Online graduate awards ceremony - graduate jobs

Manchester Business School has held its graduate awards ceremony online to overcome the problem of students being scattered around the world.

Senior executives from BP, who had completed a year-long management programme at the school, got together using life-like avatars in the Whitworth Room at the school's Second Life Island space to be presented with their certificates.

The ceremony included avatars of dignitaries, a procession and speeches, and they were congratulated by the dean, Michael Luger.

The graduates were able to download their certificates from the internet and also received a film of the ceremony.

Created by design company Corporation Pop, which managed the event, the venue - Whitworth Room - was inspired by Manchester University's graduation hall of the same name.

Each programme has around 30 participants from across the world and it includes e-learning and week-long modules at MBS.

Dom Raban, managing director of Corporation Pop, told the Financial Times: "The space [Second Life presence] has evolved from a place to share ideas, to a location for training courses and now a place for students to take part in award ceremonies.

"This...provides a benchmark for future academic virtual world developments."