Cross-Border Collabs

Navigating Tomorrow’s Workforce: Lifelong Learning, Up-skilling, and E-Learning for the Future

Prof. Dr. Nick van Dam, Director of the IE Center for Corporate Learning & Talent Management at IE University lead an incredible discussion for the September Collab. We delved into the imperative for business schools to adapt and equip students with the skills demanded by the rapidly evolving job landscape. We also explored the essential role of lifelong learning, emphasizing the ever-growing importance of up-skilling and re-skilling to ensure professionals remain agile and relevant in the face of technological disruptions.

Demystifying Business School Rankings: Insights and Impact

We were honored to be joined by John Byrne, Chairman, CEO & Editor in Cheif of C-Change Media Inc. During the Collab, we explored the significance, benefits, and shortcomings of various business school rankings. We gained valuable insights into the development, methodology, and impact of rankings. The session provided GBSN members with the unique opportunity to better understand the complexities and nuances surrounding international business school rankings.

Navigating the Future of Work: Insights for Business Schools

The July Collab was an engaging session featuring Rebecca Ray, Executive Vice President, Human Capital for The Conference Board. In this thought-provoking Collab, we delved into the critical intersection of human capital and business schools, exploring its impact on both academia and the corporate world. We discussed the evolving landscape of human capital and its implications for business schools and explored the challenges and opportunities presented by the future of work.

Insights on Leadership with Maurice Radebe

It was a pleasure to have Maurice Radebe, Head and Director of Wits Business School join us for the June 2023 Collab. During. the Collab we delved into the core principles of leadership, and various other topics from his recently published book, The Fuel to Lead: Developing the next generation of leaders. Maurice drew on his extensive experience and offered a wealth of ideas and strategies for those looking to enhance their own leadership abilities and support the development of the leaders of tomorrow.

Exploring the Intersection of Business, Sustainability, and Social Impact

The May Collab featured an amazing conversation with Vanina Farber, elea Professor of Social Innovation and Dean of the IMD EMBA program. Dean Farber guided us through the latest trends and challenges in sustainable business practices and how business schools can integrate these practices into their curriculum. We also discussed a variety of topics surrounding social innovation and the importance of integrating social and environmental considerations into business education.

Examining The Principles of Sustainable Business

Rob van Tulder, Professor of International Business-Society Management at RSM joined us for the April 2023 Collab. As a pioneer of teaching sustainable business, Dr. van Tulder shared with us his unique journey tackling the complex challenges of teaching sustainability and explored with us the exciting opportunities for business schools at the intersection of sustainability and internationalization.

Fostering the Growth of Sustainability Leaders

The March 2023 Collab featured Ayat Soliman, Regional Director for Sustainable Development in Eastern and Southern Africa for the World Bank. She helped GBSN Members explore how can foster the growth of the sustainability leaders of the future and discussed the shifts we are seeing in the sustainability labor market.

Developing Managers and Rebalancing Society

We were honored to have Henry Mintzberg join the February 2023 Collab. We had a very exciting discussion about how in the face of political polarization, human exploitation, and climate change, business schools are perfectly positioned to help support the growth and development of a rebalanced society. We explored many of the ideas he includes in his books Managers not MBAs and Simply Managing.

The Purpose of Business Schools with Julian Birkinshaw

We kicked off the 2023 Collab series with special guest Julian Birkinshaw, Vice-Dean at the London Business School. In the session we explored many different ways business schools can recenter their educational approach to address the most pressing societal and environmental issues and which the purpose of business schools is in helping the world tackle its greatest challenges.

The Essential Role of Business Schools in Shaping Society

In October, we were joined by the founding Dean of the School of Business at the American University in Cairo (AUC), Sherif Kamel.  We discussed his recently published book, Leading Change in Challenging Times: Lessons of Disruption and Innovation from Egypt – Thoughts, Observations, and Reflections and what he believes will ensure that business schools continue to remain relevant and competitive in an ever changing world.

The Role of Education in Development 

In September, our Collab featured a discuss with with Pramath Raj Sinha, Founding Dean and a member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business (ISB). With his experiences as a media entrepreneur, education consultant, and management advisor, Pramath helped us explore the variety of roles that education can play in development in India and around the world.

Workforce Development in the Humanitarian Sector

The July Collab featured a fascinating discussion with Pam Steele, the Supply Chain Transformation Director for PSA. Pam’s first-hand experience in how the humanitarian sector is challenged by limited access to skilled labor despite high levels of unemployment helped us explored the role of business schools in developing the humanitarian workforce of the future.

EdTech and the Future of HigherEd with- Daphne Koller- Professor of CS & Pathology at Stanford University, Founder and CEO of insitro, Co-founder of Coursera, and Co-Founder of Engageli

Our June Member Collab featured an intimate conversation with Daphne Koller. During the session we discussed the role of technology in shaping the future of learning and teaching. The conversation also explored the role if education in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable society.

Aligning Business with the Long-Term Health of Society with- Judy Samuelson, Founder & Executive Director, Aspen Institute of Business & Society Program

Judy Samuelson joined us for May’s Collab discussion around corporate purpose and long-term value creation. These discussions explored Samuelson’s work in business education at Aspen and previous work with the Ford Foundation. We discussed Judy’s book, Six New Rules of Business: Creating Real Value in a Changing World, where she described the profound shifts in attitudes and mindsets that are redefining our notions of what constitutes business success.

Discussions with GBSN’s CEO, Dan LeClair

This month’s unique conversation was an opportunity to learn about  new opportunities for students, faculty, and administrators to engage with the network. GBSN’s CEO Dan LeClair announced the start of several new programs with our corporate partners and was available to take any questions individuals might have had about membership.

A Conversation with Andrew Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan

We were joined by Andrew Hoffman, an award-winning professor and pioneer in efforts to transform business for environmental sustainability. The conversation in this Collab session focused on two of his 18 books, Management as a Calling and The Engaged Scholar: Expanding the Impact of Academic Research in Today’s World. Building on previous Collabs, with Paul Polman and Andrew Jack, we went beyond asking why and consider how to change what we teach and the way we do research.

Prioritizing People, Planet, and Purpose in Business Education: A Conversation with Andrew Jack of the Financial Times 

There is little doubt that media rankings have an enormous influence on business education. They assess school performance and serve as a benchmark for students, employers, and school leaders and offer an entry point for reporting on trends and innovations in business education. February’s Collab was an intimate conversation with FT Education Editor, Andrew Jack, about ESG in business education globally, especially as a catalyst for international development. We talked about the role of FT rankings and its inaugural Responsible Business Education Awards, which is designed to “showcase strong examples of work by business schools seeking to focus on people and planet alongside profit.” 

Insights from Afghanistan with Kardan University with
-Mirwais Nahzat, Chief Operating Officer, Kardan University, Afghanistan

With the recent events in Afghanistan, the future of higher education remains uncertain. We invite leaders from GBSN member institutions to the October Cross-Border Collab to hear first hand what is happening on the ground from GBSN’s first and only member institution from Afghanistan, Kardan University. For over 13 years, Kardan University has been at the forefront of educating and developing Afghanistan’s workforce with talented specialists, managers and leaders. Join us as we hear from Mr. Mirwais Nahzat, Kardan University’s Chief Operating Officer and explore ways the GBSN network can be supportive to continue the university’s work and progress in the higher education space.

Job-Focused Education in a Post-COVID Economy with
-Rahul Choudaha, Director of Industry Insights & Research Communications at GMAC

Given the anticipated growth in demand for graduate business school there is an increased need for business school leaders to examine the hiring trends for MBA students and understand how they can expand relevant students offerings. In the September Collab we explored questions like: What are recruiters looking for when hiring graduate business school students? How can we position our graduates for success? What skills do employers value in our students? and How can we keep MBA programs relevant for students working in a post COVID-19 world? The conversation was led by Rahul Choudaha, Director of Industry Insights & Research Communications at Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®), who discussed the findings of their latest Corporate Recruiters Survey.

21st Century Skills with
– Jeanne C. Meister, Founding Partner of Future Workplace

Let’s translate current experiences into the lessons for sustainable development. The July Collab explored questions like: how can we improve work, workplaces, leadership and cultural approaches? What will the leaders, culture and the workplace need to offer? How do we upskill, collaborate, and innovate across sectors with a need so urgent and vast? How are universities, businesses, and governments preparing for a new age of lifelong learning? The conversation was led by Jeanne C. Meister, Founding Partner of Future Workplace, an HR Advisory and Research firm dedicated to educating HR leaders on what’s next in preparing for the future workforce and workplace.