Data points Economic uncertainty is currently the biggest challenge among business schools worldwide and the majority are exploring new programme formats, collaborations and target audiences to alleviate its impact. Tim Banerjee Dhoul analyses thought-provoking findings from a forthcoming AMBA & BGA report
challenge cited. It ranked among the top three current challenges for 57 per cent of global respondents, placing it ahead of technological disruption, increased competition and changing market demand. In total, 72 per cent of school leaders worldwide said their school is experiencing challenges due to economic uncertainty. At the vanguard of current concerns around economic uncertainty is how the economy is affecting prospective students’ ability to afford programmes (cited by 64 per cent of respondents), the impact of inflation on schools’ operational costs (cited by 55 per cent) and the reduction of government grants or public funding (cited by 48 per cent). These responses are mirrored by leaders’ fears for the future, with recession, rising
he continuing uncertainty afflicting the global economy is compelling business schools to
portfolios and adding shorter, “taster” courses to meet changing market needs and accommodate the financial realities of many prospective students. In recognition of the value of effective collaboration, meanwhile, schools are partnering with other institutions and developing closer links with industry. Of course, many of these links will be international and some schools have opted to cast their gaze further afield by exploring the advantages of overseas campuses and opportunities to deliver transnational programmes. Whatever the individual strategy, it’s fair to say that shoring up sustainable sources of revenue in an era of flux is at the forefront of most school leaders’ minds. In the AMBA & BGA research, economic uncertainty was the top
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explore new avenues of education and collaboration, as they seek to sustain their competitiveness. Among 114 school leaders surveyed by AMBA & BGA for an upcoming report on the management education industry’s 10 biggest challenges, 69 per cent said that their institution is pursuing revenue diversification to counteract the current climate of economic uncertainty. The most common examples among current efforts cited by respondents straddle new forms of programmes, partnerships and access, as well as ventures into new territories. On the programmes side, schools are bolstering their executive education
14 Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2026
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