People and Places: September 2024

New Programs

Porto Business School at the University of Porto in Portugal has announced a new integrated set of executive programs in data science and engineering (DSE) and artificial intelligence. The 12-month programs, which begin in January, will form the foundation of the Data-Driven Business Collection. With the new programs, students acquire skills to create or deepen data-driven businesses, using DSE and AI techniques to analyze business data and support decision-making at any level of organizational management. The collection consists of two Executive Master degrees: one in data science, business analytics, and AI, and one in data science, business intelligence, and AI. The programs will have a common first trimester that provides a general introduction to the two types of approaches, which are then deepened in the second and third trimesters, separately in each program.

The University of the West Indies is introducing a new online graduate school focused on leadership within the context of supporting the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs). Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, the International School for Development Justice was established to respond to the need to educate and empower current and future activists and leaders within the framework of the 17 SDGs. The school will offer five degree fields, including climate studies, sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation, public health and informatics, sustainability and data analysis, and sustainability management. As part of the introductory courses, Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University professor and U.N. advisor, will lead a master class on the SDGs. Applications are currently being accepted for January 2025 admission.

This fall, Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business in South Carolina will launch a condensed certificate program called the MBA Executive Board Learning Series. Presented by the university’s Phyfer Innovation Hub, the series aims to expand Clemson’s impact on professional education in the local community with low-cost microcertificates that address current trends in business. The first installment, which will take place over four weeks, will explore the impact of artificial intelligence in business. The curriculum is designed and led by Joe Gibson, who teaches marketing and entrepreneurship in Clemson’s MBA program and has a professional background working in the corporate world and startup companies.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Business has debuted its undergraduate business analytics major, developed from insights received during a roundtable with the college’s industry partners. Participants, including representatives from Bryan Health, Deloitte, Nelnet, and the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, Inc., agreed there is a substantial need for workers trained in both the foundations of business and the quantitative methods used to support decision-making. The new academic offering aims to meet growing employer demand across every industry for this valuable skillset. Core courses cover topics including decision-making models, predictive analytics, database organization management, and machine learning applications.

The College of Business and the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) have designed a hospitality concentration in the FIU Business DBA program that will begin enrolling students for the spring of 2025. The hospitality DBA concentration is tailored for senior-level professionals who have established themselves in the industry and are looking for advancement or to pursue the next chapter in their careers.

Collaborations

Starting this fall, the Student Success Center at Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS) is partnering with Knack, a peer-to-peer tutoring platform, to offer more flexible tutoring options for students. Students can download the Knack app and receive personalized support, including on weekends, from LSUS peer tutors, who have been recruited, hired, and trained by Knack. Students will signal that they need a tutor in a specific subject, and tutors who have their app notifications turned on will receive that message and can accept the session. The partnership aims to reduce barriers to student success, making it easier for students to balance academics with full-time work, familial obligations, or other responsibilities outside the classroom.

ESCP Business School in France is collaborating with SRW&Co., a management consulting firm, to launch the school’s first ASEAN-specific executive education program, focused on globalization, entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. Taught in English, the Leadership Excellence: Harnessing the Power of Technology and Fine Art program will equip senior ASEAN executives with the knowledge and tools to address both the challenges and opportunities in the region. The five-day program, which will be held at ESCP’s campus in May 2025, is designed to provide business executives with interactive sessions and a collaborative, co-created learning experience with ESCP faculty.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has announced an intention to partner with IBM to create a new AI research and innovation center, which would leverage IBM’s full-stack AI infrastructure and a selection of open-source models to accelerate the university’s research. Based at the NUS School of Computing, the center would serve as an innovation platform for Singapore agencies, academic and research institutions, and companies to jointly conduct cutting-edge AI research. Through their partnership, NUS and IBM hope to develop tools and methodologies that help build trust in AI. The proposed collaboration would also enable the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme, a deep tech entrepreneurship program, together with local startups as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, to gain access to AI accelerator systems that are optimized to tackle increasingly complex tasks.

Chitkara University in India and HDFC Bank recently signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry. The partnership will focus on the co-development of specialized programs that align with current industry needs, ensuring that students are equipped with relevant skills. In addition, the alliance will result in added resource support and coaching for developing and scaling new ventures.

The LINK Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits), in South Africa and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) signed an agreement appointing Wits to the ITU Academy Training Centres Programme. The collaboration is designed to accelerate the development of digital skills and knowledge among policymakers and information and communications technology professionals in the country. Wits joins 12 institutions across the Americas; Asia Pacific; and Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions, including Maastricht University in the Netherlands and Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia.

Grants and Donations

Texas Woman’s University’s College of Business has received a landmark gift from BuzzBallz, a ready-to-drink cocktail company, whose founder and CEO is alumnus Merrilee Kick. The 30 million USD gift will fund an institute focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, an endowed chair, and an entrepreneur-in-residence program, each of which will also bear Kick’s name. The commitment represents the largest gift in the university’s history. Part of the gift will also support the construction of a new facility for the college.

The David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City has received a 12 million USD commitment from Andrea Pignataro, an Italian financier, and his organization, the ION Foundation. The new gift will endow the ION Management Science Lab, which will foster a collaborative environment between industry and academia through anticipated management research projects. The lab will closely collaborate with the existing ION Management Science Lab at Università Bocconi in Milan, Italy.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s School of Business has announced a naming gift from Arvest Bank, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, making Arvest the first company to sponsor a classroom in the Reynolds Business Building. The gift will ensure the classroom remains equipped with the latest innovations and technology for a five-year term. This gift is also part of the Centennial Campaign, the university’s fundraising campaign in celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2027. This campaign pillar focuses on enhancing the living and learning environment to ensure that students learn in an environment that meets their needs and has the latest innovation and technology.

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