Competition between business schools compete is changing. Those institutions which can demonstrate their positive influence on society are increasingly able to stand out from the crowd, in the eyes of prospective students, employers, and other stakeholders.
Business Impact set out to learn more and share examples of how business schools across the global BGA network are striving to make a positive impact on their graduates, communities, and the natural environment.
This article considers how business schools are making a positive impact on their alumni. Interviewee respondents represent business schools in France, Japan, Egypt, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada.Â
How is your Business School working to make a positive impact on the lives of your alumni in the years after their graduation?
Sherif Kamel, Dean, The American University in Cairo School of Business: Alumni are an integral part of the School’s identity. They are regularly invited to participate in a variety of academic and social events. This gives them a sense of belonging and grants them unique networking opportunities, both locally and internationally, through the university’s various alumni chapters around the world.
For example, the School’s EMBA graduates were recently invited to join sessions with a visiting EMBA class from Antwerp Management School who were on a study tour hosted by the School.
Nicola Jackman, Head of Academics, Geneva Business School: Our alumni community is one of our most important stakeholders. In addition to tools, services and events that support our alumni network, we also collaborate with alumni-generated projects and initiatives. We also support our alumni through social media campaigns, interviews, and access to our stakeholder database, among others.
Some of our most successful projects include our alumni mentoring programme, where doubts regarding management, leadership, HR, marketing or finance/economic-related issues can be addressed at a personal level. Our alumni are also engaged in mentoring existing students, an initiative that has been widely accepted by all parties.
Kenji Yokoyama, Dean of External Relations, NUCB Business School: There are 14 networks under our alumni association. The mission of the networks is the continuous development of their careers. Most of our alumni belong to one or two [of these networks]. They meet regularly to exchange information and help each other develop their careers in their chosen fields.
Yasmina Kashouh, DBA candidate at Ascencia Business School and Faculty Member at Collège de Paris International: Collège de Paris has created a dedicated employment service (reserve digitale) which collects and distributes employment opportunities. In addition, alumni are constantly invited to contribute and attend masterclasses and scientific colloquiums. They are also offered continuous education programmes.
Steven De Haes, Dean, Antwerp Management School: For recent graduates, our Career Management Service is always available to offer coaching and advice for entry or re-entry in the labour market, as well as for personal advice for future career development. A dedicated alumni platform enables the exchange of business ideas, as well as career opportunities. Alumni are regularly invited to [attend] online or on-campus presentations and networking activities, where they can discover recent business ideas.
One special type of such activities are ‘come-back’ days, which are mostly organised per degree programme. These consist of a series of lectures and debates where both current students and alumni explore recent developments, and their practical implications, in their degree’s subject area.
This article originally appeared in the print edition (May 2022-July 2022) of Business Impact, magazine of the Business Graduates Association (BGA).
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