AACSB Advocates for Business Schools to Innovate and Lead Boldly With New Value Proposition

Tampa, Fla., USA (April 24, 2023)— AACSB International (AACSB) released a position paper and innovation guide outlining a new value proposition for business schools. The paper inspires schools to “lead boldly” and collaborate with businesses and across disciplines as they prepare the next generation of global leaders. Within the report, AACSB highlights the value that business schools deliver and the many ways they positively impact their universities, businesses, the economy, and society.

The paper is the result of an in-depth analysis of business and lifelong learner needs as well as market drivers impacting the business education ecosystem. Through six key themes, business schools are called to:

• Ensure equitable access to high-quality business education and networks
• Empower problem-solvers to innovate and transform business
• Create timely curricula and credentials that respond to the speed of business
• Deploy learning methods and delivery that adapt to learner needs
• Pursue knowledge creation with impact on business and society
• Develop societal impact leaders for positive change

"Business education, and higher education, are going through monumental shifts right now, and business schools are well positioned to elevate the value they deliver while responding to the evolving needs of business,” said McRae C. Banks, chair of the AACSB Board of Directors and dean of the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. “Business schools are incubators of new knowledge and provide students with the analytical and problem-solving skills needed for business innovation.”

To help navigate this change, AACSB has created a framework to help schools assess their competencies, opportunities, and partnerships, and discover how they can lead boldly in areas that further differentiate themselves in the markets they serve.

"Our world needs agile leaders now more than ever,” said Alex Triantis, vice chair-chair elect of the AACSB Board of Directors, chair of the AACSB Innovation Committee, and dean of John Hopkins Carey Business School. “As business schools continue to innovate to meet stakeholder expectations, it’s important that they share their knowledge and insights while providing equitable educational access to lifelong learners who aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs.”

To learn more about the ways business schools can lead boldly, please visit Let’s Lead Boldy: Elevating the Value of Business Schools and download the AACSB report, Pathways to Innovation: An Exploratory Guide for Business Schools.

About AACSB International

Established in 1916, AACSB International (AACSB) is the world’s largest business education alliance, connecting educators, learners, and business to create the next generation of great leaders. With members in over 100 countries and territories, AACSB fosters engagement, accelerates innovation, and amplifies impact in business education. Learn how AACSB and business schools from around the world are leading boldly in business education at aacsb.edu.