Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/337193
53 BizEd July/August 2014 described the "GSB Solution Space," an online innova- tion hub that uses cases and tutors to help "students work with real people to find real solutions to real problems." Baets said that he hopes that this model might one day be franchised to other schools to help meet Africa's need for business education. Baets pointed out that, with mobile phones so widely used in African countries, business schools everywhere could reach larger student groups using mobile technology. The problem, Baets noted, is that the communications infrastructure in emerging markets can be unstable, often breaking connections, which slows the pace of progress. "SHOULD 100 MILLION GO WITHOUT?" As emerging markets grow and new providers—with new approaches—appear, business schools will need to work more closely with businesses, said Sandeep Sander, CEO of the human asset solutions company SanderMan Ste. Ltd. of Singapore. "I think 'co-innova- tion' is a very important word," he said. "Our clients have discovered that every time they do something 'co,' their chances of success increase." Attendees also heard Rajen Makhijani, an associate partner with Dalberg, a global strategy consulting firm based in Singapore and Mumbai that focuses on base- of-the-pyramid innovations. If business schools used available technologies more purposefully to expose their students to concerns in emerging markets, he suggested, students could better see beyond the typical career paths in the financial, nonprofit, or startup sectors, to consider careers that better serve the bottom of the pyramid. "Should we give a fantastic learning experience to 500 and let 100 million go without?" Mukhijani asked. "Or can we provide experiences to those 500 so that they go out and provide something similar to the 100 million?" "THE FORGOTTEN MIDDLE" Near the end of the day, participants broke into small groups to discuss technological challenges that their schools faced. They referenced the lack of time, funds, and coherent business strategies for online programs; the lack of standardization across platforms and providers; the copyright issues surrounding ownership of online content; and the threat online education poses to fac- ulty's current job descriptions and compensation models. Dutta stressed the importance of involving profes- sors in developing new models of faculty governance. "You haven't taken e-learning seriously if you haven't thought through these issues and gotten faculty buy-in to the program. E-learning represents a fundamental shift in faculty management," Dutta said. Baets of UCT raised the point that business schools offer programs that primarily serve two ends of the market: introductory programs for undergraduates and advanced programs for seasoned executives at large firms. That leaves a third group—which he calls the "forgotten middle"—without many options. This "middle" consists of nonexecutives, many of whom work for small, local companies of two to 50 people. These small companies form the basis of emerg- ing economies, Baets argued. To serve this group, he added, schools must offer more skill-building programs that fall between basic and degreed education. Tunji Adegbesan, a founder and the CEO of Gidi Mobile Ltd. in Nigeria, described his product, gidimo, as "Africa's first dedicated mobile learning platform." As one way to reach that forgotten middle, gidimo incorporates e-learning modules, from college and certification prep platform gigiPrep to discussion forum gidiChat. The goal, said Adegbesan, is to bring mobile learning and personal growth to young Afri- cans under 30. "How are we going to create 100 million jobs in Africa in the next five years?" Adegbesan asked. "Tech- nology can help people achieve their life goals. The mobile learning we're building doesn't replace tradi- tional learning, but it's more than many already have." "WHAT SHOULD WE KEEP?" Many speakers at the symposium expressed a similar sentiment throughout the day: If business schools want to expand their programs into emerging markets, they need to adopt new business, faculty development, and curricular models. "I don't think we have a clue where we as busi- ness schools add value. Where do we need a faculty member in front of a class? What should we keep in the school and what can we deliver virtually?" Baets asked. "We still do a lot in the classroom that we shouldn't be doing." He and other attendees agreed that business schools need to rethink traditional course delivery before they can take greatest advantage of information technology, both on their campuses and in markets around the world.