 28, MARCH 2021 08

e have been switching o� our lights; turning entire streets, build-ings, and city skylines dark - as a symbolic gesture and our com-mitment to preserving our planet.

Today in 2021, we are living in unprecedented times, and now more than ever we need to take care of ourselves and one another, while also looking to see how we can contribute to reversing nature loss and protecting our planet.

The year 2020-2021 has caused a digital transformation, be it education, shopping, global movements, almost everything that we could think of, so why not earth hour?

Why should we let COVID-19 be any reason for us to remain careless towards our mother nature? We still have an incredible opportunity to make an impact, online and from our homes. No matter where we are in the world, we can still speak up and bring global attention to the issues faced by our planet!

We Westfordians, as a small contribution to the global movement, let us share the same message and re-create the same unmissable sight online by taking part in our first-ever Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight. Let us make 2021 a year of hope and a grand success amidst the ambiguous situation of Covid-19.

Contribute to Earth Hour by switching o� your lights for an hour on March 27, 2021. If you are planning to be in a public space or are thinking of spending the Hour with friends and family outside your home, please follow local guidelines, remember to wear a mask, and maintain social distancing.

Take part in the first-ever Earth Hour "Virtual Spotlight" and be a part of history! With over 116 nationalities, if we at Westford join our hands together, we can speak up and show world leaders and other decision-makers around the globe that our planet matters. Let us make this happen. SWITCH OFF SATURDAY MARCH 27, 2021 - 8:30 PM.

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The Earth Is What We All Have in Common. - Wendell Berry

EARTH HOUR 2021 - AN HOUR THAT CAN CHANGE DECADES!

ARE YOU READY F OR A HISTORICONLINE CHALLENGE?

EARTH HOUR: HISTORY

symbolic light-out event started by WWF and partners in Sydney in the year 2007, Earth Hour is now one of the largest movements for raising awareness on environmental issues. Millions of people from more than 180 countries and territories turn o� their lights and take part in this

awareness and show support to our planet.

Earth Hour goes far beyond the symbolic action of switching o� – It is a movement for our future, a catalyst for the positive environmental impact that calls for an urgent change that is possible only by the power of the people and collective action.

Today, Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature not only to combat the climate crisis but to ensure our health, happiness, prosperity, and even survival.

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2021 – THE YEAR OF HOPE



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12th WESTFORD SHARJAH CUPGOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

he Westford Sharjah Cup Golf Champi-onship was held at the Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club on 13th March with a lot

of aplomb and enthusiasm amongst all the forty participants. Right from the commence-ment of the tournament at 7.30 am with a shot-gun start till its end at 5.30 pm, the participants competed fiercely for the arduous 36 holes and played with a lot of competitive spirit and gusto. The Sharjah Golf Club arranged a very sumptuous lunch and dinner for all partici-pants. Arnel Valencia was delighted at the end to be crowned the winner of this very popular Westford Sharjah Golf Cup, who shot 71 one over par and won the coveted cup. Sami Butt was declared the runner-up, with Joe Bautista getting to third place in the tournament. There were additional Best Rounds, Senior, and Gross Champion prizes given to participants for their skillful play in the championship. The Westford Sharjah Cup is gaining a lot of popularity and generating a lot of excitement amongst golfers to participate and show their mettle in the two full rounds of golf played in one day. Westford University College thanks all contestants for their enthusiastic participation in the champi-onship, and the Sharjah Golf Club management for conducting the tournament seamlessly.

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orn in Mumbai and being an Indian Air force Brat, I was always fascinat-ed by airplanes and fighter aircraft

from childhood. During schooling, I always used to go and see aerobatics, air shows and wanted to fly on planes. My participation in sports and extra-curricular activities during my undergraduate years at Mumbai University made me confident and clear about my career goals.

After many unsuccessful attempts, I got my first breakthrough in 2013 with Indian Avia-tion and got an opportunity to work with Spice Jet Airline as a Cabin Crew. Various training sessions about aircraft features and lifesaving procedures enhanced my soft skills, customer service relations and gave me a better idea of the aviation industry.

In 2017, my second breakthrough was with Qatar Airways, a Five Star global brand. I was delighted and extremely happy about my new achievement and new role. Work-ing every day with 132 nationalities on-board, learning about di�erent cultures, and getting an opportunity to visit di�erent countries around the world was nothing short of amazing.

Presently, I am a Cabin Crew with 7+ years of experience along with a solid record of accomplishment in providing exceptional services to customers from the moment they board the flight till they reach their destinations. Logged over 5000+ flying hours with domestic and international flights on various types of aircraft.

But I did not just want to stop there, I enrolled in the MBA program at Westford University to progress in my career. As the journey is challenging, Westford has always supported me with work-study life balance. I am incredibly pleased that I have made this decision because I feel it is the platform to take you one step further in your career.

IN THE SPOTLIGHTTraveling the world - 55 Countriesand Counting (Globetrotter, Influencer& Photographer)

Pratyush PandaMBA - Cardi� Metropolitan University

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or all foreign film and sci-fi enthusiasts, this is for you. Set in the year 2902, the crew of a space junk collecting ship finds themselves morally conflicted when they come across Dorothy, a supposed weapon of mass destruction in

the form of a 7-year-old little girl. The intense space battles, relatable exploration of capitalist hierarchies, relevant social commentary, and found family trope make this film a must-watch.

Wardah FaruquiBA (Hons) in Business withInternational BusinessManagement, LJMU

RECOMMENDATIONSOF THE MONTHMovie on Netflix

magine this, you have the evening o�, you sit down on the sofa to relax and watch something on Netflix, and then bam! You are hit with a wall of too much content. Well have no fear, on Netflix,

Trending Now is a system that recommends content that is being enjoyed by users based on the shows you watch and like. These shows are trending universally due to similarities in users’ interests and what engages them.

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1. Space Sweepers (2021)

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2. A Classic Must Haveon your Shelf

f COVID-19 has taught us something, then that is to always be ready for uncertainty in di�erent situations and how we should be ready to adapt to

those uncertainties.

Who Moved My Cheese? is an astonishing book that was written by Dr. Spencer Johnson that teaches us how to deal with change in one’s life, professionally & personally.

The book will take less than 60 minutes to read but its unique insights will last for a lifetime. The very core message of the book is that things constantly change so we must adapt. The quicker we adapt to a change the more satisfied we will be.

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The book teaches 6 great lessons which can help us professionally and personally.

1. Change Happens – Change is inevitable, the first lesson of the book is to accept the concept of change itself

2. Anticipate Change – Expect change at every step of your life. The better you anticipate, the easier it is to accept change

3. Monitor Change – Keep an eye on the change to understand the implication so that it helps us to adapt to it better.

4. Adapt to Change Quickly - The quicker you let go and adapt to the new change, the sooner you will be able to enjoy its benefits. We generally get comfortable in life and ignore to accept change which makes it more di�cult to accept the reality at a later stage.

5. Change – Move forward with the change to blend in. It is important to implement the change and look forward. When you accept change, you look for ways to find a solution.

6. Enjoy Change – Lastly, Enjoy the change that has been accepted.

Prem LoboMBA Student,Cardi� Metropolitan University

Dr. Spencer Johnson was an international best-selling author whose books helped millions of people discover simple truths they can use to have healthier lives with more success and less stress. His books were often featured in media including CNN, The Today Show, Time Magazine, USA today, and The Wall Street Journal.

ancing is one of my passion and a way in which I can express my emotions and connect to the world without the use of words. Dancing has

helped me deal with anxiety, stress and helped me in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I know about 7 forms of dancing and the contemporary dance style is my most favorite as it helps me to share my thoughts best. West-ford University College provided me an opportunity to showcase my talent in one of the events called Razzmatazz. My performance was dedicated to all the mothers as losing my own has been a very di�cult phase in life. It allowed me to let out my emotions and to feel the way I needed to. My dance was appreciated by everyone which meant a lot as it helped me recon-nect with my mother. Dancing gives me a purpose and helps me get through the daily moments of life. A way in which I can disconnect with the world and find a place in my heart that would never steer me wrong. Thank you, Westford, for allowing me to showcase my talent and be proud of who I am today.

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CREATIVE CORNERTHE ART OF DANCING - FORM OF EMOTION AND SOUL TO CONNECT TO YOUTH WITHOUT WORDS

Mohammed KhawajaBA (Hons) in BusinessLJMU



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What makes a great youth leader you ask?Well let me tell you it is no easy task,Cause there are quite a few qualities to unmask

A spirit that is tenacious,And a passion that is ferocious,A clear goal set in mind,With a heart that is not unkind, The bravery to take on any risk,And opportunity they would never miss,One who replaces ‘I’ with ‘We’And is always busy as a bee, Responsibilities they should always be ready to take,And loyalty they should wear as a drape,Knowledge, skills, and humilityAre a few more to add,Now, these are skills every leader should have.

- Sumaita Chowdhury

Oh Young Leader!

To walk with your head held high,To hold each hand, but not too hard.To not fret, not frown, smile not sigh,To be the voice, not miss a word. For growth in a team, to be a role modelFor making a di�erence, to be a ready armyFor not to doubt their strength nor back outFor being a leader worthy of trust. Be brave, be strong, everything not aloneBe the revolution, for the next generationBe who you are, for who they areBe young enough to embrace the world. Oh captain, my captain, be the oneTo lead them right, to show them right.To never give up, to rise through the fallOh young leader, do them right!

- Safa Musthafa

Young Leadership

They asked me to go ahead,But would not mention how,While I needed someone with meThey were all di�erent inside out. With aims and visions aheadThe mission was not intactUnspoken words and silencesForced a leader to rise The crowd started to followLike a flock of sheep, you would sayThings started to fall in placeAs this is what they would always say

Someone had a start to trailWhich would lead to a minor changeDrops of water turned into a seaWhen a young leader went ahead

- Mariam Hussain

LEADERSHIP POEMSWRITTEN BY THE HND STUDENTS



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Westford University Toastmasters Club (WUTC) participated in the Area 29 Annual SpeechContest, held on 12th March 2021.

WESTFORD TOASTMASTERCHAMPIONS AT THEAREA 29 ANNUAL SPEECHCONTEST - 2021!

Westford University Toastmasters Club (WUTC) participated in the Area 29 Annual Speech Contest, held on 12th March 2021. Contestants from WUTC were Banmeet Kaur and TM Gabriel Chetty for Table Topics Contest, TM David Isaac and TM Naaz Naushad for Evaluation Contest,TM Nida Rahman and TM David Isaac for international Speech Contest and TM Gabriel Chetty and TM Joonie Nazmath for the Humorous Speech Contest.

It was an electrifying competition, the student toastmasters competed with some of the best and seasoned toastmasters in Area 29. Westford Winners of the Area 29 Conetst are; TM Joonie Nasmath first place Humorous Speech Contest, TM David Isaac 3rd Place International and TM Banmeet Kaur 3rd Place in Table Topics Contest.

Congratulations to all the contestants and winners!

TM: Jooni Nasmath TM: David Isaac TM: Banmeet Kaur



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FASHION DESKRISE OF THRIFT CULTURE

ndoubtedly, today the concept of Fashion Recommerce has become a strong and vital part of the retail industry. Gone are the

days when hygiene and racial stigmas discour-aged the buying of second-hand clothing. In this past decade, thrifting has been positively intro-duced and reimagined by the individuals of Gen - Z, who appreciate the uniqueness of thrift finds which mainstream brands fail to o�er. These individuals are aware of the unethical operations of fast fashion establishments and their environ-mental impact. With the concept of sustainability in mind and the concern for climate change, these individuals strive to make the right choice in their daily life tasks. According to McKinsey’s “The State of Fashion 2019” report, “Nine in ten Generation Z consumers believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues”. Fashions companies across the industry are not blind to such choices of these conscious consumers. Some brands are more mindful of this cause and strive to work more ethically by adapting less toxic production, mini-mizing the consumption of valuable resources, and reducing their environmental impact by using natural or recycled fabrics; but they are often more expensive than their fast-fashion competitors. This is where thrift stores come into the picture as they are not only feasible but also environmentally friendly and ethical. The Inter-net has also played a critical role in popularizing thrift stores with social media influencers promoting Thrift Culture as a part of a trendy lifestyle.

In simple terms, thrifting is not simply recycling of clothes, it is a way to minimize wastage in landfills, reduce pollution and highlight the injustice of fast fashion. Thrift-ing might not be the answer to all the problems within the fashion and textile industry, but it is one of the many ways we can minimize our carbon footprints.

Arwa Mufaddal

HND Art & Design(Fashion)

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GHANA

NATIONAL DAYCELEBRATIONS IN MARCH

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earing the word "Greece", everybody's mind goes way back to the golden ages of Sofoklis and Aristotle. Very few will think of the Greek war of independence that erupted 200 years ago, back in

March 1821.

All Greeks, around the globe, are celebrating 200 years of independence. A revolution that took place two centuries ago, inspiring the whole Europe and signalling the end for the empires of the "old world". It was a handful of educated and enlightened Greeks who lit the spark for this new age for Greece and Europe.

Today, their message still stands: “Education is the foundation stone for true independence”. Adding a personal touch, this message is the reason why, in the 5th decade of my life, I am continuing my education at Westford Univer-sity College, a school that promotes all those eternal values that were born in classical Greece and reborn with Greece's independence, 200 years ago.

he rich cultural heritage of Ghana in this contemporary society has come under fierce public debate and contestation, but also, and increasingly so, of entertainment and marketing. The formation of heritage always involves processes of styling that vest ‘culture and

tradition’ with an artistic appeal. Distinctive about the recent, market-driv-en trend towards a revaluation of heritage in the framework of entertain-ment media is the heavy emphasis placed on visual aesthetics. In contempo-rary Ghana, current representations of heritage visible in local television and video-movies, but also fashion, beauty, music, and other popular cultur-al expressions depart from earlier state projects of national heritage forma-tion in their overtly commercial nature and explicit focus on design and marketing.

The journey at Westford University College has been a wonderful one personally coming from a mining professional with a busy life schedule. The flexibility of the course modules and the friendly-user interface of the LMS has made it possible to incorporate them into my daily work schedule and manage my time e�ectively as well. I was a bit skeptical at the beginning, but the interactive nature of the lecturers even though held online made it inter-esting and you quickly get accustomed to the learning style of meeting people from diverse cultures and backgrounds in a class. I have been able to relate some of the modules in my day-to-day running of mining operations and a positive e�ect on my conversational topics. The rapid change in technology especially with the evolution of education has made it possible for most of us Ghanaians to access good and renowned institutions such as Westford University College and you don’t have to be sitting in a lecture hall to get educated neither do you need to travel to attend conferences.

Bernard Amponsah-Poku (UCAM - MBA in Engineering

Management)

Sotirios Lagonikas MBA

Cardi� Metropolitan University

GREECE



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BABM STUDENT VOICEhy did you choose to study at Westford University College?

Choosing Westford University College was a no-brainer for me. I cannot take all the credit as my family were equally involved. I had a eureka moment when I realized what I wanted to study and looking at the colleges in the UAE, Westford stood out to me. One that was devoted like a priest to a church, focusing on bringing value to its students using curated courses and faculty members, one that embarks on developing its college students.

Which activities in the classroom do you enjoy the most?

Being in an environment that enriches and motivates a student allows for many great interactions and activi-ties. The most important activity in a classroom would be leadership activities. A leadership activity would allow the leader who has been carefully chosen by the educator to develop the student in making decisions whether right or wrong as failure is a steppingstone to success, working under stress, being responsible for both tasks and a team, managing time, networking, and communications. The attributes that one develops through this activity are critical to the understanding and implementation of a real-life situation.

How is Westford di�erent from other universities?

Westford University College di�ers from other colleges in terms of its fee structure, the environment, and the college atmosphere which is welcoming. The fee structure at Westford University College is a�ordable and carefully planned out to benefit both the student and the person responsible for the payment. The faculty mem-bers encountered have been nothing short of a delight to interact with.

How would you describe the college atmosphere?

Being in an environment that nurtures, one that constantly motivates and pushes students to be the best versions of themselves, and one that teaches students about the real world.

How has your learning experience been so far?

Being at Westford University College is like this short story between a miner and his friends. The friends in this story are WUC and the miner represents the student. The miner digs all day and night for years to come, hoping to find gold. One day when he struck the dirt, his pickaxe cried through the tunnels, “I struck gold!”. He then calls his buddies to help him extract this gold and once he has his gold, he then follows his friends who exchange the gold for currency. He uses that currency to build a metropolis and leave behind a legacy. You see without the help of WUC, the miner in this story would not be able to get that gold out of the tunnel.

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Nehal Soni BA (Hons) in Business with

International Business Management, Liverpool John Moores University



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CERTIFICATIONCEREMONY

When preparation meets opportunity, success is inevitable. To thrive in any field, you need one critical ingre-dient, perseverance. Having the will to succeed every single day and making your dreams turn into reality is what truly matters.

Getting back to academics was challenging especially attending classes after a long and tiring day at work. With the assistance and guidance of Westford University College and Cardi� Metropolitan University, it became easier to balance time between work and study for which I will be forever grateful.

With the completion of my MBA program, I feel confident in my ability to grow and advance in my profession-al career. The program has greatly improved my leadership, writing, analytical, time management, and research skills. I have been able to build a strong understanding of business while expanding my knowledge in di�erent areas like strategic decision making, leadership, and negotiation. The knowledge gained through-out the study course have helped me pave the way for a successful career and at the same time helped me stand out among my colleagues. Based on my experience, I would recommend the MBA program with West-ford University College to every individual who is looking to move into the next phase of their career.



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ALUMNI DIASPORA

Muhammad ImranMBA - Cardi� Metropolitan University, UKClass of 2021

REFLECTIONSON TRIAL RUN OFSINOPHARMCOVID 19 VACCINEBY WESTFORD ALUMNI MAHMOUD AL-RAMAHI



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M Mahmoud Al-Ramahi is the lead phar-macist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City [SKMC] in Abudhabi, UAE.

Mahmoud played a critical role as the Pharmacy Supervisor in the phase-3 trial run of Sinopharm Vaccine held in Abudhabi National Exhibition Centre [ADNEC] from July-September 2020. His responsibilities included organizing and coordi-nating the pharmacy sta�, managing the inbound and outbound logistics of the vaccine, ensuring the storage of the vaccines in the prescribed tempera-ture and the documentation work.

Mahmoud shares his experience with passion and accountability: “There were around 25 pharmacy sta� members working under my supervision and we had to collaborate with over 40,000 volunteers registered during the trial vaccination drive. We received the trial vaccines in the morning from the G42 stores and my responsibility included ensur-ing that the vaccines are handled, transferred, and stored in proper temperature and the unused vaccines are returned. I ordered a specific number of vaccines everyday according to the number of appointments though all registered volunteers may not have reported”.

The experience of collaborating a historic project spearheaded by SEHA (Abudhabi Health Authori-ty) is shared with a lot of humility and compassion by Mahmoud who would surely mark this as a milestone in his three decade long professional contributions.

‘TURNING SCIENCE INTO MEDICINE’

ASTRAZENECA RESEARCH& DEVELOPMENT

y organization is a global science-led, biopharmaceuti-cal business and our innovative medicines are used by millions of people worldwide. It is driven by science,

united by science, and every day, we push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines in di�erent therapy areas: Oncology, Respiratory & Immunology, Cardiovascular Renal & Metabolism.

Our Response to COVID-19The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge to humanity that demands a global, united response, not just from the scientific community but also from industry, organizations, governments, and every single person around the globe. Since early 2020 when the true scale of the crisis became clear, AstraZeneca has committed to help defeat COVID-19 by harnessing and sharing our scientific knowledge and expertise to advance and accelerate the development of potential medicines to prevent or treat the virus.

It has donated nine million face masks to support healthcare workers in 49 countries, bolstered the national COVID-19 testing e�ort, and initi-ated clinical trials to investigate our new and existing medicines to see how they could treat the infection.

Recognizing the urgent need for a vaccine to defeat the virus, it joined forces with the University of Oxford, bring-ing together its world-class expertise in vaccinology with its global development and manufacturing capabilities. We have accelerated clinical development and rapidly mobilized partnerships and a global supply chain that will support a broad, timely, and equitable supply of a safe and e�ective vaccine around the world, and at no profit during the pandemic.

The largest vaccination program in history is underway to protect against COVID-19; the COVAX initiative brings together the public and private sectors to ensure everyone, regardless of wealth, has access to a safe and e�ective vaccine; 190 countries have signed-up to support its mission to protect the world’s most vulnerable.

Over the past week, tens of millions of doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine have been landing at airports around the world through the multilateral COVAX initiative.

A new digital-first campaign for the vaccine was launched last week: “Our commitment- a vaccine for everyone”.

What makes this new campaign stand out is that the content is told through the stories and experiences of people across the company and beyond who are helping to deliver AstraZeneca’s commitment to the world.

Bolstered by our resiliency, our employees have maintained momentum, drawing motivation from our values to ‘follow the science, do the right thing and put patients first.

Hanine Mazbouh

(MBA International – CCCU) Biologics Account SpecialistAstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals



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arwan Nasry is the Category Lead for Pfizer Biopharma in Iraq. Marwan leads Pfizer’s commercial operations to bring Pfizer’s breakthrough products in the areas of vaccines and inflamma-

tion/immunology to the patients in Iraq.

Westford University College is proud of the professional contributions made by Marwan who is our alumni. He shares his experience of 15 years with Pfizer and his most recent project; launching the vaccine to fight the current Pandemic.

I am fortunate to be a COVID Vaccine Launch Navigator responsible for planning the COVID vaccine project in collaboration with the healthcare professionals and health authorities. The project is to bring forward vaccines and therapies to address the tragic pandemic, which is aligned with Pfizer's purpose “Delivering scientific breakthroughs to change patients’ lives”.

To the outside world, it may appear that COVID-19 is the only thing Pfizer has been working on for the past year, but we made sure that despite lockdowns and travel restrictions, we continued to serve hundreds of millions of patients around the world who rely on our medicines and vaccines.

I would like to share our CEO Albert Bourla’s quote “When I think of 2020, I choose to think of all the good that we saw – both within Pfizer and around the world. Time and time again, we saw people extending a hand to help those in need. They shared their resources, their talent, and their time. Sometimes, they simply shared a smile, but that was enough to lift someone’s spirits and deliver a spark of hope.”

At Pfizer, the “how” is represented by four simple, powerful values – courage, excellence, equity and joy – that define our company and our culture, we act with integrity every day & we believe we will make great progress in leading the conversation and becoming known as the most patient centric company.

REFLECTIONS ON PFIZERCOVID VACCINEBY WESTFORD ALUMNI MARWAN NASRY

Courage: While many of Pfizer colleagues have had the flexibility to work remotely during this pandemic, not everyone has. It took great courage and dedication for our Global Supply colleagues to keep coming to our sites, but they did so to ensure a reliable supply of our medicines and vaccines for those who need them.

Excellence: Excellence in collaboration. Excellence in execution. We have seen many other examples.

Equity: We do it by advocating a�ordable and equitable access to our medicines and vaccines

Joy: Despite all the challenges, frustrations and heartache 2020 brought with it, we continued to find joy in our work. We met for virtual happy hours and volunteer events. But most important, we continued to experience the joy of knowing that our work does a tremendous amount of good for the world.

Marwan started his career in Pfizer in 2006. He held several positions in the Gulf & Levant region and was responsible for products related to Vaccines & Rare Diseases.

Marwan has received several awards during his illustrious career:

1. 2010 - Pfizer AfME (Africa Middle East) Vaccines Award 2. 2011 - Pfizer Global President Award as a top performer across the Gulf Region. 3. 2014 - Pfizer Global Vaccines Award 4. 2016 - Pfizer Global Commer-cial excellence Award

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BOOK REVIEW -“THE WRONGFAMILY”BY TARRYN FISHER

he Wrong Family, written by one of the best-selling authors today “Tarryn Fisher” was released on December 29, 2020. The story is about Juno, a retired therapist, over-

hearing a chilling conversation between Nigel Crouch, Winnie Crouch, and their son Sam. Winnie tries and maintains the rela-tionship between her husband and her son amidst all the secrets. Winnie’s attempt to achieve balance with all this to uphold the facade of “the perfect family” is one of the biggest driving points behind the plot of this book. Humans are fallible, and this is what the author so proficiently explores. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, with all the drama and mystery unfolding throughout the story. In my point of view, the writer has done a great job at portraying the charac-ter's complexity especially when it comes to Juno. All the charac-ters in this book behave morally at one point or another which makes the story more realistic. I appreciate the careful maneu-vering of Juno’s relationship with the Crouch family, as it made it more of an interesting read with a perplexing scenario for the readers to ponder as to why Juno was in their house in the first place. At the start it made Juno look like a ghost character which made it even more mysterious as to how she was living there without anyone noticing. There are many strong themes associ-ated with this novel such as family, trauma, mental illness, and homelessness. I would recommend this book as it will undoubtedly keep you hooked and build up your anticipation of what will happen further in the story. Enjoy the wonderful read!

Shiza Arif

(BTEC Level 3 NationalFoundation Diploma inBusiness, Pearson UK)

4.0T



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NEW WESTFORDIANSON THE BLOCK

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Libin Mathew Meera Ravindran Ryan Garcia Divya Nair Raya Yamazaki Ayushi Tandan

CONTENT MANAGEMENT TEAM

Sahar Salim

Hanil HaridasManaging Editor

Sufia MunirEditor in Chief

Sakeena MohammadContent Editor

Piyush Bagla

: Be sincere with your work.: "Don’t believe in luck, believe in hard work.": To play Cricket, Chess and Badminton

Mantra @ WorkQuote you live byCreative Vent

Anushka Lydia Issac

“The only way to do great work, is to fall inlove with what you do”“When you truly desire something, the entire universeconspires to give you what you want.”Writing, Painting, Sketching, Photography,Film-Making, and Music”

Mantra @ Work

Quote you live by

Creative Vent

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Documents

March - Westford University College