MAE 2010 Volume: 5 Issue: 5 (July)
Business schools from Spain, France and the U.K. are setting up shop in American cities. Spain’s IESE Business School recently opened a $20 million campus in Manhattan, and other schools across Europe have announced plans to establish outposts in the U.S.
But why here, and why now? Robert Bruner, who chairs the Globalization of Management Education Task Force of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, said it has to do with stature and influence. “The U.S. is where the MBA was invented, and to some extent to establish a footprint in this market is an additional means of legitimizing a school’s brand and stature globally,” he told Bloomberg Businessweek. Of course, another incentive has to do with recruiting. If these schools can draw more American students to their campuses, they can improve their international reputation and build up a network of alumni in the U.S. that could be very valuable over time.
According to Dave Wilson, president and chief executive of the Graduate Management Admission Council, European business schools will be watching these ventures closely. “These are sort of pioneers who are breaking new ground, and it will be a challenge to get U.S. students,” he said. “I think most European schools are going to sit back and watch, because this is really a brand new bet for them.” As diverse and multicultural as the U.S. is, it still takes a great deal of marketing and investment to build up lucrative enrollments in new territories. Partnerships also help. SKEMA, a business school in France that arose out of a merger between ESC Lille and CERAM Business School, recently struck a deal with North Carolina State University to collaborate on dual-degree masters programs, executive programs and joint faculty research. The school has also partnered with the Research Triangle Park Foundation of North Carolina, which will give students access to dozens of high-tech companies in the area.
“This campus is a good way to attract American students, because they will be assured and reassured about the quality of the teaching and the reach of the school,” said SKEMA Dean Alice Guilhon.
What else will they need to be reassured about?
 Mark Fitzgerald, Editor 301-670-5700 x118 markf@kmimediagroup.com |
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