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BGA: 60 member Business Schools within five months of launch

Less than six months on from its launch, the Business Graduates Association (BGA), sister organisation to the Association of MBAs (AMBA), has developed a membership of 60 Business Schools in 20 countries, with one School having commenced the BGA validation process and a further five working towards BGA accreditation.

BGA: 60 member Business Schools within five months of launch

AMBA & BGA Global Conference 2019

BGA launched in January 2019 with the mission to be the leading global movement in business education for responsible management, positive impact and lifelong learning.

Business Schools continue to face tremendous challenges and BGA believes it can play a significant part in helping them to address these challenges by providing Business Schools, as well as their students and graduates, high-quality guidance for self-improvement and continuous learning.

BGA rests its expertise and bases its key principles on more than 50 years of experience from AMBA, which accredits the top 2% of MBA programmes in the world, as well as drawing on its network of industry professionals who have decades of experience in business and education.

The international business environment is changing at an unprecedented pace, and this dynamic backdrop calls for ‘future-proof’ business talent – that is, leaders and managers who are ready to tackle the needs of the economy, both today and tomorrow. It also provides a unique opportunity for Business Schools in terms of creating, nurturing and developing leaders.

Business Schools play a vital role in preparing students for future employment by giving them the technical tools and skills to succeed in their professional lives. And while this is a vital aspect of a Business School, BGA believes that Schools also need to focus on the personal growth of their students. This includes cultivating students’ social skills, ethical behaviour, self-confidence, and humility, all of which form the foundation of socially conscious and responsible leaders.

Recognising the need for innovation in the industry, BGA has launched quality assurance processes, validation and accreditation with the aim of supporting Business Schools to direct their attention to the impact they have on a range of activities that will aid growth and develop students, faculty, programme design, and ultimately, overall value creation.

This trailblazing network offers Business Schools the opportunity to profoundly increase their impact on students and the economy, improve their programmes and teaching methods, and play a considerable role in redefining the future of business education.

BGA’s mission is to ensure that Business Schools innovate and venture beyond conventional means of teaching. The impact and results of that teaching are stressed in our quality assurance process – the Continuous Impact Model (CIM) – which is structured to ensure Business Schools are continually seeking to improve and evolve their delivery to meet the latest demands of the economy.

BGA has already launched a magazine (Business Impact) and online webinar series, hosted three capacity-building workshops in China to enhance faculty development, and co-hosted a global conference for Business School Deans and Directors in association with AMBA.

As the organisation continues to grow and develop momentum, its plans for the coming six months are equally as exciting.  

The next phase of its rollout will comprise the launch of a free membership proposition for the students of Business Schools in the BGA network. This will include a toolkit for lifelong learning via; webinars and exclusive thought leadership content, networking events, partner offers, and a career development centre.

BGA will deliver regional conferences in Latin America and Asia Pacific in conjunction with AMBA, to support learning and Business School development, and the Business School Professionals Conference, the latter of which is focused on improving staff knowledge and best industry practice. In the longer term, there are plans for further workshops tailored to Business School decision makers in China and Russia.

Andrew Main Wilson, CEO of AMBA & BGA, said: ‘Geographically, we will encourage membership from some of the world’s most established Business Schools through to inspirational Business Schools in some of the world’s most underdeveloped countries, which can demonstrate evidence that they are making a real difference to the future of their countries’ economies.’

Professor Bodo B Schlegelmilch, Chair of AMBA & BGA, added: ‘The complexity of today’s environment demands that Business Schools tackle questions which transcend their traditional profit focus: what are the characteristics of responsible management practices? Which role can business play in solving pressing social issues? How can business contribute to achieving sustainability? How can entrepreneurship foster the development of communities? And how can managers best be enticed to embrace lifelong learning?

It is the mission of the Business Graduates Association to encourage Business Schools and their graduates to go beyond traditional topics and include societal impact metrics in their teaching. I am confident that the BGA can be an important “force for good”.’ 

For more information about BGA please go to: www.businessgraduatesassociation.com.

To learn more about BGA institutional membership, and how to join our founding member group, please go to: https://businessgraduatesassociation.com/membership/        

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