INTERVIEW WITH THE DEAN
into the development and implementation of your school’s strategy and management. The accreditation process includes the preparation for the visit and the visit itself, as well as participation in conferences and the peer review processes of other schools. “It is a journey of continuous learning and reflection; it took me a few years to take full advantage of these opportunities. The peer-review visits of other schools are especially beneficial, both in terms of the direct learning of new ideas and the way in which they encapsulate a period of innovation and reflection, when you are exposed to a new but related environment. “The peer-review visit to your own school gives you that outside perspective – sometimes identifying blind spots that you can incorporate into your strategy. I remember our last AMBA review had a really positive outcome, but some reviewer comments about student evaluation and grading made us rethink our approach and, in fact, it became one of the main action points of our revised teaching and learning strategy.”
able to navigate through multiple sources of data, identifying what is the most relevant and fundamental. It is still a challenge to fully engage faculty with that process. “Another change involves the greater emphasis given to internationalisation and how to prepare individuals to work in globally or regionally connected environments. Multicultural skills, a deeper understanding of economic and political aspects beyond the original country, have taken on a heightened significance. Many participants have, or want to develop, international careers and even startups need to be prepared to expand regionally or globally quite early on in their trajectory. “Entrepreneurship has also become much more relevant. While previously developing a career at a multinational company was the gold standard, now many participants consider alternatives; launching their own business, or working in a smaller company with the potential to grow, are often preferred options. The skills required are frequently different and we have had to adapt the curricula to cover both.
“Finally, aspects related to social responsibility, such as sustainability, ethics, inclusion and so on, have become vital. This has been driven both by the individual demands of MBA graduates and the companies employing them.” What skills do you think are necessary now in order for MBA graduates to become efficient and productive leaders?
The impact of AI and other generative algorithms such as ChatGPT on postgraduate management education has been well documented – what’s your take on it at FGV EAESP? “AI is changing our world in a very significant way – we cannot avoid it or keep it at bay. I do not see any other feasible approach apart from embracing the
The school emphasises that lectures or PowerPoint slides alone are no longer enough to equip students to become productive leaders
technology and incorporating it into our processes. I do not think AI poses a threat for high quality schools. In fact, we are better prepared than most to deal with the technology and explore how it can contribute to a better education. One clear area is the ability to provide a customised learning experience without losing the advantages of scale.” With all the economic and geopolitical upheaval that the world is currently facing, do you believe there is still room for optimism when it comes to the future of the global business school sector? “I am always an optimist. This [upheaval] is clearly a threat to the world, with sad consequences for our generation, but my personal view is that it will not last long at this current level. We will soon realise how much we are losing and recalibrate accordingly. One way to adapt and see the positive side of things is to give greater emphasis to regionalisation and our current international strategy does that. Exploring other alternatives to internationalisation and taking advantage of technology could also be a way forward. We must believe that we can make the future brighter.”
“Relationship skills are critical in the complex and demanding times we live in. Very little can be done at an individual level. Mobilising teams means navigating a fine balance between individual perspective and organisational endeavours. These skills are developed in practice with hands-on activities, out‑of- the-box experiences and deep personal reflections. They cannot be taught using lectures or a set of PowerPoint slides. “Participants will also need to continue to learn and develop after they graduate, especially in the longer and frequently changing careers that we have nowadays. Teaching our students how to learn, find and select sources of knowledge, be curious and ask the relevant questions are all critical.” What has becoming AMBA-accredited meant to your school? “We were awarded AMBA accreditation back in 2004, making our school part of the triple-crown group at a time when there were only a few dozen institutions with that status. This was enormously important for developing our international connections and reputation. “I think, however, that the most impactful value of accreditation occurs when you incorporate the process
Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026 15
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online