VIEW FROM THE TOP
ASIA IN THE ASCENDANT
AMBA & BGA CEO Andrew Main Wilson is encouraged by the dynamic approach to the research into and teaching of artificial intelligence witnessed on his recent visit to business schools in Shanghai and Wuhan
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have just returned from Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s excellent International Business School Conference, held in its home city, which this year focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of
are among the largest in the world. I was particularly impressed with the proportion of female MBA students, which averages 50 per cent across our 45 AMBA-accredited schools in China – the highest percentage of any country in the AMBA network. I felt very emotional to experience the passion and enthusiasm conveyed by students and faculty for both AMBA & BGA in evidence at every school I visited. BGA growth worldwide has sky-rocketed to 292 member schools, of which more than 50 have already achieved BGA accreditation in the six years since the association was launched. Later this month, our Deans & Directors Asia Pacific Conference will be held in Kuala Lumpur – we are particularly excited to welcome a large number of Indian and Malaysian business schools. This reflects not only the growth of AMBA & BGA in Asia, but also the increasing interest from schools in both countries to build international relationships with other AMBA & BGA business schools. In an increasingly uncertain world both economically and geopolitically, our ambitious growth plans worldwide continue to attract new schools, resulting in another year of record growth for us in 2024.
teaching priorities in order to ensure graduates are trained in the most importance AI skills, thereby maximising future employability. In terms of planning an AI in Business master’s programme, best practice would suggest that four key elements are required: • An AI core, introducing the essentials of AI, plus ethics and regulations and the basics of generative AI for business • Business electives – AI courses by discipline, eg accounting, finance, supply chain management and marketing/data analytics • Technical electives, including machine learning, database management, social media analytics and python programming • A classic capstone project, utilising the skills and understanding learned from the first three programme elements I then travelled on to Wuhan to meet with the leading business schools in this huge city of 14 million inhabitants and to give the keynote guest presentation at the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law’s 75th anniversary celebrations. The Chinese MBA market is down slightly this year compared with 2023, but nevertheless cohort sizes
business. We know that the Chinese economy has slowed down this year, but it really struck me how modern and dynamic both Shanghai and Wuhan – which I visited after the conference – come across compared with some of the older business and transport infrastructure in Europe. Artificial intelligence, therefore, seemed a very appropriate conference theme. A number of the presentation highlights demonstrated how leading business schools are taking a predominantly positive approach to researching and teaching leading-edge AI best practices. According to a recent Forbes survey, the top five ways business owners are using AI are as follows: customer service, 56 per cent; cyber security/fraud management, 51 per cent; digital personal assistance, 47 per cent; customer relations management, 46 per cent; and inventory management, 40 per cent. Such data is valuable to business schools because it can help indicate AI
38 | Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024
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