AMBA & BGA ASIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE
initiatives. “We have to convince them that the world is changing, so we need to focus more on societal impact in line with our mission to implement the UN’s sustainable development goals”. Professor Weng Marc Lim, dean at Sunway Business School, highlighted the concept of “return on value”, which he described as “the secret of becoming a successful business”. He commented that some MBA students find the new regulations on ESG reporting “a hassle”, claiming it places an excessive burden on them. The challenge for educators, in his opinion, is “to make them realise the inherent value of environmental and social impact”. He noted that from a commercial point of view,
The session chaired by AMBA & BGA’s head of editorial, Colette Doyle, ( above ) explored how business schools can create a positive societal impact; Professor David Goodwin, dean of Nottingham University Business School in Malaysia ( right ), was optimistic about schools being a positive force in the world
when Asia‑Pacific companies wish to trade with organisations in Europe, then managers and entrepreneurs will need to demonstrate ESG being followed and complied with, “not just in your field, but in your supply chain as well”. He concluded: “Thought leadership is important, but opening the eyes of our future business leaders to the value of ESG and the return on that value is even more essential”. Shaping the future of the next generation of leaders Professor David Goodwin, dean of Nottingham University Business School in Malaysia, began his session by maintaining that business schools can be “a positive force” in the world. The University of Nottingham has three campuses: as well as the original one in the UK, there is also one in Malaysia and another in China; Goodwin noted that the institution’s mission is to “shape the future of responsible business in an interconnected world”. There are a number of memoranda of understanding in place between the universities in terms of both learning and teaching: for instance, joint programmes that lead to qualifications being awarded; mutual credit recognition; student exchanges; and research collaboration. Goodwin then went on to highlight what can be achieved in a set-up involving multiple campuses of a single university. The benefits include ‘two plus one’ undergraduate studies, student transfers as well as swaps, single module studies at a sister campus, summer schools, fly-in teachers and faculty exchanges. The Nottingham University Business School dean cautioned that the current geopolitical climate means there are “choppy waters ahead”. By this he was referring to the re-election of Donald Trump as president in the US and the Republican party’s nationalistic policies, which he said he believed could lead to a global trade stand-off. “Rapid change is the new norm”, declared Goodwin, urging business schools to “maintain dialogue and a people-centric approach”. It is this age-old practice, in his opinion, that will shape the future of the next generation of leaders.
there is the profusion of scholarships, a good careers service and finally the region’s high graduate employment rate. He finished by proposing some strategic recommendations: localisation in the sense of tailoring programmes to regional needs; strengthening alliances by crafting partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region; integrating technology by investing in digital tools; focusing on sustainability by developing SDG/ESG‑centric curricula; scenario planning, ie mitigating risks through diversification; and assessing competitors. Keeping a watchful eye on societal impact The panel session chaired by Colette Doyle, AMBA & BGA’s head of editorial, looked at how business schools can create a positive societal impact. Danielle Swanepoel, executive dean at SolBridge International School of Business, kicked off the debate by focusing on the need to “instil a sense of accountability into students”. She explained that this has led to the school holding an increased number of liberal arts classes: “Teaching things like global conflicts is a way to get our students to find out how the world works… it is very important in terms of understanding different cultures.” Savana Alves Pires, director of international relations at Porto Business School, talked about how essential it is “to get buy-in from senior management”, referencing that the recently appointed Porto dean has a “hands-on mindset”. By way of example, she explained how her school took its EMBA cohort to paint and carry out some repairs at the premises of an NGO. At
first, she related, the students (who were senior managers from the region) were reluctant, but then they were persuaded that “learning about business is learning about people – you have to walk the talk”. Teguh Dartanto, dean of the Faculty of Economics & Business at the Universitas Indonesia, noted that it was vital to get faculty on side when implementing such
Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2025 21
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