[4] In 1901, Sir William Ashley took the first Chair of Commerce at the school, where he fostered the development of its commercial programme.

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".

However, the teaching of the time was not grounded in academic research and lacked a theoretical basis, damaging the reputation of Birmingham and other schools of commerce.

[5] With a drop of in demand from industry for commerce graduates in the 1930s, professors were not replaced and staff burdens grew to the extent that it fuelled opposition to business and management teaching at other universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

[12] In March 2005, University House was officially opened by Sir Dominic Cadbury as the Business School's new £20m home.

City REDI was established by the University of Birmingham with over £4 million of investment [15] to support regional economic growth policy and practice through engaged and relevant research.

City REDI is involved in the Inclusive Growth Unit,[16] led by the West Midlands Combined Authority.