Schlegelmilch urged schools to “work with the resources you have… both have advantages and disadvantages”. He gave the example of a medical MBA, a scenario in which university- based schools could co-operate with the medical faculty, while a standalone entity – being more agile in nature – would be more likely to co-operate externally. He also noted that there are more options than just mergers; schools might also wish to consider alliances where appropriate. Internationalisation – the way forward The Covid-19 pandemic stopped people from travelling outside their homes, never mind overseas, so how has it impacted on business schools in terms of opportunities to make connections across the world? This was the topic of a panel debate chaired by Peter Yamakawa, dean of the ESAN Graduate School of Business. Yamakawa asked how important globalisation was for business schools. Virginia Lasio, professor of organisational behaviour at ESPAE Graduate School of Management, commented that it was difficult to attract foreign students because of costs and safety issues, and that there was also the challenge of sending ESPAE students abroad due to visa and budget problems. It takes “more than geography and more than knowledge” to be global she opined, adding that in her opinion globalisation is about having “a broader view of different attitudes” and the ability to move seamlessly between cultures. Liliana López, dean of the School of Management at the Universidad Externado de Colombia, agreed that sometimes travel for students could be complex, but pointed out that opportunities exist to have an international experience online. “Get the world into your living room,” she declared. She said it was “essential” for MBA students to be exposed to an international environment and suggested that a healthy hybrid of real-life travel with online courses is the best option. Juan Esteban Escalante Gómez, MBA director at Universidad EAFIT, remarked that while he agreed the academic side of internationalisation could be online, he declared himself to be a firm believer in gaining real-world experience of the corporate environment. Gómez also said he favoured creating alliances with other Columbian business schools rather than competing against them, adding “the challenge is to find an institution that shares your DNA”. Building the new classroom Andrés Laserna, regional director of conference sponsor Canvas, began with a look at what he perceives as the key challenges in higher education at this time. Pressure on budgets is coming from a number of sources, including teaching innovations, the expansion of online instruction and institutional improvements. It’s a case of “adapt to survive; evolve to thrive”, noted Laserna, adding that there is “a big gap between those
Peter Yamakawa, dean at ESAN (left) spoke about the importance of the international experience for business schools
institutions doing that and those who do not”. He pointed out that many universities are thinking about going back to ‘normal’, but he cautioned against losing everything that had been learned during the pandemic.
He then went on to outline the respective merits of the three different types of education: synchronous on-site, blended courses and asynchronous online. The first is associated with being familiar, spontaneous, sensory and human; the second method can count on personal interaction, practice and face time, while the third is best described as flexible, reflective, repeatable and participatory. Laserna then contrasted the traditional learning experience with a more modern approach, which may also be able to offer credentials to those students who fail to complete their course. When considering how to construct the modern classroom, the first point, according to the Canvas regional director, is the way that institutions need to think beyond the lecture. “We must continue to explore how technology can enhance individual student experiences and outcomes,” he commented. He also highlighted how faculty-student engagement is critical: “Evolving teaching pedagogy and embracing educational technology have never been more important for maintaining student engagement.” In addition, blended learning needs to be intentionally designed in order to enable students to engage on their own terms according to their learning styles, which may include asynchronous video, transcripts, online quizzes and downloadable resources. Last, he unveiled what he sees as the top trends over the next five years: namely, a demand for online learning; video in the virtual classroom; student success; personalised learning; and putting data to work.
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