Anastasia Kynighou, MBA director at Manchester Metropolitan University, referenced the institution’s HyFlex approach, describing it as an “interesting solution to evolve our online MBA and mirror the workplace of the future”. The approach also allows online students to “have the same learning experience as [those studying] face to face”, as well as improving diversity and access on the MBA programme. “Women are less likely to take up this course, but HyFlex provides more opportunities for people with caring responsibilities, as they can undertake the programme without having to be on campus all the time,” pointed out Kynighou. Lars Erling Olsen, dean of executive programmes at BI Norwegian Business School, related that his institution’s decision to go down the digital route came about when they had to address a decline in student numbers. They realised this was probably because students had to attend classes on a Saturday, a day that is seen as “sacred” in Scandinavian culture. BI pivoted to a shorter working week, with 4.5 days on campus and the remainder taught online; “there was the same academic rigour, but it increased both student and faculty satisfaction levels,” commented Olsen. Manish Popli, dean of planning and development at the Indian Institute of Management, Indore, talked about how the school has built a tech-integrated campus alongside multi-camera hybrid classrooms to deliver AI-driven executive leadership programmes at scale across India. He noted that “demand is huge” and referenced the “democratisation of admission”, pointing to the way that digital platforms and hybrid delivery eliminate geographical barriers, enabling working professionals from non-traditional backgrounds to access an IIM education without having to relocate. The participants then commented on the results that their investment in digital have yielded. “We have measured student satisfaction and the feedback was extremely positive; it confirmed the vision we had and that we were on the right track,” said Gangitano. BI Norwegian’s Olsen cited statistics showing an increase in both student satisfaction and enrolment numbers. Meanwhile, Popli recalled that IIM Indore has climbed 20 places in the Financial Times global MBA rankings (from 89 to 69), as well as debuting in the top 100 for executive education. Inside the global shift in management education “Employer confidence in business education remains extraordinarily solid, with 99 per cent of global corporate recruiters confident that an MBA or master’s degree prepares graduates for workplace success,” affirmed Nalisha Patel, regional director for the Americas & Europe at GMAC. She noted, however, that the perceived value of management education is moving at radically different speeds across global markets. Candidate priorities are shifting: 72 per cent now pursue a qualification primarily to gain business knowledge (up from 62 per cent in 2022), while affordability and exchange rates increasingly outweigh brand prestige. While traditional core skills such as problem-solving, strategic thinking and communication retain their top-tier importance, skills linked to using AI tools jumped from 16 to first place in employers’ future requirements. Employers seek candidates
Inspera’s Ishan Kolhatkar (centre) chaired an engaging session focused on introducing innovative methods of student evaluation and assessment
Bloomberg academic partnerships manager Ruben Adorno and Spain bureau chief Rodrigo Orihuela spoke about the need for media literacy in an era of fake news
The demand for data-driven insights Bloomberg academic partnerships manager Ruben Adorno and Spain bureau chief Rodrigo Orihuela spoke about how, in an era of fake news, “accuracy has never been more important”. Adorno said he believed that “an urgent rethink of media literacy is required”, given that many students have issues distinguishing verified news sources from the more dubious ones. “There is a special value in news organisations that can provide trustworthy news – we need to educate [Gen Z] and make them aware”, agreed Orihuela. The Bloomberg executives also touched on the way that nowadays news is a form of entertainment, “competing against other formats and with leisure media – it’s all just one scroll or flick away, so needs to capture your attention in a second”. Turning the conversation to the impact of AI, the duo agreed that articulating prompts will become a highly sought-after skill, but noted that the technology will not be able to replicate certain human traits in journalism, such as curiosity. “Soft skills are becoming hard skills,” they concluded. A deep dive into digital transformation In a panel debate chaired by BGA’s head of business development, Richard Turner, the audience heard from a number of business school professionals who offered practical insights into embedding digital transformation across pedagogy, systems and strategy. Luigi Gangitano, chief of digital innovation at Polimi School of Management, recalled how the school has been using digital tools since it launched Italy’s first digital learning executive MBA, the Flex EMBA, in 2014. He elaborated on how its integrated Flow ecosystem has streamlined operations: “Everything the students need – from when to apply to course content and their calendar – is available [in a digital format].”
22 Ambition • ISSUE 4 • 2026
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