Innovation and Collaboration: The Future of Business Education

Betsy Ziegler and John Byrne discuss the longevity of business schools and MBA education at AACSB conference

Sep 28, 2015

2 minute read

Natalie Edwards

“I believe in the power of business education, the importance and value that we offer today and in the future,” says Betsy Ziegler, Kellogg’s newly-minted chief innovation officer, education and technology. But in today’s complex world, business education is evolving.

Speaking at the opening plenary session at the 2015 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Accreditation Conference on Sept. 21, Ziegler reasserted the need for business education and outlined a number of trends b-schools must focus on to survive and thrive.

“The truth is the demand for education broadly has never been higher and business education continues to dominate the student choice,” Ziegler said to a crowd of business school leaders. “We need to ensure we are focused on solving the right problems.”

Those trends included business schools pricing themselves out of the market — Ziegler cited tuition costs and debt that are increasing more quickly than salaries— questions about the need for a physical space in an “on-demand” world, and the growth of credentials.

Ziegler continued the discussion with John Byrne, founder and chief executive of C-Change Media, which publishes PoetsandQuants.com, and delved into what business schools need to do to respond to these trends, from curricular innovation to partnerships and collaboration.

Betsy Ziegler on the Demand for Higher Education