ROUNDTABLE REVIEW
Wendy Loretto “There’s a piece of research by AMBA & BGA that suggests a real concern from employers is that soft skills are worse than ever. I think there’s an expectation that business schools in particular must address this issue, as they are the ones responsible for getting students ready for a career in management. We have to recalibrate where our students’ soft skills are at because of the isolation that many suffered as a result of the pandemic, as well as the more general technological revolution that is taking place, with young people asking, ‘Why would you ever use a phone to call anybody?’ “Also, we’re now having to be more political as business school leaders than we ever have been before. Some of us are having to engage with governments who are actively hostile to international students, particularly in the context of wider immigration debates. We’re having to intervene and [make it clear that] all the things we prize through diversity and multiculturalism are under threat as a result of these restrictive and punitive measures that governments are either introducing or contemplating.” Catherine Duggan “We need to make sure that students are not just learning information, but really internalising how to put things together. They also need to know how to ask good questions, how to identify problems and their potential solutions, as well as how to push themselves analytically – especially in terms of the way that they think about the world. It’s important for our students to complete a business school degree being able to see things that other people may not be seeing. “Our school is not only a PRME Champion, but for the past several years more than 90 per cent of our faculty’s research has touched on one or more of the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), so we think a lot about sustainability in management education. I think the next step in tackling these issues is taking a hard look at the ways some of the approaches to key SDGs may inadvertently undermine our progress on other goals. “For example, while we must be driving towards net zero, if we fail to make adequate plans for nations whose economies are substantially dependent on petroleum and other carbon-intensive industries – including many countries in Africa – then we are at risk of undermining our commitment to reducing poverty and inequality.” Barbara Stöttinger “If we understand our institutions as places of lifelong learning, people will come back throughout their careers. And when we say careers, it doesn’t end with retirement. When we look at careers today, they are not linear anymore. I believe the average estimate for US careers is 12 different jobs over a lifespan – and different jobs mean completely different careers. As universities, we make good connecting points. You come back to the university, not only for fresh knowledge, but also to tap into a network that you’re familiar with.
“Every career change is related to a disruption of your professional identity and if we manage to build those communities early on, then we can also be a safe space for students to return to for these connections, as well as a place to get advice. [Business schools should act] not only as knowledge hubs, but also as relationship hubs that alumni can connect with at any time in their professional life.” Marion Debruyne “One key trend is related to innovation in learning through the use of technology – for example, we’re now running pilots in how to use VR in the classroom. [The important thing is] how to do it in a way that really adds to the learning experience, not just doing something with technology for technology’s sake. This is something we really need to reflect on, especially as we’ve seen post-Covid that not everybody is excited about being in front of a screen to learn. People really value networking, which is still viewed as something that needs to be done face-to-face. “The other aspect revolves around sustainability. We just did our Scope 1,2,3 emissions studies and you come to the sobering conclusion that taking our students on trips to South Africa, Silicon Valley and so on really adds to our carbon footprint. On the other hand, in a world with all of these geopolitical tensions going on, you reflect on the tremendous value of educating our students, bringing them fresh perspectives and helping them understand how to make sense of the world. We need to sort out the tension around how we can be a sustainable organisation with conflicting goals. “Our students on the European Executive MBA are currently participating in a course called The Future of Capitalism , run by a consortium of business schools. It’s a fully online course with lots of schools from the Global South participating as well. It’s tremendously enriching for our students, who mainly come from Europe, to hear very different perspectives on the same issues, as this broadens their outlook. It’s not necessarily about simplifying things, but helping them to realise the complexity of all these issues and appreciate that the world is not black and white, but many shades of grey.”
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Ambition | MAY 2024 | 19
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