VR RESEARCH PROGRAMME SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND USE OF TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL: Strathclyde Business School University of Strathclyde COUNTRY: UK
Representatives from 62 business schools based in 37 different countries came together over three days at the 50th annual Partnership in Management (PIM) Conference at the end of October. Under the overall theme of megatrends affecting global management education over the next 50 years, the former chair of AMBA & BGA Bodo Schlegelmilch (pictured above) gave the conference’s first keynote address on the industry’s past, present and future. Further keynotes, interspliced with panel discussions and workshops, were then given by Sony Group Corporation senior executive vice-president Kazushi Ambe and Forbes Japan managing editor Yuka Tanimoto. Ambe spoke about Sony’s future partnerships with business schools, while Tanimoto delved into the results of interviews with 4,000 company heads to reveal insights into leadership in the post‑capitalism era. In addition, those in attendance were able to take advantage of a sightseeing trip around the city of Kyoto, a visit to the Toyota Automobile Museum and a tour of the NUCB campus. The PIM network was established in 1973 by Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC), New York University and London Business School. It aims to facilitate international co-operation among member schools that fosters the development of joint programmes, student and faculty exchanges, as well as joint research and co-operation among faculty members and researchers. Its annual conference is hosted by a member school based in a different region each year, with the UK’s Warwick Business School the venue in 2022. This year’s host, NUCB Business School, became a full member of the PIM network last year, with a view to furthering the school’s internationalisation efforts and enhancing the quality of MBA-level study at the school. TBD MEGATRENDS THE MAIN FOCUS FOR MILESTONE PIM CONFERENCE SCHOOL: NUCB Business School, Nagoya University of Commerce & Business COUNTRY: Japan
Virtual reality (VR) technology is being used to improve students’ soft skills at Strathclyde Business School. Programme participants get the opportunity to use VR goggles in simulations to see how they react to certain situations, for example, in a job interview setting. Students can then watch the subsequent recording to see how they reacted, giving them the opportunity to analyse their own behaviour. The result is an insight into their eye contact and body language when faced with circumstances they may not be familiar with. It is also said to provide a safe space for students to develop communication, teamwork and leadership skills. The technology in question comes from the Bodyswaps Research Programme, produced by Meta. Strathclyde Business School was one of several business schools in the UK and the US chosen to work with this technology. Other UK recipients of the programme’s VR headsets and six-month-pass to Bodyswaps’ VR modules include Duke University, Imperial College and Bayes Business School. Through its collaboration with higher education institutions, Meta is hoping to learn how students use VR technology and get valuable feedback on what works and what doesn’t, when it comes to enhancing the student experience. In addition, Strathclyde Business School will be doing its own research on how this technology is used by students. “We’ll look at how the students engage with it, how long they use it for and how often – all interesting for us in terms of our own research. We’ll also look at whether the programme provides valuable feedback and if it’s tailored to the students’ age, gender, cultural background and so on,” explained Sharon Lemac-Vincere, a senior teaching fellow at Strathclyde Business School’s Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship. EB
10 | Ambition | DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024
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