ones were even more so, related Shantz, noting that they constantly asked: “How can I manage in this environment?” The St Gallen professor then referred to her husband cultivating a farm ecosystem in their garden, using it as a metaphor for postgraduate education: “It’s really hard work and one thing influences another”. She broke down what she described as the five gardens of co-cultivation: empowering lifelong learners and thought leaders; facilitating the adaptive learning process; fostering community and responsible leadership; university as a knowledge exchange; and the promotion of innovative research. She urged business schools to “bake well‑being into their design and curriculum”, given that unhappiness levels are rising worldwide and mental health issues are more to the fore than ever before. They must also look at the world through a different lens, meaning that students must develop the capacity to evaluate issues from multiple perspectives. They should provide learners with the tools and opportunities to innovate; cultivate a growth mindset; collaborate with a whole range of other stakeholders; and focus not on perfection but on innovation, as well as creating a safe space in which to explore and share moral dilemmas. Shantz queried the “noble purpose” of business schools, asking them to think about what they could do to make a positive impact in the world. She encouraged them to “innovate and support one another” and called on the sector to “broaden the conversation”. Unlocking technology’s potential “The digital journey is coming at great pace and it’s going to be embedded in all our professional lives,” said Southampton Business School MBA director Peter Rodgers in conversation with Robin Gibson, director of external affairs at edtech firm Kortext. Rodgers outlined the benefits of using an external company to provide students with all the digital textbooks and learning resources they require on a single platform. “Every year, I get emails before our MBA programme starts, asking me ‘which books do I need to buy?’. But they don’t need to outlay £500-600 on textbooks,” Rodgers shared. “All those provisions are already there and that’s not just a financial benefit; I think it also provides students with reassurance that the materials they’re going to need to aid their learning are fully accessible 24/7. “So, when you’re starting an MBA programme and perhaps moving to a new country and language,
Jérôme Barthélemy had ideas about future-proofing the MBA
LinkedIn’s Linus Wellén explored data and the changing job market
Delegates received a warm welcome from AMBA & BGA CEO Andrew Main Wilson
Peter Rodgers and Robin Gibson advocated using digital resources
Professor Wendy Loretto, AMBA & BGA chair, addressing the conference
20 | Ambition | JULY/AUGUST 2024
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