Business roundtables took place in Cologne, São Paulo, and Paris.
At global roundtables, B-school deans discuss models for business education and the impact of globalization
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 2, 2006
CONTACT: Kim Keating - 603-646-2733
HANOVER, N.H.—Deans from business schools in China, Europe, Latin America, and the United States recently gathered for a series of roundtable meetings to discuss the differences in international models of business education and the impact of globalization on their industry. The three roundtables were hosted and moderated by Paul Danos, dean of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and they took place in May of 2005 in Cologne, Germany; in November of 2005 in São Paulo, Brazil; and in May of 2006 in Paris, France.
"Globalization is changing business education just as surely as it has changed international business," says Danos. "These roundtable discussions have been a valuable tool for comparing regional business school models and ensuring that our MBA programs reflect the realities of the modern marketplace."
Sixteen deans and senior faculty members, seven business education reporters, and a handful of education consultants and professional development executives from top corporations joined together for the three sessions, which ranged in size from seven to ten participants.
At the meetings the deans discussed the unique traits of each region's business education system, compared them with other international models, and discussed the impact of globalization on business schools. In Germany, the discussion focused on the Bologna Accord, which has established a model and standards for higher education in Europe; in Brazil participants discussed how Brazilian schools differ from the U.S. and European models in their standards, curriculum, and degree of focus on faculty research; and in France, the deans talked about how the implementation of the Bologna Accord is converging business education systems across country borders and how market forces are prompting some convergence in issues like experience requirements, faculty models, and business school financing.
Specific experiences and issues ranged from one region to the next, but all three discussions reported that globalization is influencing the curriculum and strategy of today's business schools. Particularly in Europe and China, deans reported that international political entities and NGOs are affecting business education through standards and accreditation. The also noted that market forces are bringing schools closer to corporate partners and highlighting the importance of faculty research. As prospective students consider schools across country borders, top schools must show that their faculty can compete not just within their region but also with schools from around the globe to attract top talent.
- Roundtable in Germany: A concern among some deans was, as Alfred Kieser of Mannheim University said, that the Bologna Accord was "initiated by government, by the European ministers who agreed in Bologna to change the system; a major goal was to save money." Participants noted that the reforms might decrease dropout rates but weren't sure that broad standards or accreditation would necessarily improve a business education model for graduates of the programs. Derek Abell of the European School of Management and Technology said, "we have got to be extremely careful here in Germany in trying to import bits and pieces of what has seemed to work in the past in the U.S. The world is pressuring for faster changes, [but] at the same time we should not ditch our, let's say, thoroughness." Several speakers, such as Manfred Schwaiger of the Munich Business School, noted some positive reforms coming out of the Bologna Accord as well, such as "transparency and compatibility." [Transcript synopsis]
- Roundtable in Brazil: Antonio Batista of Fundacao Dom Cabral explained that in Brazil "the MBA is not a sanctioned degree. Anyone can use the term MBA and there are no regulations that say what it is." That being said, Claudio Haddad of Ibmec São Paulo pointed out that "the market is slowly recognizing the need for more sophisticated MBAs." While several speakers mentioned that research is not emphasized at many Brazilian schools, they noted that globalization will foster applied research that will be relevant to companies that compete internationally. Of course, just as globalization is bringing some international standards to Brazil, it as also expanding the market available to Brazilian students, leading Heitor Penteado of Business School Sao Paolo to say that "those who want a prestigious faculty go to the U.S.A. for education." [Transcript synopsis]
- Roundtable in France: Santiago Iniguez de Ozono of Instituto de Empresa summed up the thoughts of many participants about the growing cross-border standardization in noting that "Europe is a region of great diversity and we must respect this diversity…. The Bologna process can be considered the equivalent of the Euro in higher education, meaning we have to homogenize not only information and programs from the point of view of the demand but also the side of supply, i.e., professors." Michel Raimbault of HEC pointed out that "if you look at how the Bologna Process is currently being implemented in the different European countries, you see different ways to interpret the so-called standards, and you still have great diversity." Deans and reporters agreed that the ongoing changes in business education models were driven not just by the Bologna Accord, but also by market forces. When asked by Danos whether a PhD will become a requirement to be a full faculty member in Europe, Raimbault pointed to the demands of the market, commenting, "I feel that we have no choice but to require the PhD because of the pressure that every business school will feel if they want to compete internationally." Similarly, Bing Xiang of the Chung Kong Graduate School of Business also credited the market demand for top-caliber faculty for prompting recent policy changes, saying that "the Chinese government just drafted regulation for opening up the education sector to private investment.... We have no choice but to bring in the very best faculty from the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world." [Transcript synopsis]
The roundtables are one piece of Tuck's sustained international outreach in recent years, which includes specific initiatives for Europe, Latin America, and India as well as an ambassador program with representatives in 25 countries.
Founded in 1900, Tuck is the first graduate school of management and consistently ranks among the top business schools worldwide.
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