Tag Archives: Business Education

News

NHH achieves gender parity in executive education

NHH Norwegian School of Economics is one of only four schools to have achieved gender parity (an equal 50:50 split between men and women) in the Financial Times Executive Education Open 2024 ranking.

This result demonstrates the School’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and reflects Norway’s reputation for high levels of gender equality. The country currently places second in the Global Gender Gap Index ranking.

NHH’s dedication to academic excellence is reflected in the School ranking within the top 50 institutions globally for its open executive education programmes, and top 90 for tailor-made programmes in the FT’s latest Executive Education Custom ranking.

“The rankings show we have world-class business programmes. We are competing against outstanding international business schools from around the world. This competition is sharpening and that makes us better. It gives us valuable feedback and contributes to the development of NHH’s strategy for continuing to adapt our executive education offerings to the needs of businesses,” says NHH Rector Øystein Thøgersen.

The School’s successes are reflected at all levels, with the addition of a second bachelor’s programme that incorporates elements of AI and data science (starting in Autumn 2024) contributing to record-high application numbers.

Recently published figures from the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service show 2,830 applicants made NHH their first choice to study a bachelor’s programme – a 30.4 percent increase from last year.

News

Research confirms executive education boosts personal, professional and organisational life-wide learning

Supporting managers and executives to pursue ‘life-wide learning’ through Executive Education can provide both professional and personal benefits that are felt by the wider organisation and colleagues, according to a recent study by Lancaster University Management School in the UK.

Undertaken by Professors Martin Brigham, Mike Reynolds and Lucas Introna, the study investigated the wider impact of learning on executive education participants from its International Masters Programme for Managers (IMPM). The researchers surveyed 76 participants from over 600 alumni who had studied between 2000-2019, asking them to consider the personal, professional and organisational impacts the program may have had.

The results show that a third of managers surveyed not only benefitted academically, but noted a significant personal change beyond professional expectations including widening their perspectives, elevating their confidence and engagement with complexity:

“Participants showed a real personal and professional change which they also brought back to their organisations, with some accounts of more empathetic and ethical business practices. Unlike most programs we’ve focus on the management education philosophy within the classroom. Changing what managers do in practice back in their workplace starts with changing how they are educated and learn,” highlights Dr Brigham, Worldwide Academic Director for the IMPM.

The IMPM cohort provided a global snapshot of management and self-development attitudes. Founded by management icon Professor Henry Mintzberg at McGill University, and soon to welcome its 25th cohort, the IMPM has become internationally recognised for transforming the practice of management around the world by bringing a global class of experienced managers, accomplished executives and entrepreneurs together to explore the latest management thinking and challenge their pre-existing ideas and broaden their perspectives new insights.

The program is taught across five partner universities: Lancaster University in the UK, McGill University in Canada, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in India. Yokohoma National University in Japan, and at FGV-EBAPE in Brazil. Central to the teaching of the IMPM is the concept of ‘life-wide learning’; enabling managers to become proficient in a complex variety beyond the functions and disciplines that make up modern business practice. Whilst life-long learning promotes self-development throughout time, life-wide learning seeks to develop meaningful insight and connections across business, personal and organisations, and society.

“Reflection is a core thread of the program. It is not something that happens in solitude or exile – it is something that can be stirred and encouraged through peer collaboration, shared experiences emphasising the context of action, immersive roundtable dialogue, and interaction with a diversity organisations and different places around the world,” emphasises Dr Brigham. “What our study showed is that executive education, life-wide learning, and the reflection that is necessary for both leaves not only lasting positive personal and professional impacts, but adds to businesses too. At a time is significant business uncertainty, this is the future of serious and thoughtful management education and learning – business education impacts what managers do in practice, the concepts they draw on that shape the future of business so what is taught and how it is taught becomes of a vital responsibility for business schools.”

Indeed, the study found that not only did the program’s participants benefit directly from pursuing further management education, but their companies also found advantages through opportunities to upskill their middle managers and staff across the organisation. Uniquely, responses showed many participants as alumni are empowered to create tailored internalised development programs for their own executives and teams based on their study experiences, with the support of the IMPM faculty.

Organisations including CoachingOurselves in Canada, the Alliance for Public Health in Ukraine, and the Brazilian National Development Bank, were each discovered to have developed programmes based upon IMPM learning to further support and develop their staff.

One participant, who studied whilst working as the HRD of the Brazilian National Development Bank, reported creating their own ‘mini-IMPM’ at the company, which created “the only forum where from where people from different functions and hierarchical levels can meet to reflect on common and professional challenges. This innovation had significant organisational impact creating internal cohesion and a shared vision of challenges and opportunities.”

As well as the professional gains, IMPM participants also noted “significant personal development” as a result of learning with a highly diverse set of professionals, and a better understanding of varying social, cultural and technological mindsets.

Another participant, who completed the IMPM whilst holding the role of COO at Ameco in China said that despite” participating in various management development programs during their professional career, none of them created a fundamental personal transition in the way that IMPM did.”

Dr Brigham says;

“The insights we’ve uncovered highlight exactly why it’s so important for businesses not only to consider encouraging their staff to pursue life-wide learning opportunities, but to also explore such opportunities outside of their company, or even their industry. The benefits of gaining from the knowledge, cultural background, immersive experience and perspectives found among participants of programmes like the IMPM show that professional development goes beyond gaining qualifications. Executive Education can provide the best of both worlds for better management education and practice worldwide.”

To learn more, visit https://impm.org/

News

Lucian Hudson appointed Professor in Practice at Durham University Business School

Lucian Hudson, Director of Advancement, Marketing and Communications, has been appointed as a Professor in Practice at Durham University Business School.

Professor in Practice appointments are given to high-achieving, non-academic professionals who are invited to voluntarily share their knowledge with students through special lectures, presentations and seminars. Lucian, who joined the University in 2020, has an exceptional track-record in communications and leadership.

Professor Cathy Cassell, Executive Dean of the Business School, said: “We are delighted that Lucian Hudson is joining the Business School as a Professor in Practice. Lucian brings an exceptional wealth of experience in leadership and communication that will enhance our already considerable expertise in this field. We are excited to be working with Lucian and the positive impact his contribution will make across our education, research and external engagement practice.”

Lucian will continue to lead the University’s Advancement activities, overseeing marketing, communications and development to further Durham’s global reputation and influence.

About Lucian

London-born Lucian graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

In his early career he was a pioneering journalist and television executive at the forefront of developing 24-hour breaking news coverage.

He worked for both ITV and the BBC where he established commercial joint venture channels with international broadcasters.

Lucian went on to work in the UK Government, leading communications in several high-profile departments including the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice and DEFRA.

He attended summits and ministerial meetings as the Government’s chief spokesman, engaging with media and multiple stakeholders across politics, business and civic society.

Lucian has extensive experience of international and national decision-making, business transformation and crisis management.

He is also an experienced board chair and currently holds high-profile chairman roles including at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and Earthwatch.

Lucian spent seven years as Director of Communications at the Open University. He joined Durham after serving as Interim Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the University of Oxford where he led strategic change, overseeing integrated communications across multi-disciplinary teams.

Professor in Practice role

Lucian will be a Professor in Practice (Leadership and Organisations) for the Department of Management and Marketing in our Business School.

His appointment will initially run for three years and will see him contribute his time and expertise at our Centre for Leadership and Followership and Centre for Organisations and Society.

Lucian will contribute to the Business School’s teaching agenda in the areas of human resource management, employment relations, leadership, strategic policy and marketing and communications.

Commenting on his Professor in Practice appointment, Lucian said: “I am honoured to be conferred with this role. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with our business students.

“I will draw on my four decades of extensive experience of strategic communications and corporate leadership to contribute to the world-class student experience at Durham.”

Events, International News, News, Space, Tech

SUTUS 2022: First space hotel and Cousteau’s International Ocean Station to be explored at the world’s largest space and underwater tourism summit

The first space hotel planned for 2027 and the International Ocean Station which aims to be operational by 2026 are among the projects being presented at SUTUS 2022, the world’s largest space and underwater tourism event.

From 28-30 September, SUTUS – the Space & Underwater Tourism Universal Summit – will bring together prestigious institutions and international stakeholders for the third edition of this pioneering conference at Les Roches Marbella.

Taking place in a hybrid format, with the first day in person and two other virtual days, SUTUS has positioned itself as the benchmark forum for the world’s main space agencies. Last year it attracted NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and these organisations return alongside the International Space University, Space Tourism Society and Swiss Space Tourism.

More than 30 companies will also be present to update on the progress of their initiatives. These include Orbital Assembly, the first hotel with accommodation for tourists in space; Axiom Space, which aims to create cities in space; SpaceVIP, dedicated to “space literacy” and inspiring the next generation of private astronauts; and the Space Tourism Society, focused on “commercialising” the growing range of space experiences (real spaceflight, movies, games and even virtual worlds). Nancy Vermeulen, private astronaut trainer at the Space Training Academy, and retired astronaut commander Susan Kilrain, who will reflect on her experience beyond planet Earth, also feature.

Meanwhile, the still unexplored marine world will be evoked by international speakers such as Fabien Cousteau (grandson of famous undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau) and his International Ocean Station; Aaron Olivera, founder and CEO of Earth 300, a global environmental and science project created in a futuristic superyacht whose main objective is to combat climate change; and Scott Waters, president of Pisces VI Submarine, who will talk about diving tourism in the Canary Islands.

The creation of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) is the main theme of the Spanish presence at this annual event. Álvaro Giménez Cañete, Special Delegate for AEE, will present the action plan for this new organisation, whose headquarters a dozen cities, including Seville, Tres Cantos (Madrid), Teruel, León, Puertollano (Ciudad Real), and the Canary Islands are currently vying to host.

In addition, SUTUS will welcome renowned speakers such as underwater archaeologist Carlota Pérez Reverte, aspiring ESA astronauts Carmen García-Roger and Jorge Pla-García, and Spanish companies in the space race including Green Moon Project, which is working towards space agriculture and habitability; and Zero 2 Infinity, a company that develops high-altitude balloons to provide access to the area around space and the low-Earth orbit using a capsule and launcher transported by balloons.

Organised by Les Roches Marbella with Medina Media Events, the event will host a demonstration area on campus where representatives of each company participating will be able to present their tourism-related projects, thus opening up the experience to all those visiting the school’s facilities. Virtual attendees and registered companies can follow all sessions via streaming and schedule video meetings with other participants and speakers, as well as visit exclusive online demos. All details, along with the agenda and registration for the three days, are now available at www.sutusummit.com.

Carlos Díez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, said: “We are delighted that we have managed to bring the best agencies and representatives of the most exciting projects in the world to this congress, the most important in the world in the discussion of tourism in the two borders that we have over our heads and under our feet.”

Luxury tourism in Europe, which focuses on the cosmos and water, is worth between 130,000 and 170,000 million euros a year, 22% of the sector’s total income, according to consultancy firm Bain & Company. Last year saw the beginning of a revolution in the history of the cosmos, when Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, flew his rocket to an altitude of 106km for ten minutes, ushering in the era of commercial space travel. The search for both original and personalised experiences is propelling the future of luxury tourism towards new destinations, reaffirming the entrenchment of premium tourism across the world.

Climate, Education, Education News, News, Sustainability

Students at NEOMA Business School start the new year with a focus on the “Sustainable Transition”

Sustainability and our response to climate change is becoming increasingly urgent. As a result, business schools have a responsibility to give their students a thorough understanding about the complexity of these issues.

This is why, at the start of this academic year, more than 1,000 Master in Management (MiM) students at NEOMA Business School attended a crucial event on “Sustainable Transition”.

Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the three-day seminar gave a platform to international experts from a range of fields. Discussions focused on overcoming the challenges that stand in the way of making businesses more sustainable.

Through lectures, interactive sessions, and round table discussions, students were able to benefit from the expertise of scientists and business leaders.

Guest speakers included Dr. Adina Revol, Spokesperson for the European Commission in France, and Jeremie Fosse, Co-founder and President of Eco-Union, an independent think tank on matters of environmental sustainability.

On the third day, students engaged in a simulation exercise, putting concepts discussed on the first two days into practice. Arranged in groups, they had to negotiate and make decisions with a view to keeping global temperatures below a 2oC increase by 2100.

Ultimately, the event was a unique and powerful way for students to further their understanding of how climate change will affect all aspects of society, as expressed by Diana Mangalagiu, Associate Professor at NEOMA and organiser of the event:

“We are confident that the knowledge acquired during this seminar will enable students to take informed positions on the way forward in response to the climate crisis.”

Business, Education, Education News, News

ESCP Business School’s Master in Management ranked fifth worldwide by the Financial Times

Out of the 100 institutions ranked by the Financial Times in 2022, ESCP Business School earned fifth place worldwide for its Master in Management programme, climbing two places from the previous year.

With campuses across Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw, ESCP’s European approach is celebrated in both our global performance as well as our outstanding achievements across the ranking criteria.

As part of the programme, students are required to study at a minimum of two of ESCP’s six campuses. Thanks to this unique structure and our network of partner universities around the world, the school ranked fourth in the International Course Experience category.

The international dimension of our Master in Management programme is also reflected in the makeup of our student cohort (94% international students) and our faculty (86% international faculty). We are confident that this multicultural, multi-campus experience prepares our students for today’s workplace, as evident from the fact that 99% of our students are employed within three months post graduation.

Professor Cécile Kharoubi, Associate Dean for the Master in Management programme, commented: “Positioning within the top five worldwide makes us very proud of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Institutions are made of people, and our high position in this very competitive ranking shows the merits of our attention to personal development, including cultivating a communicative, innovative, and critical thinking mindset in our students.”

Professor Léon Laulusa, Executive Vice-President and Dean for Academic and International Affairs, said: “We are delighted to see ESCP’s Master in Management programme ranked so highly on a global scale, reflecting our strong international presence in business education as well as the multicultural experience offered as part of this programme. Embracing differences is at the core of our mission to educate against indifference. A mission perhaps more important now than ever before.”

The ESCP Master in Management begins each September.

Education, News, North of England

Durham University Business School achieves five-year EQUIS re-accreditation

Durham University Business School has been awarded a five-year extension to its accreditation from EQUIS – the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.

The re-accreditation places Durham University Business School on a high-calibre shortlist of UK institutions to secure such recognition. There are fewer than 21 UK schools which have received EQUIS’ “Gold Standard” of five years’ accreditation status, and less than 55 institutions in the rest of Europe.

Professor Kieran Fernandes, Interim Executive Dean of Durham University Business School, said;

“The re-accreditation is testimony to our position as a leading international business school, with excellence across our key strategic areas of research, education and student experience.”

The extension of the Business School’s accreditation, which was last awarded in 2017, was confirmed following a comprehensive assessment by EQUIS, which took place in March 2022. The accreditation focuses on evaluating the balance between academic quality and professional relevance, with particular importance placed on the development of students’ managerial and entrepreneurial skills, and the School’s ability to provide opportunities and connections to the business world.

The Peer Review Team recognised that Durham University Business School has upheld the high standards that were acknowledged by EQUIS in 2017, and identified a number of areas where the School’s performance has exceeded the required standards.  These include:

  • The embedding of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability across its programme portfolio – an objective which sits close to the heart of the School’s ethos,
  • The provision of student support and counselling services,
  • The quality and internationalisation of faculty members,
  • The impact of research, with international research leadership also clearly evident

The Peer Review Team also commended the School’s staff and students for their engagement with the wider community through a wide variety of outreach activities and public service initiatives.

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden at Durham University, said;

“This is a wonderful achievement and a credit to all our colleagues in the Business School. The re-accreditation from EQUIS comes at an exciting time for Durham, where we are looking to enhance our strengths as a leading University renowned for the excellence and impact of its research, the quality of its education and student support, and the richness of its student experience.”

Durham University Business School has a substantial track record in providing internationally recognised degree programmes and MBAs. It has been ranked within the European Top 50 Schools by the Financial Times in 2021, as well as its Online MBA programme being placed 7th in the world by the Financial Times earlier this year. In addition, the School is also ranked 2nd in the UK and 37th in the world in The Economist Which MBA Ranking 2022.

Within the three departments of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Management and Marketing, the School’s research spans a broad range of timely and important topics, such as accountability, economic and sustainable development, cyber security, energy and environmental economics, international business, entrepreneurship, consumer research and supply chains, among others.

It’s commitment to supporting outstanding research was most recently demonstrated in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), a UK-wide assessment of university research.

 

About Durham University Business School

Durham University Business School is part of Durham University, one of the oldest established universities in the UK and is one of an elite group of business schools in the UK to hold triple accreditation. Triple accreditation, or the “Triple Crown”, is only achieved by a select few of the best business schools in Europe. Durham University Business School has the privilege of being accredited by the three most important accreditation organisations AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), AMBA (Association of MBAs) and EFMD/EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System).

The School offers a range of acclaimed programmes and attracts considerable levels of external research funding, enjoying extensive links within both the business and academic worlds. The School is also an internationally renowned research-led institution with a network of over 36,000 alumni from more than 140 countries.

The School is a top 50 European Business School, as confirmed once again by the most recent Financial Times ranking in December 2021. Last month, The Economist Which MBA also ranked Durham 67th globally and 2nd in the UK for the most recent ranking of the flagship Full Time MBA programme. Within this ranking, for the key domain of ‘Personal development and Educational experience’ Durham placed 10th globally and 1st in the UK. For ‘Student quality’ Durham ranked 4th globally and were also 1st in the UK.

For more information on Durham University Business School visit: www.dur.ac.uk/business

 

About EQUIS

EQUIS is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.

EQUIS is run by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and its fundamental objective, linked to the mission of the EFMD, is to raise the standard of management education worldwide.