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Inspiring Excellence BA | MBA | Executive Education 425.352.5229 | www.uwb.edu/business the business issues they struggle to resolve. Any time we want to work in another country, it's natural for us to team up with one of these schools. For instance, when we want to do research in Brazil, we're likely to go to São Paulo and col- laborate with ISE Business School, which we helped launch in 1996. We have helped start schools in places as diverse as China, Africa, South America, and Portugal, and we have learned so much in each place. IESE's faculty, staff, and stu- dents are deeply grateful for and enriched by this knowledge and international experience. A few years ago, we were involved in the founding of MDE in Abidjan, located in the Ivory Coast of West Africa. Shortly after the school opened in late 2010— with its first Advanced Manage- ment Program due to start early the next year—the nation was torn by civil war. MDE and IESE decided not to cancel the program, but to go ahead as scheduled. When our professors arrived at MDE, they witnessed a great deal of anger and distress, but at the same time, they witnessed the opti- mism of the local businesspeople who were determined to start the new school. These leaders were saying, "Instead of fighting, let's build something positive. Let's start a common project that will benefit the entire country." Our faculty were struck by the courage and strength of these people—and their experiences helped underscore their own sense of mission about why they are part of a business school. Honoring the Mission While it requires a tremendous investment of time and resources to get another business school off the ground, the administration at IESE feels it is part of our mission to continue these collaborations with schools in developing nations. We ask ourselves: Why do we have a business school in the first place? The answer is: We want to serve the business community and soci- ety as a whole by providing a top business education. Helping launch new schools enables us to do just that, in a very tangible way. Not every school from Western- ized countries will want to help found business schools in emerging economies. But if schools believe such work aligns with their missions, they will find that building an insti- tution from scratch is demanding, empowering, and ultimately reward- ing work that ensures management education is a force for good. Franz H. Heukamp is a professor of managerial decision sciences and Secretary General of IESE Business School at the University of Navarra in Barcelona, Spain. He is also a member of IESE's executive committee. BizEd November/December 2012 45