Ambition is AMBA’s thought leadership magazine, offering regular insights into the challenges and trends that matter most in global management education
The monthly magazine of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY Ambiti n
Issue 50 FEB 2022
How Business Schools have made the impossible a reality during the pandemic MISSION POSSIBLE
BUSINESS TRANSFORMERS France’s emlyon Business School has set itself the task of developing leaders who are able to adapt, anticipate, and transform
BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE PLANET Business Schools can make a difference by providing sustainability education to alumni alongside current students
DRIVING EQUALITY Educators must reach out beyond the walls of their institutions and address the most important issues facing society
AMBA & BGA GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2022 Lisbon, Portugal 15-18 May 2022
AMBA & BGA has chosen the magnificent Portuguese capital Lisbon as the venue for the AMBA & BGA Global Conference for Deans and Directors 2022. Our conference programme will include some of the world’s leading Deans and CEOs who will present on the issues most prevalent to Business School strategy.
Save the date and for more information, visit www.associationofmbas.com/school- events/amba-bga-global-conference-2022 The programme will be complemented with fine dining and world-class networking in some of Lisbon’s most iconic and awe-inspiring venues.
Issue 50 | FEBRUARY 2022
STRATEGY
NEWS & INS IGHT
08 | ROUNDUP In a selection of updates from the AMBA network, we cover reconciling with a country’s past; leadership development for First Nations communities; combating a lack of sleep at work, and more
18 | BACK TO SCHOOL Schools can make a difference by providing sustainability education to alumni alongside students
12 | EQUALITY Educators must reach out beyond the walls of their institutions and address the most important issues facing society
Schools have a responsibility to be truthful about who they are; if social justice is at the heart of your mission, you need to say that
RESEARCH AND INSIGHT: STAY AHEAD OF THE TRENDS IN BUSINESS EDUCATION
Over the past 18 months, AMBA’s Research and Insight Centre has produced a wealth of groundbreaking new research and compiled reports citing views from MBA thinkers, practitioners, faculty, and leaders across the globe on the issues that matter most in business education. Recent AMBA research has investigated Business Schools’ attitudes to poverty, rankings, climate change, and education technology. We have analysed MBA career trajectories, graduate success in the new normal, application and enrolment figures across a spectrum of programmes, and employer and student perceptions of lifelong learning. We also seek to collaborate with Business Schools and corporate partners in order to further enhance AMBA’s research offering.
If you are interested in partnering on research, joining one of our roundtables or focus groups to delve into the findings, or even sharing your thoughts on what topics you would like AMBA to explore, then please contact r esearch@associationofmbas.com
Issue 50 | FEBRUARY 2022
30 | MISSION POSSIBLE EADA Business School created the first master’s degree in sustainable business and innovation. Its Dean, Jordi Diaz, speaks about further embracing sustainability and addressing the ‘reskilling revolution’
INTERVIEWS 24 | TRANSFORMERS France’s emlyon Business School aims to develop leaders able to adapt, anticipate, and transform. Its Executive President and Dean, Isabelle Huault, shares her School’s ambitious strategic plan
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REGULARS
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06 | EDITOR’S LETTER Celebrating the 50th edition of Ambition for Business School leaders 40 | HUB HIGHLIGHTS The future of jobs; the meeting hack that breaks down macho attitudes; dealing with unprecedented change; how to create a purpose-driven business model; how to spot workplace toxicity; embracing hybrid working – and much more
OPINION 36 | REGAINING TRUST An invitation to forward-thinking leaders to take a broader view of deep tech, in order to open up new conversations 38 | LIFELONG LEARNING Making the world a better place in which to work and play
OPINION
Marking 50 editions OF AMBITION
EDITORIAL Editor and Director of Marketing and Communications David Woods-Hale d.woods@associationofmbas.com @davidpaulwoods Art Editor Laura Tallon Content Editor Tim Banerjee Dhoul t.dhoul@associationofmbas.com Insight and Communications Executive Ellen Buchan e.buchan@associationofmbas.com CORPORATE Head of Commercial Relations Max Braithwaite m.braithwaite@associationofmbas.com Commercial Partnerships Manager Emily Wall e.wall@associationofmbas.com
‘A means of igniting positive change in higher education’
T his is the 50th edition of Ambition for Business Schools since 2016, when we reformatted our members’ newsletter into a more fitting magazine for leaders at Business Schools all over the world. I hope you agree that the magazine has come a long way since we undertook our first interview with Sir Martin Sorrell – with whom Andrew Main Wilson spoke at AMBA’s Global Conference in Venice, in March 2016. Since then, we have launched a monthly print magazine for Business Schools and developed the AMBITION hub for MBA students and graduates – publishing more than 20 fresh articles every month. By the end of this month, we will also have broadcast 100 episodes of The AMBITION Podcast, produced numerous supplements and special editions, delivered the AMBA Bookclub – bringing more affordable business books and unrivalled discounts to our members all over the world – and developed and launched Business Impact for educators and students within the BGA network. We also might have picked up one or two awards for editorial excellence along the way... But while I, and the team at AMBA, are proud of how Ambition has progressed since its beginnings, none of this would have been possible without the content that has all come from the Schools within our community. You’ve shared your insights on difficult and provocative topics; you’ve campaigned for more responsible and authentic business education; you’ve consistently shared stories of success to inspire others to aspire to excellence. We’ve celebrated your successes and I hope we’ve provided a source of inspiration to you as well. When I took on the mantle of Editor of Ambition , I wanted the publication to represent a conversation – a transparent, uncensored sharing of ideas; a connector – bringing people in business education together to learn from and discuss these ideas, and a catalyst – a means of igniting positive change in the higher education space. We’re on the way to achieving these goals, and with your continued support, we have many more exciting ideas in the pipeline. Congratulations on your 50th edition. David Woods-Hale , Editor, Ambition
Conference Producer Paul Thurston
Events Manager Abigail Burke
Marketing and Communications Executive Edward Holmes
Marketing Executive Edward Jacques Membership Manager Tariro Masukume
Head of IT and Data Management Jack Villanueva HR and Employer Relations Manager Aarti Bhasin Finance and Commercial Director Catherine Walker
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AMBITION PODCAST
Myrte Scheffer, Strategic and Trusted Advisor at Breeez and serial entrepreneur, joined The AMBITION Podcast to explain how personal tribulations can kick-start an entrepreneurial journey. She discussed some of the challenges associated with being a serial entrepreneur – such as loneliness – and explained how she overcame and learnt from these issues. Having just returned from a motorbike trip around Spain, Myrte also shared some personal insights into how her travels have impacted her business perspective. www.associationofmbas.com/podcast
Recent extreme weather events and the publication of the UN Climate Change Report sounded a bleak wake up call for many on the realities of global warming. Mats Lunberg, Head of Sustainability at Sandvik, gives his take on climate change on The AMBITION Podcast. Fortunately, he is optimistic about the planet’s future and believes human action can result in positive change – but he took the opportunity to issue a challenge to listeners to see how long they could go without buying anything new.
Chief Executive Officer Andrew Main Wilson
Executive Assistant to the CEO Amy Youngs a.youngs@associationofmbas.com ACCREDITATION ENQUIRIES accreditation@associationofmbas.com
Copyright 2022 by Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association ISSN 2631-6382 All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is independent, accurate, objective and relevant for our readers, AMBA accepts no responsibility for reader dissatisfaction rising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed and advice given are the views of individual commentators and do not necessarily represent the views of AMBA. Whenever an article in this publication is placed with the financial support of an advertiser, partner or sponsor, it will be marked as such. AMBA makes every opportunity to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
Take advantage of AMBA & BGA’s free webinar series for Business School leaders
AMBA & BGA is working with Business Schools and business education leaders to develop a raft of fresh online content in the form of live interactive webinars, especially tailored for Business School leaders, decision makers, and professionals. In addition to our growing virtual and hybrid conference programme, our one-hour webinars (all of which can supplied as recordings to all registered delegates), offer perfectly bite sized insights from industry experts.
Topics include: Education technology Business School innovation Lifelong learning Career development Leadership skills Building partnerships Regional updates And much more.
For more information visit www.associationofmbas.com/business-schools/events/ Make the most of your coffee breaks and keep up to speed with the trends in the business education arena.
NEWS & INSIGHT
NEWS & RESEARCH
from across AMBA’s Global Network
In a selection of updates from AMBA-accredited Business Schools, we cover reconciling with a country’s past; leadership development for First Nations communities; combating a lack of sleep at work, and more. By Ellen Buchan and Tim Banerjee Dhoul
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UPSKILLING FIRST
COLLABORATION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE COUNTRY: Switzerland SCHOOL: IMD Leading Business Schools in Europe have joined forces to help address the climate crisis and provide a toolkit for both current leaders and future leaders. The founder members of the Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL) alliance are IMD, Cambridge Judge Business School, HEC Paris, IE Business School, IESE Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, and Oxford Saïd Business School. The alliance’s activities will be based around trying to accelerate Business Schools to take action in line with the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The first action of the alliance was to unveil the BS4CL climate leadership toolkit at the COP26 in Glasgow, UK, held in November 2021. The 94-page digital toolkit is available on the alliance’s website and is split into two sections. The first looks at how climate change will impact business while the second considers how businesses can change their strategy to have a positive impact on the planet. ‘As educators and researchers as well as stewards of powerful alumni bodies, we need to work together to protect humanity,’ said IMD’s President Jean-François Manzoni. ‘The lessons in the toolkit will arm executives with the skills and questions to take bold action not only to mitigate the effects of climate change but also to understand the business risks and seize the opportunities ahead. ‘Tackling the climate crisis can’t be done alone,’ he stressed. ‘This is why we are working together. Climate leadership to the power of eight.’ The Business Schools aim to identify and shape best practices in business, and work with industries and communities to raise awareness of the emergency of climate change. Together, the eight members of the alliance educate more than 55,000 students and executives per year in their courses and have a collective alumni body of more than 400,000 people. / Ellen Buchan (EB)
NATIONS LEADERS COUNTRY: Canada SCHOOL: HEC Montréal
HEC Montréal’s executive education arm is serving as an incubator for a new School that aims to upskill First Nations leaders. First Nations Executive Education (FNEE) is the brainchild of Manon Jeannotte (Mi’gma) and Ken Rock (Innu), both of whom are graduates of the McGill–HEC Montréal EMBA programme. FNEE will draw on the resources of Executive Education HEC Montréal, but has the ultimate aim of becoming an independent School. ‘Our vision is to give every leader the tools they need to be a force for positive change and success within their communities, elements that are critical to First Nations’ self-determination and improved socioeconomic conditions,’ said Project Co-Initiator, Ken Rock. ‘To achieve this, FNEE will offer university-level short programmes for First Nations elected officials, administrators, managers and entrepreneurs in communities, online and in Montréal.’ The School’s first programme kicked off in December 2021 and is aimed exclusively at elected First Nations officials and administrators. ‘Exercising authentic leadership’ and ‘influencing collective change’ are among the programme’s modules, with these scheduled to be held at HEC Montréal and a First Nations host organisation, respectively. Programmes aimed at managers and entrepreneurs are planned for launch in the second half of 2022, or early 2023. ‘I welcome this co-development concept between HEC Montréal and First Nations, which hearkens back to the alliances that characterised our first contacts and that are in keeping with an outlook for a brighter future for us all,’ said Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec- Labrador, a political body that unites 43 First Nations Chiefs in Quebec and Labrador. ‘The creation of First Nations Executive Education not only addresses a need for upskilling our leaders, but it is also an initiative that will undoubtedly have positive repercussions on all of our communities.’ Executive Education HEC Montréal currently trains 9,000 executives, professionals, and leaders a year and is a member of UNICON, a global consortium for university-based executive education. / Tim Banerjee Dhoul (TBD)
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NEWS & INSIGHT
SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR AN UNDER-REPRESENTED COMMUNITY COUNTRY: UK SCHOOL: Bayes Business School, City, University of London Bayes Business School has launched a new 10-year commitment to increasing the number of students from under-represented communities in higher education and business through its Black Student Scholarship Programme. Covering tuition fees and an annual stipend of £6,000 GBP across three years of undergraduate study for each recipient, the programme’s total cost will be around £5 million GBP – the amount that the Business School received from the Sir John Cass Foundation (now renamed The Portal Trust) when it became Cass Business School in 2001. Sir John Cass was an English merchant born in the 17th century whose wealth and business were tied to the Atlantic slave trade. These links prompted the Business School to change its name this year, and itl has now moved to retrospectively make the entire value of the original donation available to young people that are the most affected by his legacy. Student recipients will also receive mentoring support from second and third-year students, as part of the Bayes Mentoring and Coaching for Leadership module. To receive a scholarship, prospective students must be from the UK (qualifying for the home fee status), of black ethnicity and come from a household of an annual net income of £30,000 GBP or less. The student also must meet the conditions of their chosen course. ‘Since we first embarked on the process to find a new name for our Business School, we have always said we are committed to backing up our words with actions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Bayes,’ said Caroline Wiertz, Deputy Dean at Bayes Business School. ‘The Bayes Business School Black Student Scholarship programme underpins a strong desire to widen participation and increase minority representation among our student base. I believe it is an excellent starting point that we can be very proud of, but at the same time it is just a starting point. We still have a lot more work to do.’ / EB
FINANCIAL ADVICE AND TRAINING FOR EX-COMBATANTS COUNTRY: Colombia SCHOOL: Faculty of Administration, Universidad de los Andes To mark the signing of the peace agreement five years ago between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, the Faculty of Administration of the Universidad de los Andes told the story of five students who spent a week in the Territorial Space for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR) of Mesetas in the department of Meta in 2018. The reintegration of demobilised ex-combatants to civilian life through new housing, employment and opportunities is stipulated in the peace agreement, and the National Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization estimates that 13,139 ex-combatants are currently in this process of reintegration. Of these, 98.6% now have affiliation to the health system, 83% have been linked to the pension system and 94.8% have banking benefits. However, it has been demonstrated that former combatants need more than this for a successful transition. Advice, support and training are also fundamental to the process. This is precisely what the Universidad de los Andes students were helping to provide. They taught participating ex-combatants how to manage the money given to them through government subsidies and how to formulate the best strategies for their projects – examples of which included a tourism venture and a bakery – with which many ex-combatants and their families now support themselves. ‘At first, it was difficult because we had prepared something with a demanding level, and we realised that some cannot read or write. It completely changed our outlook in many ways,’ said one of the students, Jaime Varela. Indeed, understanding the perspective of the ex- combatants, who were often forced into conflict and denied access to education, was perhaps the biggest takeaway for the students. ‘We have other contexts. They like to tell stories, and there you understand their point of view a little,’ said another participating student, Catalina Jiménez. ‘We stopped seeing them as that guerrilla they show on television. It is a group made up of people… and we begin to ask ourselves about what could have happened if we had lived what they had to experience,’ added a third student, Daniel Porras. / TBD
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MIND OVER MATTER
STUDY HIGHLIGHTS UNIQUE PROFILES OF SMART CITIES COUNTRY: France SCHOOL: HEC Paris A study of six award-winning smart cities across the globe has been released by the Society and Copenhagen, Singapore, Toronto, and Vienna, the study seeks to identify the main challenges and issues involved in urban transformation. It also puts forward further steps by which cities can develop and implement sustainable initiatives and policies. In the study, the six cities are assessed across 18 dimensions (including everything from recycling services and green spaces to data management and whether ‘minorities feel welcome’) that are divided into seven analytical categories (such as mobility, governance, and opportunities). The ensuing comparative analysis concludes that each of these six cities’ approaches to becoming a smart city corresponds to its own unique profile. Amsterdam, for example, is heralded as the ‘Collaborative City’, with the study highlighting its ‘decentralisation of the Organizations Institute at HEC Paris. Looking at Amsterdam, Barcelona, municipality’s authority through a collaborative spirit wherein every individual can undertake initiatives without running up against bureaucratic processes.’ Barcelona becomes the ‘Digital City’ for ‘its adoption of novel technologies… within every aspect of the city.’ Vienna, meanwhile, is labelled the ‘Framework City’ as ‘the constant monitoring and updating of the project framework allow all the actors involved in the smart city projects to develop a long-term vision and ensure that the innovations and solutions created respond to the real needs of the city’. The study is authored by Bertrand Quélin, Professor of Strategy and Business Policy at HEC Paris, and Isaac Smadja, a graduate of the School’s MSc in sustainability and social innovation (SASI) and now a Project Manager Officer at Capgemini. / TBD
COUNTRY: Ireland SCHOOL: Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin
Most of us have felt groggy when trying to work after a poor night’s sleep. Concentration can feel impossible when all you can think about is the need to lie down and shut your eyes. However, a person’s belief in their own willpower can mitigate the impact of a lack of sleep, according to research published by Trinity Business School, Dublin. If a person believes in the strength of their willpower – defined as the ‘mindset about the resource-draining nature of self-regulation’ – they can remain productive when they have not slept well. The research, led by Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour, Wladislaw Rivkin, and entitled The Role of Regulatory, Affective, and Motivational Resources in the Adverse Spillover of Sleep in the Home Domain to Employee Effectiveness in the Work Domain , examined 214 employees across 1,317 working days. ‘Believing that your willpower is unlimited helps you to sustain your effectiveness at work, particularly on days with a lack of sleep,’ said Rivkin. For those without this control over their willpower, a lack of sleep had a marked negative impact on their productivity at work. The paper suggests techniques that companies could use to mitigate the negative impact of a bad night’s sleep. These include allowing employees to have ‘micro naps’ when they have had insufficient sleep, and providing staff with guided mindfulness sessions which could help improve their sleeping habits and general quality of sleep. It also argues that a boost to an employee’s mood, such as watching a funny video, can help to maintain their effectiveness at work. / EB
SHARE YOUR NEWS AND RESEARCH UPDATES by emailing AMBA & BGA’s Content Editor, Tim Banerjee Dhoul, at t.dhoul@associationofmbas.com
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STRATEGY
Educators must reach out beyond the walls of their institutions and address the most important issues facing society, writes Ellen Buchan
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The role of Business Schools in driving equality
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STRATEGY A
thus rely on fossil fuels. They are both contributors to, and victims of, climate change. As a global Business School community, it is imperative that we should reach out beyond the walls of our institutions and address the most important issues facing our society, especially when these relate so closely to why we do business: to provide a living for ourselves and those around us in a global marketplace. But can Business Schools also be considered contributors to the current state? They are the producers of talent for the financial and consulting elites. The aim of corporations is to maximise shareholder value; asset stripping, private equity or suppressing wages are sometimes in the best interests of the firm. To tackle these issues and more, AMBA, in association with Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), hosted a roundtable with Business School leaders, during which we sought to delve into the role of Business Schools in addressing global inequality, to examine what’s changed and how far the points above resonate with decision-makers in higher education. Here are some highlights from that conversation. Sangeet Chowfla, President and CEO, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) As s a Business School community, we have to change the conversation from one that puts the needs of shareholders and capital first to one that also looks at social, environmental, equity and social issues. A shift from the shareholder primacy view of business to a multiple stakeholder model. We should certainly do the tactical things – recruiting and admitting more diverse classes, creating the appropriate curriculum – but we need an intellectual framework around the role of business that goes beyond the Friedman model of shareholder primacy to one that is more inclusive in terms of environmental and social equity. Who else will build this framework if not the university? The other thing is that technology has fundamentally changed how we deliver education. Education is no longer reserved for those who
ccording to UNICEF, almost half of the world’s population – more than 3 billion people – live on less than $2.50 a day. This problem is exacerbated by the sharp divide between these extreme levels of poverty and the extreme wealth that exists on the other side of the income spectrum. Data from the World Inequality Report shows that inequality is rising or staying extremely high nearly everywhere. Since 1980, the share of national income going to the richest 1% has increased rapidly in North America, China, India, and Russia and more moderately in Europe. Before Covid-19, in the US, the top 1% controlled 38% of the total assets in the country – which is 16 times the total wealth of the bottom 50% combined. Other countries show similar patterns. The pandemic has only expanded these differences. In fact, the International Monetary fund (IMF) found that while the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is clearly seen in the numbers – 120 million people pushed into extreme poverty, and a massive global recession – some data show an increase in another extreme: the wealth of billionaires. This inequality has moral consequences for the structure of our global society. Inequality exacerbates social differences and reduces upward mobility – leading to greater stratification within communities. This, in turn, tends to lead to greater crime and social instability. The Equality Trust reports that rates of violence are higher in more unequal societies and goes as far as to suggest that more permanent decreases in inequality would reduce homicides by 20% and lead to a 23% long-term reduction in robberies. Political participation suffers as the ‘have nots’ struggle with daily needs and the ‘haves’ entrench themselves further. Nationalistic and nativist narratives harden. Another consequence is the impact on sustainability and the planet. The have-nots are forced to live off the land leading to deforestation – the Amazon and Indonesian rainforests being examples of this. These individuals are less likely to be able to access alternative energy solutions and
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technology to democratise or spread the creation of the meritocracy) then that contribution can be huge, changing the value of business education as we see it today. Catherine Duggan, Dean, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business When I think about the role of Business Schools, I am always reminded of a quote from a Nigerian writer, Ben Okri. He writes: ‘We can redream this world and make the dream real’. I think those two elements are exactly what we do at a Business School: we are reimagining what
can put two years of their career on hold and afford to travel to a Western, high-cost city for an MBA programme. Technology has enabled us, as Business Schools, to deliver in different ways, to create a flatter meritocracy or a more distributed, democratised form of meritocracy. This creates more equality of opportunity which can lead to equality of outcomes. After all, it does not seem that we can truly address equality if only a certain elite – economic or dynastic – however well intentioned, is going to create a level future for all. So, if we can do these two things simultaneously (build the intellectual framework for what capitalism looks like out into the future, and use
Schools have a responsibility to be truthful about who they are; if social justice is at the heart of your mission, you need to say that up front
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STRATEGY
An inclusive and ethical meritocracy should be a powerful driving force to making the world a better place
the world could be and equipping ourselves and our students with the tools and skills to implement that vision. Both parts are critical as we make a case for business education. We have an opportunity to redream things, but we also have a responsibility to pair that process with the tools to make things real; to make them work. Fundamentally, I think that, at Business Schools, we teach our students how to think about things in new ways, under new conditions. When I talk to our alumni, they don’t point to specific skills as the things that they continue to draw on from their MBAs. Instead, they point to the way they learnt how to see the world—particularly the way they learnt how to see new opportunities and spot new risks. That’s what I see as our role: giving our students new analytical tools and ways of thinking about things, then helping them to put those tools together with their own experiences and unique world views so they can see things others don’t. I think that’s how you find new opportunities for social impact. Johan S Roos, Chief Academic Officer, HULT International Business School Inequality is a big theme. There is always going to be inequality in a competitive world, and a world without it is a utopia. Socialism and communism have tried to eradicate inequality and that just doesn’t work. George Orwell’s famous novel Animal Farm illustrates the fact that some people will always consider themselves more equal than others. Inequality is – to some extent – a driving force for societal progress and personal improvements. But we need to make sure that people can beat inequality and enhance their living conditions. The key thing is that the economy and social structures are dynamic, not static. People stuck in poverty or misery without opportunities to improve their lives makes inequality a very
complex problem with no easy answer. The world is unfortunately full of examples of this. What can we do in higher education to help drive society towards the dynamic scenario rather than the static one? We can ensure that students and faculty talk openly about inequality and the problems it causes, but also about how everyone can gain equal opportunities to improve their lives. At the same time, we need to cultivate and protect one of the key success factors of successful business: economies and society; meritocracy. The challenge is that a meritocracy is inclusive, so that we all have a chance to compete and succeed based on our merits, regardless of how we look or how we chose to live our personal lives. An inclusive and ethical meritocracy should be a powerful driving force to making the world a better place. Business Schools should be reinforcing the idea that people must be able to work, progress, and live meaningful lives within society – within the moral and legal boundaries provided by institutions and the law, of course. To keep the topic hot, we should also make sure we can discuss existing knowledge about inequality, debate and develop new ideas, and encourage students and faculty to engage in the public debate. I often tell my faculty members that they have a responsibility to engage in public debate about things they understand and have views on. Donna M Rapaccioli, Dean, Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University We must ensure that access to the highest- quality education is available to everyone. I am concerned that high-potential individuals who lack resources to fund their education are being guided into training programmes instead of educational institutions. While these training programmes provide a cost-effective opportunity to emerge
ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS
CHAIR Andrew Main Wilson, CEO, AMBA & BGA
PANELLISTS Sangeet Chowfla, President and CEO, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
Catherine Duggan, Dean, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business
Donna M Rapaccioli, Dean, Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University Johan S Roos, Chief Academic Officer, HULT International Business School
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from poverty, society needs more. To really impact income inequality in the long term, we need holistic education, which equips individuals with the knowledge and mindsets needed to reach the highest levels of organisations. We have to figure out how to enable all members of society to experience an education that prepares them for leadership. One key point is to be transparent about the kind of School you are. Fordham is a Jesuit Catholic School; our mission is to educate compassionate global business leaders who will make positive societal change. That is how we present ourselves, so there is a predisposition in terms of the type of students who apply to our School. I believe that Schools have a responsibility to be truthful about who they are; if social justice is at the heart of your mission, you need to say that up front. Clearly articulating your mission in your messaging is one way you can curate the composition of your student body. Once students are enrolled, they should experience your mission in their learning opportunities, the curriculum and co-curriculum, the cases assigned by faculty, and the speakers you invite. These will reinforce one another.
It’s not easy, but many Schools are realising that an holistic education, which thrives on a diverse, engaged learning environment, can be transformative. Many Schools are also now looking for activists and changemakers –you want them on your campus because you want that passion. The creativity and drive they bring will amplify your efforts at creating a truly dynamic learning environment that educates for leadership.
We are reimagining what the world could be and equipping ourselves and our students with the tools and skills to implement that vision
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STRATEGY
Business Schools can make a difference by providing sustainability education to alumni alongside current students, write Carina Hopper and Johanna Wagner
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for the Inviting alumni Back to School Planet
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but do not have the necessary training to do so. One reason for this is that sustainability teaching began as late as 1992 and has only recently begun to grow in scale. As a result (and what is now a defining obstacle to rapid change), during their studies, most current professionals were not equipped with the knowledge and competencies needed to manage sustainable businesses. Many higher education institutions are already working to remedy this situation for their current students, but they can also contribute to filling this gap for their alumni, thanks to the development of new, targeted lifelong learning options. Bringing alumni Back to School One solution, represented by the Back to School for the Planet initiative, leverages the existing relationship between higher education institutions and their alumni to provide critical sustainability learning in a way that is innovative and simple to implement. How? By considering alumni as potential students for newly introduced sustainability courses, sessions and activities. Most of the time, a strict boundary is set between students and graduates, but when it comes to sustainability, this
ifelong learning is a crucial part of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), which aims to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. In Business Schools, lifelong learning is often offered to a wide audience of professionals, including those who did not graduate from a management programme and seek the soft and hard skills necessary to get to the next step of their career. Today, in the context of the climate emergency, the need for companies to change the way we do business calls for greater commitment from Business Schools to transforming the paradigm not only among their current students but also among their alumni. Where we are now Surveys (including 10 years of research around education and sustainability from UK organisation Students Organising for Sustainability) are showing an undeniable shift in student expectations, with rising demand for the skills needed to transform companies in the Anthropocene Era. In the field, more and more practitioners are showing a willingness to adapt their professional practices by placing a strong focus on sustainability,
More and more practitioners are showing a willingness to adapt their professional practices by placing a strong focus on sustainability, but do not have the necessary training to do so
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their graduation, their presence in the classroom proves to current students that this topic has become strategic for companies. It also sends a strong message to students, candidates and the wider community that the School is committed to providing lifelong learning on issues that matter, as part of its added value.
boundary should be reconsidered. Indeed, on the topic of sustainability, many alumni resemble incoming students. They are new to the subject and curious to discover everything it has to offer. Business Schools can build on the trusted relationship with their alumni to offer them a free update by inviting them Back to School for the Planet. Whether updates are offered online or in person, this initiative brings alumni back into the classroom alongside current students to participate in the discussion. Beyond the clear advantage for alumni in terms of benefiting from quality education from their institution years, or even decades, after
How it works Alumni inclusion in your institution’s new
sustainability education offering can take shape in a myriad of ways and can be adapted to School policy, course format and alumni availability.
Flexibility in alumni engagement
High alumni engagement
Your School might invite its alumni to join current students in:
New courses dedicated to sustainability (for example, alumni are invited to join the Sustainability Essentials for Hospitality Managers course) Select sustainability-dedicated sessions (for example, alumni are invited to join a session on sustainable supply-chain management within an operations course) Specific curricular activities with a sustainability focus (for example, alumni are invited to act as jury members for final projects relating to sustainability) Specific co-curricular activities with a sustainability focus (for example, alumni are invited to join a sustainability leadership seminar or a volunteer experience)
Low alumni engagement
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STRATEGY
Benefits for current students Thanks to Back to School for the Planet, the student learning experience can be enhanced in several ways: 1. First-hand accounts of how the sustainability strategies and concepts being taught may play out – or may have already been executed – in the professional world are integrated into the classroom discussion, thanks to presence of alumni with experience in the field. 2. A strong link is created between current students and participating alumni, leading to potential networking and employment opportunities. 3. A new type of collaborative environment emerges that is intergenerational and bridges the academic and professional world in a dynamic way.
Scalability Back to School for the Planet is highly transferable and scalable thanks to the widespread transition to online and hybrid education seen in many regions of the world. Schools that wish to do so (particularly those without online learning capabilities) can invite alumni to participate in their new sustainability- focused educational offering in person. The only requirement for institutions interested in participating is to have introduced new courses or activities in sustainability – something that is becoming increasingly common due to the rise in education for sustainable development (ESD) in recent years. Given that stakeholder engagement will drive the development of the initiative, we have provided a helpful table for getting your school on board:
Back to School for the Planet from a stakeholder perspective
Stakeholder Group
Motivations
Ease
Dean, School Management Team
• Innovative lifelong learning offering for alumni, which can also aid recruitment • Expanded reach of sustainability efforts already in place
• Low consumption of internal resources • Low incremental costs of adding limited number of alumni to already existing activities
Faculty
• Spotlight on sustainability teaching already taking place • Enriched classroom experience • Experience in innovative lifelong learning methods • Updated skills from an institution they trust • Strengthened connection with alma mater • Back to School for the Planet certificate and network • Strengthened links with alumni • First-hand insight from industry professionals within the learning environment • Experience with an innovative lifelong learning method that they can choose to benefit from once they graduate • Trusted sustainability training available for employees who are graduates from participating Schools
• Flexibility in number of alumni participating • Flexibility in format (low vs. high alumni engagement – see figure, p21) • Facilitated access thanks to virtual participation options
Alumni
• Potential classroom disruptions are curbed by Back to School for the Planet Code of Conduct for participating alumni • Access to Back to School for the Planet network • Companies can rest assured that graduates of participating Schools have sustainability training available to them and that their skills will be updated by their Schools in the future • Adapted to new working habits (flexible working hours and home office)
Students
Recruiters, Corporate Stakeholders
Any stakeholder can spark change by encouraging implementation of Back to School for the Planet at an institution they care about.
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Support in implementation Back to School for the Planet grew from a teacher-led initiative to a non-profit scheme to encourage its application, and support Schools in its implementation. By providing instructional guides, alumni recruitment support, participant certificates, a communication toolkit, access to a Back to School for the Planet network, and more, the organisation can help your institution to broaden the impact of its sustainability efforts by opening up these opportunities to alumni. The full potential of higher education to contribute to change can be achieved when the dissemination of sustainability knowledge and competencies efficiently target current professionals as well as future ones. Your School can accelerate the change by inviting its graduates Back to School for the planet. Find out more at backtoschoolfortheplanet.org .
CARINA HOPPER
teaches sustainability in fashion and luxury and sustainable hospitality management at Business Schools, including ESSEC Business School, SKEMA Business School and ESMOD Fashion Business School. She is Co-founder of Back to School for the Planet and La Belle EDuC, which offers a sustainability label for higher education programmes with a focus on teaching and the student learning experience. JOHANNA WAGNER teaches in leading European hospitality management master’s programmes. A hospitality professional, she moved from working in finance and asset management positions to facilitating sustainability for students and professionals. As Co-founder of the non-profit Back to School for the Planet and impact-first company La Belle EDuC, she aims to foster sustainability integration in higher education and empower students in their choice of studies.
CASE STUDY: ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL In 2020, as faculty teaching new sustainability classes in the MSc in hospitality management at ESSEC Business School, we created the Back to School for the Planet initiative in order to test our hypotheses that: • alumni are interested in accessing sustainability training in the form of newly introduced sustainability courses in the School they graduated from; and • this access can have an impact on their personal and professional lives Both the number of applications, and the answers to the impact survey we conducted six months later, supported the hypotheses and demonstrated additional benefits. A few weeks before the start of the 2020-2021 School year, an alumni gathering presented the opportunity to discuss the introduction of a set of new sustainability courses for current students. One conclusion from the discussion was clear: while graduates were pleased that sustainability teaching was now being incorporated by their former School, they did not feel that they themselves had the necessary knowledge or understanding to act in favour of greater sustainability in their companies. This led us to ponder how we could help them shift towards more responsible business practices. Since Covid-19 had made hybrid teaching commonplace at our institution, we realised that course attendance could now be extended to motivated alumni as a lifelong learning option. From their home or office, participants could benefit from the same new courses as current students. We submitted the idea to the programme director, who shared our vision and supported the piloting of the initiative. For the pilot, we opened to alumni four spots each in two new 25-hour courses on sustainability. We received 16 applications from former students. The eight successful applicants were invited to attend all 25 hours of their assigned course alongside current students. During the sessions, we observed that the graduates were engaged – both in terms of asking questions and sharing relevant experience – while the students were stimulated by the of alumni and their contribution to discussions. Of the participating alumni, five answered our impact survey and unanimously agreed that the experience of returning to their classrooms to learn about sustainability was transformative and had positive impacts both on their lives.
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INTERVIEW
France’s emlyon Business School aims to develop leaders able to adapt, anticipate, and transform. Its Executive President and Dean Isabelle Huault spoke to David Woods- Hale about her School’s ambitious strategic plan
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Developing ‘business transformers’ to create a more inclusive and sustainable society
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INTERVIEW
You’ve been in the role of Executive President and Dean at emlyon Business School for over a year now. Can you share some highlights? I was appointed Executive President and Dean in September 2020 and my assumption of duty was not ordinary, given this period of great restrictions and uncertainty surrounding Covid-19. Not being able to meet physically with the School’s teachers and staff, or with the students, alumni, or partners of emlyon, was difficult, but it still proved to be a great learning experience. I was able to observe and measure the teams’ commitment to the School, the courage of the students who faced this crisis – and who are determined to continue to adapt as the situation evolves – and I experienced the support of our partners in such a complex context. Thankfully, the situation has calmed down, and energy and excitement are alive again on our campuses. Over the past year, we have also built a new gender-balanced, high-level team, which is complete and ready to implement our strategic plan: ‘Confluences 2025’. Do you think the Business School community has been fast enough to innovate during the pandemic? Covid-19 has accelerated digital innovation. We had already begun the digitalisation process of training sessions before the crisis hit, so once restrictions were put in place, emlyon Business School was ready. Both our professors and students were already familiar with the tools. Stimulated by the emergency,
the School immediately improved its digitalisation process, and turned the crisis situation into an opportunity to innovate in our pedagogy, course delivery methods, and knowledge assessments. For some courses, both professors and students felt it brought more value to the programme. For example, it enabled them to devote less time to travelling while still allowing them to engage with experts from all over the world for a truly enriching educational experience, even from home. However, after this period of isolation and distance, it has become very clear that elements such as a physical dimension, human contact, and in-person meetings are also essential components of higher education and research. We still need places to discuss, share and collaborate. What are the next steps for you as a leader and for the School? With our newly appointed leadership team and the support of the supervisory board, we’ve launched an ambitious strategic plan entitled ‘Confluences 2025’. Our goal is to become one of the leading global business universities in Europe according to three main strategic priorities: commitment to social and environmental issues, academic excellence through hybridisation, and networked internationalisation. First, as CSR forms the guiding thread for all the School’s training programmes, the skills repository of all training programmes will be reviewed in line with the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To promote social inclusion, emlyon is launching a
proactive policy of equal opportunities, scholarships and the development of apprenticeship training. The School is also set to consolidate the scientific quality of both the faculty and its research output by recruiting 10 new teacher-researchers in various disciplines each year until 2025. To reinforce the hybridisation of its programmes, emlyon will sign numerous partnerships with renowned higher education institutions in the fields of art, design, social sciences, and engineering, both in France and in other countries. Our international expansion will involve the development of our campuses abroad and 20 more double degrees with global institutions of excellence until 2025. Finally, the Lyon Gerland campus will embody the best of this strategy and welcome the community of emlyon in 2024. What do you think sustainable leadership looks like? At emlyon, we train students to transform business models – becoming ‘business transformers’ – and to be social change makers who have an impact on their environment and organisations. We also encourage them to exercise an entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial mindset in the organisations in which they’re involved – whether these are a small companies, Cotation Assistée en Continu (CAC) 40 companies, or consulting firms. Ultimately, our students will become leaders able to adapt, anticipate, and transform. In addition to being effective, these future decision-makers will be
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