Page 11 - Global Focus, Issue 2, 2018

Business education: international learning '4.0' | Anna Blombäck, Yvonne Carlisle, Andrew Gaudes and Ulrich Hommel

In the 4.0 world, business schools will be
required to bring the global marketplace
into the “classroom” and encourage
students to explore the challenges and
intricacies of doing business overseas

education increases; at the same time, the access As a result, virtual mobility will allow students
to that education (whether it be in an academic to engage in a different form of discourse, enabling
or non-academic environment) will become more the development of a global perspective that
ubiquitous. credibly extends beyond mature markets. It will also
More fundamentally, our proposition for a more foster the students’ reflective ability to understand
activity-focused experiential approach to managing how society is impacted by business decisions.
international learning is also a response to a The Industry 4.0 transformation delivers
potentially radical shift in future global education challenges as well as opportunities for business
requirements. schools operating in a global context. With regard
Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, for to international learning, business schools will
example, framed this challenge at the 2018 World need to ensure an international exposure for all
Economic Forum, arguing that education needs their students.
to shift away from communicating knowledge, The virtualisation of learning with emerging
towards developing skill sets and abilities that technologies will help to break down the economic,
foster and complement new technologies and intellectual and emotional barriers that have so far
expanding global processes. prevented students from acquiring immersive
This revised focus of management education experiences.
demands new thought, not only with regard to It will be an exciting experience for everybody
curriculum design but also with a focus on faculty involved in management education.
training and composition. The translation of
theoretical knowledge to learning in practice The authors have benefitted from discussions
is not intuitive. Likewise, specialised professors with participants of the Executive Academy
with strong academic records but limited of EFMD Global Network, Miami 2017
practical experience are not necessarily the best
facilitators of cross-cultural learning.
The virtual bridging of geographical distance About the Authors
will play an important role in encompassing Anna Blombäck is the Associate Dean of Education at Jönköping
ethics, responsibility and sustainability more International Business School of Jönköping University, Sweden
broadly into a student’s learning experience. Yvonne Carlisle is the Head of the Human Resource Management Department
and Head of International Affairs at Nottingham Business School,
Student cohorts are now encouraged to practise Nottingham Trent University, UK
managerial decision-making in physically Andrew Gaudes is the Dean of the Goodman School of Business of Brock
distant and geographically dispersed project University, Canada
management activities. Ulrich Hommel is the Director of Business School Development at EFMD
Global Network, Switzerland
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