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BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
EDITORIAL
opinion that travelling abroad is the only way, ‘to truly gain insights into the economic and cultural peculiarities of a country or region’. But it is not just the individual that benefits. International students bring their unique backgrounds, experience and perspectives to a host country. The value of global mindsets are now widely recognised, but this doesn't mean that resistance to diversity has been eradicated. Drawing on research which suggests that ‘many would prefer it if all minority groups assimilated to the majority’s way of doing things,’ UCL School of Management’s Felix Danbold looks at what Business Schools can do to ensure that international students and workers don’t feel that, ultimately, they must assimilate if they want to avoid bias, in our cover story (page 14). In spite of the potential tensions, Danbold also remains convinced of the value of the international experience, saying that, ‘choosing to study or work in another country… offers unrivalled opportunities to grow knowledge, capabilities and cultural awareness.’ Business Schools may soon have to balance the benefits of offering in-person and virtual international experiences, opting for different formats in different programmes and settings, perhaps. But providers should be aware of the implications every step of the way. Tim Banerjee Dhoul,
Content Editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@businessgraduates association.com Art Editor Laura Tallon Insight and Communications Executive Ellen Buchan e.buchan@ businessgraduates association.com Director of Marketing and Communications David Woods-Hale d.woods@businessgraduates association.com
C orporate
How best to build international awareness and understanding?
Business Development Manager Victor Hedenberg v.hedenberg@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Senior Marketing Executive, BGA Shareen Pennington s.pennington@ businessgraduatesassociation.com BGA Membership Manager Rachael Frear r.frear@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Head of Commercial Relations Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Commercial Partnerships Manager Emily Wall e.wall@ businessgraduatesassociation.com Finance and Commercial Director Catherine Walker Director of Accreditation and Director of BGA Services Mark Stoddard Chief Executive Officer Andrew Main Wilson Executive Assistant to the CEO Amy Youngs a.youngs@ businessgraduatesassociation.com General Enquiries info@businessgraduates association.com
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International student experiences may be forever changed by Covid-19. Enforced experimentation with formats has led to some eye-opening uses of technology in which students prevented from travelling overseas have collaborated with their international peers and immersed themselves in other cultures without leaving their homes, let alone their home countries. The promise shown by these learning models hints at new ways of supporting equality of access to leading Business Schools’ degree programmes. After all, international trips can be an expensive component within these degrees. Such
models could also further the original aims of the MOOC – widening the reach of faculty expertise and boosting an institution’s global impact and reputation. They might even help answer the growing calls for Business Schools to pay greater attention to the carbon footprints their staff, faculty and students accumulate in an average academic year. Yet, this is not to undervalue the importance of on-the- ground experiences overseas. IBS-Moscow Associate Dean, Ashot Seferyan, reminds us that because business remains global, business leaders must develop a global vision, in this edition of Business Impact (page 20). Seferyan is of the
Content Editor, Business Impact
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