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to develop relationships, how to manage virtual teams, how to consider wellbeing during a pandemic?’ We really pushed back on that transactional kind of approach and saw this as an all-hands-on-deck opportunity. Let's think about how we can really help each other and learn from each other. We listened to our company partners and then they listened to us as well. What are your thoughts on how the symbiotic relationship between employers and Business Schools should work? Steve Muylle, Academic Director of the Online MBA, Vlerick Business School As Business Schools, we are neutral, we are thought leaders and we have the knowledge and content. On the other hand, businesses have the challenges, and they know what's going on in the markets globally. They tell us what they need, and we help them with respect to that. They keep the bar raised for us, on a frequent basis, and they come to us with these topics. I always tell them they must distinguish between what I call fast food and slow cooking. A lot of businesses want fast food: as quickly as possible is the topic of the day but it's not necessarily good for you in the long term, so perhaps slow cooking is a better approach. Slow cooking requires time, effort, research and insights. That's what you would expect from an MBA and that’s what the faculty provide. That's kind of what we try to do and, to me, [this] is the kind of the balance you need to strike between what the business wants and what we can offer. What skills are you seeing that need to be accelerated and developed within your students in order to satisfy the needs of employers? Verena Dorner, Professor of Digital Ecosystems, WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) The industry often says: “We want AI, big data and digital transformation,” but they don't really know what they want. They can’t formulate it. I think it is our responsibility as programme managers and teachers in the digital economy programme to spell it out for them. I think what business leaders in industry want – even if they can’t formulate it – is algorithmic thinking. Regardless of which programming language you are talking about, you need that basic understanding. Data literacy and dexterity is a huge topic. You get a bunch of data and what are you going to do with that? We try to make our students more capable in the face of big or small data. Above all, we want them to be able to learn new things for themselves and think critically. I think that is a timeless requirement for all MBAs.
MODERATOR David Woods-Hale , Director of Marketing and Communications, AMBA & BGA PARTICIPANTS Anthony Aldred , Deputy Pro Dean for Student Education, Leeds University Business School Rhoda Davidson , Director of MBA Programmes, Emlyon Business School Julie Hodges , Associate Dean, Durham University Business School Debbie Kemp , MBA Director, Kent Business School, University of Kent Steve Muylle , Academic Director of the Online MBA, Vlerick Business School Andy Poole , Partnerships Director, Coursera for Campus Robyn Remke , MBA Programme Director, Lancaster University Management School Anthony Tattersall , Vice President, EMEA, Coursera Christopher Tucci , Professor of Digital Strategy and Innovation, Imperial College Business School Natalie Wilmot , MBA Director, University of Bradford School of Management Olivia de Paeztron , Learning Designer, ESMT Berlin Verena Dorner , Professor of Digital Ecosystems, WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business)
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I think it's a difficult situation for us in Schools because the gaps that we are closing are extremely dynamic and we have to be very nimble as programme directors and understand that, even in the course of 12 to 24 months, things are going to change a lot. We have really got to be listening to our participants, and to employers, to land that application of technology in the right way. How can Business Schools, both during the current Covid-19 restrictions and going forward, build strong and strategic links with employers? How can Business Schools avoid a transactional relationship with employers?
Robyn Remke, MBA Programme Director, Lancaster University Management School
I think one of the things we can do is to push back on that concept of the transaction. The pandemic has really challenged us and opened up some opportunities to do this. We have had a lot of our corporate partners coming to us asking: ‘how do we do this sort of new way of working? What are your researchers saying about work and technology? What does the research say about how
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