On Wednesday, 27 November 2019, SolBridge was pleased to host Dr. Salvador Carmona, Dean of Faculty Affairs and Rector of IE University, Spain, for a Platinum Lecture on the changing business model of Business Schools.

With the growing and dynamic nature of business schools, Dr. Carmona shared the historical context and characteristics of business schools in comparison to the current model of business schools including location – in the past most of the business schools were predominantly located in the USA; MBA focused with a stakeholder approach to teaching hard skills like finance and consultancy. The current model of business schools is changing to incorporate broad competencies with a focus on critical thinking, soft skills, ethics and entrepreneurship. “These are the necessary skills needed to be a global leader,” he said.

Using statistics, he shared the current trends of business schools in regards to student mobility – highlighting the shift and increase in student mobility to Europe as opposed to the USA; the decrease in MBA student applications in the USA due to the rising number of specialized master degrees, affordable online courses and schools around the world attracting students from their own regions. With the change in business school models, Dr. Carmona stressed the importance of having research-based faculty that generates knowledge to anticipate the mode of thinking for the next generation.

New opportunities available for business schools include the growing offering of STEM-based programs, job placements and the need to boost strategic actions such as blended learning, and the diversification of program portfolios taking into account the technology and sustainability aspects of higher education.

During the Q and A session concluding the lecture, students shared their curiosity concerning potential career paths for business graduates, asked questions about the future of online education business schools as well as the challenge to start a business versus permanent employment. 

Well versed in management and accounting control, management structures and the implementation of ERPs, Dr. Carmona is particularly interested in giving students a very holistic view of topics such as performance indicators and what drives changes in management accounting systems.