NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

“Intersections of Business Education and Economic Development,” the 2017 GBSN Conference in Washington D.C., will focus on the innovative and interdisciplinary ways business schools are collaborating with academia, businesses, NGOs and the public sector to advance economic development and expand opportunities.

Conference participants will examine the role business schools play in economic and social development, and assess the evolution of education in the face of recent world events, discussing questions such as:

How have Business Schools integrated social and environmental issues into their curriculums?

What are the cross-sectorial initiatives within business education that drive or reinforce economic development?

How are schools responding to fears of the perceived impact of globalization?

Sessions at the GBSN Conference will address these questions and many more, highlighting opportunities and challenges in the areas of the five sub-themes:

1. Collaboration/Interdiciplinarity

Focusing on inter-academic collaboration and integrated approaches to business education that foster stronger technical skills and broader perspectives in graduates.

2. Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Presenting successful PPP models that facilitate long-term economic development.

3. Sustainability and the UN Global Goals

Highlighting how business and management institutions are working towards creating a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable world.

4. Impact Measures

Revisiting how we measure outcomes and successes in business and economic development.

5. Globalization/Localization?

Analyzing the dilemma of global and local strategies and the implications for the sectors of education, business and development.