Bringing Business and Society Closer - The Next Generation of Business Schools
The 15th edition of the Eduniversal World Convention was held on the grounds of The American University in Cairo School of Business and welcomed over 100 participants from business schools in 32 countries and 37 speakers representing 21 countries around the world.
Participants were engaged in networking, panel discussions, breakout sessions and events on topics on future of business and management education, leading business schools in uncertain times, incorporating SDGs in business curricula, internationalization opportunities in the age of digital transformotation , as well as accelarating and measuring the environmenal and societal impact of business schools.
It was also an occasion to celebrate the academic institutions’ achievements in the 2022 Eduniversal Best Business Schools Ranking in 154 countries/regions and award them with the Eduniversal Palmes of Excellence. The Top 3 Business Schools in each of the 9 geographical zones have received their trophies.
In addition, delegates got a glimpse of the rich Egyptian culture and heritage through well-curated excursions and events that saw them visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, the National Museum for Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), cruise the Nile River, and spend a day of discovery at Fayoum Oasis. The delegates also got a taste of the diverse and rich Egypt heritage and culture through the range of authentic handmade crafts, henna tattoos, musical recitals, folklore dances, and acrobatic shows with a pharaonic twist offered by the talented and dedicated Tawasol Egypt students.
We deeply appreciate you taking the time to participate in the 15th Eduniversal World Convention. We hope that this convention will be memorable for a long time and we look forward to seeing you in 2023!
The Impact of the Eduniversal World Convention
Many of the convention attendees have expressed their thoughts on the convention’s ability to positively impact higher education in business schools worldwide.
Macdonald Kanyangale, acting head of masters’ research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, touched on this stating: “Business schools should create a caliber of students that are catalysts for change, not just within their respective universities but also outside them, in their surrounding societies,” he continued: “Hence, we need to become academics which manifest characteristics of an activist, cultivating a culture of change in our students. I believe that this convention is a driving force towards the future of the business schools in terms of this type of activism.”
Nellie El Enany, associate professor on management at AUC School of Business, also shed light on the importance of the convention from her point of view. “I believe this convention is a great opportunity to bring individuals together from different countries that have vastly different pedagogical perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking,” she also added: “I think that the cultural and institutional diversity encompassed in this convention really enriches each of our own approaches to learning and teaching as educators and informs our outlook on the educational system as a whole as well.”
Remarks on Convention’s Return on Ground
The convention participants have highlighted their enthusiasm towards the convention’s return to the face-to-face modality.
Sudha A Rao, senior manager, Academia programs, ranking, and accreditation, at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, stated: “It is really refreshing being back on ground and engaging with everyone here,” she added: “What happens at these conventions is that you become friends with other attendees, once you become friends it is easy to strike collaboration. I believe this is done more effectively when meeting face-to-face rather than online.”
Similarly, Per Agrell, dean, UC Louvain School of Management, Belgium, illustrated a similar notion to that of Rao. “I believe conventions held online emphasize mainly the content highlighted by the keynote speakers rather than the networking opportunities,” he continued: “I believe that a face-to-face convention has an added benefit as I would get the opportunity to speak with other deans and gain insights on how they tackle certain issues. I would not be able to do this as effectively if the convention was held online.”
“At the convection, we had very interesting exchanges with other faculty members to learn about how other business schools recover the confidence of the students after COVID-19, as well as how we reinvent our operations. I think this is a precious part of having the convention face-to-face this year,” he added.