Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62913
L BY JORGE HADDOCK AND ROBERT GROSSE ike so many business schools around the world, those in Latin Ameri- can and Caribbean countries (LACC) are taking steps to become more globally competitive—and they're doing so at a rapid pace. But they are achieving this goal much differently than many of their international counterparts. Although Latin American schools tend to follow the U.S. model for business education, they also rely on international alliances more extensively, use practitioner-instructors more frequently, and tie corporate involvement into their curricula more closely than schools in the U.S. and Europe. Such strategies can work against LACC schools when it comes to being recog- nized by international ranking systems and accrediting bodies, which place great weight on the scholarly output of academically qualified faculty. Many U.S. and European educators might view the LACC approach to global development as, at best, nontraditional—or, at worst, counterproductive to building globally recognized business programs. But many LACC schools are earning that global recognition. In fact, of the nearly 2,000 LACC business schools—which include undergraduate, graduate, private, public, and even for-profit institutions—16 are accredited by AACSB International and another 49 are in the process of seeking AACSB accredita- tion. Dozens more have obtained or are seeking accreditation from EFMD or the Association of MBAs (AMBA). From Mexico to Argentina, schools are pur- suing international accreditations in greater numbers to compete globally for students and to be more visible among the world's business schools. LACC schools have developed a number of innovative and untraditional approaches to curricular design. These approaches strike a balance between an emphasis on corporate involvement in their curricula and an effort to adopt best practices in global management education. We believe these models offer valuable examples for other schools that want to strengthen their international programs and sharpen their competitive edges—all while following their own unique missions. BizEd May/June 2012 45 ORANGESTOCK/GLOW IMAGES, AMANA IMAGES/GLOW IMAGES