AACSB Highlights 24 Business Schools Elevating Diversity and Inclusion

Tampa, Fla., USA (April 5, 2022)—Today, AACSB International (AACSB)—the world’s largest business education alliance—announces 24 business schools highlighted in its Innovations That Inspire member spotlight program.  

This annual program recognizes institutions from around the world that serve as champions of change in the business education landscape. In 2022, the highlights feature efforts to elevate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Emphasis on DEIB is a key feature of AACSB’s 2020 business accreditation standards and the focus of a recently released positioning paper. The paper illustrates AACSB’s commitment to equitable access to high-quality business education globally and calls on the business education community to embed the tenets of DEIB into its strategies and cultures.  

The featured innovations address challenges and opportunities across academia, businesses and workplaces, and communities. Examples include: 

• The Egypt Women on Boards Observatory: Founded by a consortium initiated by the American University in Cairo School of Business, the effort supports the national objective of having women compose 30 percent of public and private company boards in Egypt by 2030.  
• The Australian Digital Inclusion Index from Swinburne University of Technology’s School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship—Centre for Social Impact: This multiyear project that documents digital inclusion in Australia by both geography and demography is the only comprehensive index of its kind. 

• IE Business School’s LGBT+@Work: Delivered by IE Business School students, the conference is the longest running of its kind in Europe and is now a global event reaching more than 2,000 participants. 
• Florida State University’s Workforce Inclusion course: Within the College of Business, this transformative course prepares students to both accommodate and integrate persons with varying abilities into the workforce.  

“Progress toward more welcoming, inclusive spaces requires action, and the highlights of the 2022 Innovations That Inspire initiative demonstrate leadership in this important effort,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, AACSB president and CEO. “Through collaborations—among business schools, businesses, and communities—we will create a strong global society and equip leaders for positive impact.” 

Now in its seventh year, the Innovations That Inspire initiative has highlighted nearly 200 business school efforts that exemplify forward-looking approaches to education, research, community engagement or outreach, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Support for the 2022 Innovations That Inspire member spotlight program is provided by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). 

More insights and examples are available at aacsb.edu/innovations-that-inspire.