ROUNDTABLE REVIEW AMBA & BGA GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2023
referenced building ‘safe bridges’, such as the Business Schools for Climate Leadership Africa initiative and the GIBS Ethics Barometer, a 52-page document on anti-corruption measures within the South African business community. Other projects include a farm-to-fork leadership development programme and social entrepreneurship. Mthombeni noted that as many as 20,000 jobs have been created because of businesses that have benefited from GIBS’ intervention. He ended on a note of pure optimism, with a quote from Nelson Mandela: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears”. Building bridges with business The concept of impactful partnerships was the topic of the panel debate entitled Competitors, allies or ‘frenemies’ chaired by Karen Spens, president of the BI Norwegian Business School. She asked the panellists who in particular they regularly co-operate with. Irene Rosberg, programme director for the Blue MBA at Copenhagen Business School, replied that her institution partners with both Hong Kong and Piraeus Universities, as well as Singapore for its maritime expertise and Texas for the oil and gas sector. Horacio Arredondo, dean of Egade Business School at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, said that his university organises exchanges with Europe, the US and Canada, describing these as a “great opportunity” for students. “Networks that allow us to share our students have the greatest impact” he remarked. Rosberg highlighted the importance of ensuring the corporate world becomes involved with the management education sector. Ajit Parulekar, director of the Goa Institute
The University of Pretoria has nine faculties spread across seven campuses throughout the country, with just under 58,000 students; 57 per cent of these are female, 4,500 are international students and 14,000 are postgraduate students. Mthombeni described GIBS as “an entrepreneurial institution, with deep connections to the African continent” that ranks in the top 30 per cent of business schools globally. Prior to the Covid pandemic, around 40 international institutions made up its visiting schools programme. While that understandably dropped off due to government travel bans, in the year to date it has risen again to 20-plus and includes such prestigious educational establishments as Rotterdam School of Management and Villanova University. Against a backdrop of “fear and hope” in the world’s most unequal country, it is vital that business education act responsibly and build bridges, focusing on humane- centred justice in the context of leadership, remarked the GIBS dean. He then outlined a series of goals for business education providers. These include access, wellbeing and success; actionable thought leadership; DE&I and belonging; and making business healthier and more sustainable. Mthombeni declared himself “privileged to be close to business”, noting that in the past 12 months GIBS has hosted 10 conferences and workshops, as well as 35 on-campus forums, welcoming the likes of the governor of the South African Reserve Bank Lesetja Kganyago, the CEO of African Bank Kennedy Bungane and Grant Pattison, MD of Heliogen. Leadership is “bridge building”, avowed the GIBS dean, adding “we must encourage leaders to be courageous in the context of complexity and contradiction”. He then
Morris Mthombeni addressed South Africa’s backdrop of “fear and hope”
Ambition JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 23
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