Strengthening partnership ties: EFMD Deans and Directors conference
As a leading triple crown-accredited business school, the School of Management continues to engage with the accredited business school community. The school was prominent at this years EFMD Deans and Directors conference, with Professor Zahir Irani (Dean) and Professor Amir Sharif (Associate Dean, International) of the Faculty of Management and Law attending the annual conference held at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany 25th -26th January.
Deans get digital
Noting the theme of the conference, Deans get Digital, Professor Irani noted the importance that business schools should place in understanding, using and developing a culture shift based upon a digital agenda. “Business schools – especially those that are accredited – need to share and transfer knowledge on how knowledge is created and shared within and across organisations. In doing so, however, we also need to be aware of the opportunities as well as risks and threats that digital technologies provide in the future workplace and in society in general. Developing a shared view of this amongst our business school peers and colleagues is vital.”
A leading accreditation body
EFMD (the European Foundation for Management Development), is a leading accreditation body that provides a range of management education accreditations - including EQUIS, EPAS, EDAF and EOCCS - to both academic as well as commercial organisations.
Stimulating contributions and talks
The conference was hosted by the School of Management at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in their central Munich campus, housed in the ultra post-modern “Auditorium Maximum” building.
There was a range of stimulating contributions and talks including those from EFMD, the Drucker Society, Google, Siemens, McKinsey & Co., and a series of workshop and facilitated breakout sessions lead by leading business school Deans and Directors from across the USA, Europe and Asia.
"An essential part of the EFMD / EQUIS network"
Professor Amir Sharif, Associate Dean (International), highlighted the diversity of leading business school colleagues: “Accreditation conferences such as EFMD provide a unique opportunity to discuss and set the agenda for management education. Being able to meet, connect and reaffirm partnership ties and future collaboration opportunities with peers, as well as partner organisations is an essential part the EFMD / EQUIS network.”
Professor Irani and Professor Sharif met with several Deans such as Prof. du Charlat of Audencia Business School (with whom Bradford has a deep and successful relationship in terms of the MSc in European and International Business Management) as well as Prof. Jawad Syed of the Suleiman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS).
