In case you missed it, Oxford University’s Saïd Business School joined the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM) earlier this month. Calling itself “the leading network of top business schools committed to educating global leaders,” the GNAM was founded by Yale School of Management Dean Edward Snyder in 2012. It counts as its members eight schools in Europe, nine in Asian and the Pacific Islands, five in the Middle East and Africa and seven in the Americas. The recent addition of Oxford’s Saïd brings the total to 29 member schools.
Since its founding five years ago, the Global Network has worked to enhance global learning, inquiry and teamwork at all of its member institutions through a range of initiatives, including a Global Network Week, which lets students at member schools travel to other member school campuses for week-long mini courses. While there, they get to take advantage of the hosting school’s academic expertise and local business connections while also building relationships with other globally minded students from across the Network. To date, more than 3,200 students have participated in Global Network Weeks.
Another Global Network initiative is its Small Network Online Courses (SNOCs). So far, 550 students have benefited from this opportunity to work with faculty and one member school and students from across all the other member schools as part of global virtual teams.
These are but a few of the initiatives championed by the Global Network, and new ones bubble up regularly. For example, a recent “Unconference,” hosted by the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, brought member students together around the topic of entrepreneurship.
Saïd was unanimously approved to become the newest member of GNAM. Member status will afford the school full access to the Global Network’s innovative initiatives, and Oxford Saïd is eager to take part in Global Network Weeks, faculty research initiatives and executive education, all of which will connect its students to world-class institutions around the globe.
“In an increasingly uncertain world and one in which politics is accentuating national boundaries, it is vital to maintain a global perspective,” Saïd Dean Peter Tufano said in a statement. “While we do this in our curriculum and in the composition of our classes, by joining with our new colleagues from across the world, we can build bridges for learning and understanding across cultures and communities.” He added: “The Network is a brilliant initiative to share knowledge and learning across borders and institutions.”
Oxford Saïd has joined, it seems, just in time to take part in some celebrations. GNAM is gearing up for a major conference to mark the fifth anniversary of its founding, to take place in April 2017 and to tackle some imminently timely topics. “Deans and invited guests from all Global Network member schools also will assess the implications of rising economic populism and anti-globalization sentiment for business and management education,” read a recent press release. “The conference will demonstrate the power of networked education by featuring real-time virtual student project work, the results of data gathering across the Network, and jointly developed case studies,” it continued.
GNAM has added nine schools since its founding. Member schools today include Yale School of Management, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, China’s Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, Seoul National University Business School in South Korea, HEC Paris in France, IE Business School in Spain, IMD in Switzerland, Lagos Business School in Nigeria and University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business in South Africa, among many others.
“The Network has progressed from a concept to a proven innovator,” founder Snyder said in a statement. “Having Oxford, a global leader with unmatched intellectual resources, join us will strengthen the Network. We look forward to Oxford Saïd advancing our work on the forefront of management education.”
Click for more information on the Global Network for Advanced Management.
