MBA Programs and the New Global World
The MBA remains one of today's most popular degree programs not only in the U.S., but internationally as well. Although the MBA helps students develop leadership and technical skills in a variety of disciplines, it is also a degree that many believe should be able to teach individuals how to adapt to political, social, and economic issues. Says Professor Piet Naude, director of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School in a recent Times Live article, "Today's context can change tomorrow, so an even more valuable skill business schools can impart is an ability to interpret the environment and translate that into business strategies."
After a tour of top business schools in Europe, Professor Naude saw a changing landscape--with ethics and sustainability moving to the core of business school curriculum, and a growing need for leaders with the ability to handle in-depth global issues.
The MBA and a Global Economy
Working in mult-national, global economy is forcing schools to rethink the focus of their curriculum. The article also notes that as the economy shifts from west to east, new thinking is taking hold. Says Professor Nick Binedell, founding director and Sasol chairman of strategic management of the Gordon Institute of Business Science, "An issue that is gathering momentum...is the dynamics of globalisation." Binedell focuses on China, India, and Africa specifically--"[T]hey constitute 50% of the world's population and we need to pay serious attention to how these dynamic markets are shaping the global economy and what that means over the long run."
