“Finally, a global business school goes local.” About 15 years ago that was my reply to a reporter when she asked me about a new program by well-known US business school. Funded by an alumnus, the program was to connect MBA student teams to small businesses in the economically distressed neighborhood surrounding school. I tried… Read more >
Jeffrey R. Brown, dean of the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business, has been named the 2021 Dean of the Year by Poets&Quants, the preeminent source for information on undergraduate and graduate business education.
“…under certain conditions, however, art—which not only reflects social reality but also criticizes society, thus forming it—is suited to the diagnosis and cure of its ills.” (Arnold Hauser 1985, “Society as the Product of Art”, The Sociology of Art. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 310) “No one ever made a decision because of a… Read more >
GBSN CEO Dan LeClair reflects on recent student involvement with GBSN and how they contribute to the overall mission of GBSN.
Just like in business, in business education the winds of change are always blowing. Unlike business, however, these winds usually seem to pass without significantly impacting the industry. In recent years, however, the pressures have been mounting. And the Covid-19 pandemic has spread the view that profound change is inevitable.
Digital transformation plays a central role in the sustainable development of Africa. Yet the continent does not yet have the tech talent to enable this transformation. How do we develop the skills to support the needed investment? How can business, academia, government, and civil society work together to create an environment that unlocks the full potential of Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs? Can business schools and universities take the lead in connecting diverse talent needed to accelerate innovation? The fifth and final session in the Talent for Africa series aimed to answer these questions.
This week, GBSN and Ecobank Academy launched the Talent for Africa Virtual Forum — the first of many partnership projects. The first session, entitled, “Africa’s Talent Challenges in a Changing World” launched the series by covering thought-provoking topics such as talent challenges, the growth of the informal economy, and what type of education is truly… Read more >
We held our annual Members Meeting last Thursday, 3 December, with more than 50 participants from 30 countries. As with anything that GBSN does, the meeting was designed to be interactive and thought provoking. The agenda included a pre-meeting for Asian members, two networking breakout groups, an insightful presentation on “Skill, Reskill and Upskill –… Read more >
Franz Heukamp is Dean of IESE Business School at the University of Navarra. In conversation with Soumitra Dutta and Dan LeClair of GBSN, he discusses important global trends that the pandemic is accelerating, as well as the increased responsibility of business and business institutions to society. The interview took place 12 weeks after COVID-19 was… Read more >
Boundaries are everywhere in business education. They inform business scholars about which journals they are supposed to publish in for tenure and promotion. Boundaries help us to neatly organize degree programs into categories, such as MBAs and specialized masters, based on objective criteria. Boundaries can be physical; it is not uncommon for university-based business schools to be physically separated from the main campus.But the environment has changed. Our traditional boundaries have become less helpful. They supported a focus on quality improvement, but are hindering efforts for impact leadership. Quality is about rules and rubrics. Impact is about creativity and collaboration.
