This edition of the Knowledge Bar is very special. We were all very deeply shaken by the war which broke out on European soil. If there is a silver lining in this devastating experience, it’s the sense of compassion, responsibility and impact of many business schools which have transcended their traditional role.
By Griet Houbrechts
Director, Professional Development
EFMD Global
LinkedIn
The articles in this edition all bring stories of adaptation, empathy and support. They testify to the engagement of students, faculty, professional staff, alums and the leadership of business schools in supporting their peers in Ukraine that have been heavily affected. Reading the account of one of the Ukrainian schools that have shown resilience is equally impressive.
Each person and institution contributes in its own way and finds means to involve its communities to the benefit of its Ukrainian colleagues. The supporting schools also offer development opportunities for their students and create or reinforce ties with partner institutions.
This collective effort fosters the role of business school associations, not only now that the needs are most urgent, but also in the future to support Ukraine in the post-war period.
There are many more business schools that actively support their colleagues. We could outline only a few of those initiatives in this edition. These can inspire even more schools to contribute to reinforcing higher education institutions as centres of human values and hope.