How did it feel to win the Best Business School Partnership 2023 award? “Personally, I was very proud to hear that our collaboration with the Dutch-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (Dutcham) on the Orange Academy programme had won this prestigious award. I feel this is recognition of the incredible work that has been done by all my colleagues here at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) and Dutcham. Why are partnerships with external organisations so important for business schools in your opinion? “External partnerships are pivotal for us, as they should be for any international business school. They demonstrate the connection between business, government and education that is essential to make a positive impact in the world. “Without such partnerships and the collaborations that they inspire, we would not be able to prepare the next generation of business leaders for the tough decisions that they will need to take.” How did your winning partnership with Dutcham come about? “As a business school that is firmly rooted in the Netherlands, yet one that also has global reach, our international network matters greatly. In this context, as so often happens, the connection with Dutcham began with a professional contact and through the school’s long-standing relationships with Dutch missions across the world. “Rotterdam is a global trading hub and we have, therefore, always reached out across borders to support the ambitions of both the Netherlands and our students and faculty.
“Dutcham, meanwhile, recognised the value of connecting with a sustainable business school that aims to be a force for positive change in the world.” Can you outline what the aims of the partnership are? “In this partnership, we connect RSM experts with people who are working for Dutch companies based in Brazil. The school’s experts are there to offer insights on how their respective industries work and how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be implemented in organisations. “We run a talent school, known as the Orange Academy, where young business leaders learn about sustainable practice and we coach them through a case study competition, in which teams develop and present solutions to specific challenges related to sustainability. “This approach provides RSM with a unique chance to educate these young leaders about the opportunities presented by more responsible business practices. It’s also a way to ensure both sides benefit from a more global perspective.” The partnership targets Brazil’s Dutch business community – why did you feel it was important to help bring young professionals from this group together? “Brazil is twice the size of the Netherlands in terms of its GDP, more than 12 times larger than the country in terms of the size of its population and 200 times larger in terms of its surface area. In addition, Brazil is one of the world’s biggest- growing markets. So, naturally, it is an extremely important market for Dutch companies and one that provides plenty of business opportunities.
External partnerships are pivotal for us… they demonstrate the connection between business, government and education essential to make a positive impact on the world
24 | Ambition APRIL 2023
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