AUC School of Business Marks Its Tenth Re-branding Anniversary by Hosting High-Level Business Forum

The AUC Business Forum, which took place between February 9-11, brought together a diverse group of renowned and distinguished scholars, practitioners from the business industry, as well as policymakers from Egypt, Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world, to discuss timely and relevant issues in the world of business education.

The three-day forum consisted of five roundtables, each conducted as a conversation for two hours, and attended by 25-30 participants including academics, business and industry leaders, and policymakers. This is in addition to a number of guests including academics, practitioners, and students, who were invited as observers.

The roundtables were conducted with an end-goal of coming up with directions, ideas, and recommendations that could represent the basis for a white paper or an action plan that could form the foundation for further research work, academic or executive education programs, or joint initiatives or projects between the participants of the roundtable and their respective organizations.

The issues discussed mirror the School’s themes and strategic directions, including business and management education, in terms of academic degree, executive education, entrepreneurship, responsible business, and inclusive development.

Namely, the roundtables were themed around: “The Future of Business and Management Education”, addressing the future of work and the practice of management amidst the emerging innovative technologies, and the role of management education in that regard; “Entrepreneurship Ecosystems in MENA”, revolving around the role of universities and schools in supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystems and delivering successful global experiences; “Inclusive Development and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in MENA”, discussing questions and concerns regarding the onset of the world of AI, inclusive development and digital transformation; “Business Reconfigured”, exploring the most pertinent changes experienced in businesses in Egypt across different sectors and how executive education can be a trusted partner; and finally “Responsible Business”, examining different approaches of promoting practices of responsible business, and discussing the role of impact investments as a promising practice of responsible business.

In addition, the forum witnessed two valuable and worthy partnerships. The School signed a partnership with Wadhwani Foundation, aiming to equip students with the entrepreneurial mindset and business skills required by the job market, as well as support aspiring entrepreneurs with validated ideas to launch their ventures by providing networking opportunities with entrepreneurial ecosystems and customized learning programs. It also aims at building institutional capacity to run world-class entrepreneurial education programs. The partnership entails two components: an entrepreneurship curriculum and a startup club.

Furthermore, Sherif Kamel, dean of the School, and Khaled El Mikati, chairman of The Egyptian Exporters Association (Expolink), signed an MOU, whereby the two parties will join forces to launch and promote an African Trade Certificate. This partnership will help build a critical mass of qualified experts in the trade area, as well as support mechanisms that allow the mobilization of existing human resources to manage the country’s trade development agenda. The African Trade Certificate will focus on the challenges of trade activities on the regional level. Delivered by AUC instructors, the certificate exposes participants to the different stages of African trade activities starting from identifying trade opportunities in the continent up to the logistical management of executing the export and import activities. The program will go through the stages of feasibility studies, financial analysis, marketing and sales strategies, and legal aspects.

Overall, the forum ended on a very high note with constructive dialogues and insightful discussions being brought to light by our distinguished participants on topics of paramount importance to the education industry. Not to mention the excellent collaborations that are set to make a significant impact.

The success of this forum serves the School’s mission of being a leading knowledge hub impeccably, and we are certain that the dialogues certainly aided in better anticipating the future of business education and setting the direction toward which business schools are headed.