Established in 2015 in collaboration with MIT Sloan Management, our vision is to be a global knowledge hub, with regional insights from Asia and the emerging world.
ASB’s research centers conduct impactful research in emerging markets, business strategies, technology, and sustainability. Together, they foster innovation in the business landscape.
The ASB curriculum seamlessly integrates MIT Sloan’s rigor with the strategic insights of Asia. With MIT Sloan Immersion and Industry Treks, it immerses future leaders in a diverse range of industries.
Introducing ACE (Agile Continuous Education), a structured micro-credentials initiative offering flexible, hybrid courses developed to strengthen professional capability in a rapidly evolving landscape.
ASB excels through dynamic collaborations, addressing business challenges with innovation, built on robust partnerships.
Mention sovereign funds and names like Norway’s Government Global Pension, Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, and Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional come to mind. Starting next year, Sarawak’s Sovereign Wealth Future Fund will join the mix. We speak with Elsa Satkunasingam, Senior Business Development Advisor, Executive Education, of the Asia School of Business to understand the best practices that go into setting up a sovereign wealth fund.
Listen to the full interview below.
Originally published by BFM.
Originally published by MBA International Business.
A highly dynamic institution with close connections to the Sloan School of Management at MIT—where Dean Sanjay Sarma spent nearly 10 years as vice president for open learning—the Asia School of Business (ASB) has employed an “action-first” approach to learning since it was established in 2015.
Students in the school’s flagship MBA program, for example, embark on semester-long, mission-driven projects with host companies. Working to identify key business challenges, students then plan and implement their solutions before reflecting on their results. Since the initiative began there have been 467 ‘Action Learning’ projects at ASB, with 207 host companies in 33 countries. While action learning has come to define the ASB MBA, today the school is busy shaping another kind of education, aptly known as Agile Continuous Education (ACE).
In today’s rapidly evolving business environment—where breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, changes in the regulatory environment, and increasing standards on sustainability can have widespread impact—the responsibility of business schools has changed, Dean Sarma says. “The days of studying for a degree such as an MBA and being set for your career are over. We are well and truly in the era of continuous education, and we must provide it to our graduates.”
As companies cannot afford to continuously retrain new employees for their jobs, this could mean revisiting education many times after graduation, says the dean, adding: “At ASB, we see it as our responsibility to equip graduates to hit the ground running, and to equip them with the ability to acquire new knowledge for themselves and for the company as they need it.”
He uses the example of technological innovations such as generative AI, which will undoubtedly impact the workplace. “Companies need employees with the tech chops to help them utilize these tools,” he says.
“With ACE, we empower our students to succeed in their careers, allowing graduates who have completed the MBA program to continue learning through hybrid learning content that is tailored to their career paths,” explains Dean Sarma. Graduation just becomes a mere milestone, he adds and ASB students will be able to return to study short form courses that cover a range of areas that are specific to their needs in the workplace.
ACE will change how ASB works, with lifelong education being the outcome. Additionally, it will help to educate more people than a typical business school. Offering modules and short courses focused on specialized skills and knowledge—an introduction to AI, for example, or an update on the latest developments in fintech—means educational opportunities for learners outside ASB who also require these skills.
Alumni themselves can point this resource out to colleagues, Dean Sarma explains, adding: “Not everyone is ready for—or needs—an MBA, but they may also want to come and drink from the well.
“For those who are facing existential questions because of rapid tech changes, this provides the opportunity to update their knowledge and even pivot into new areas as they progress in their careers. “I’ve always felt the agile, gig economy and the gig future deserve a gig education system. That’s basically what we are doing.”
Achieving ACE, effectively delivered in a hybrid format, is a step-by-step process at ASB. Dean Sarma highlights that the school is at the beginning of its journey. However, incorporating current ASB students into this evolution is one way the school plans to make it successful.
“When you make changes, your closest innovators need to be your lead users. This is because they understand it best but they also help you improve and pivot based on feedback,” he explains. “You can’t just assume you have it right the first time. But when you really hit the zone, it’s fantastic collectively.”
Originally published by BusinessBecause.
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 6): Sustainability will not happen if it does not begin from an inner consciousness that we are one with the universe. This is the message of Indian spiritual leader Sri Preethaji, who was speaking at a talk entitled “Conscious Sustainability: A paradigm shift from within”, in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Aug 5). “It may look like we are separate from the world, but in reality, we are connected with it.
The trees produce oxygen, which we breathe. Our existence is supported by the whole universe,” she said in her talk organised by the Asia School of Business (ASB). “Do you think we can survive if we keep destroying the species around us?” she asked. Preethaji zeroed in on the consumption frenzy of modern society as a root cause of the sustainability crisis.
“We are facing this problem today because we just want more and more and more — more wealth, more profit, more food, more growth,” she said. The solution is to go within and find our inner stillness, said Preethaji, who is the co-creator of Ekam, described in her profile as a global centre for enlightenment. When we act from that place of oneness, she said, our existence becomes a blessing to every being around us.
Preethaji is on a world tour for the next two years “to share life-transforming insights and practices to ignite a passion and quest for enlightenment”. In his opening remarks, Dr Renato Lima de Oliveira, an assistant professor of business and society at the ASB, presented an overview of the sustainability programme of the business school. The talk was organised under the outreach activities of the programme, he said.
Speaking to theedgemarkets.com, Preethaji said that when we are stressed internally, we may strive for wealth, but it does not give us fulfilment. However, when we create from a sense of inner calmness, that harmony is reflected in our entire being and all that we do. She recommended a three-minute practice — “The Serene Mind” — to increase inner clarity.
Originally published by The Edge.
ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) and robotics seem to be the hottest topics and trends today. These tools are being used in many sectors, especially education, manufacturing and government services. However, their use has sparked debate among people as these new, revolutionary inventions may soon replace some jobs, like those of educators. At the recent AI@Work Leadership Summit, hosted by the Asia School of Business (ASB), business and government leaders, policymakers, educators and industry experts gathered to discuss the advances in AI and robotics.
The worry of AI and robots replacing humans’ jobs has been an ongoing topic for quite some time. So are they really going to take away our jobs? ASB professor of Practice, Finance and Analytics Ong Shien Jin has the opposite view from what most people think. “By combining the analytical power of AI with the expertise of educators, we can create a future where data-driven insights and personalised learning experiences are far more integrated, empowering educators and learners to reach new heights,” he said.
Ong said this technology would make education more meaningful, allowing educators and learners to advance further. “AI and robotics are more likely to augment their capabilities. They can assist educators by automating administrative tasks, providing data-driven insights into personalised instruction, or providing additional learning resources.
“This collaboration between humans and technology has the potential to enhance the educational experience for educators and students.” To illustrate this view, ASB assistant professor of Economics Sam Flanders showed the analytical power of ChatGPT with a live demonstration. He used ChatGPT to analyse data collected from summit participants and generated descriptive statistics within a matter of minutes.
MIT assistant professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Pulkit Agrawal provided insights into recent advancements in robots that employ API (artificial physical intelligence).He emphasised robots’ enormous potential for releasing humans from arduous tasks, allowing them to potentially regain time to focus on less menial endeavours.
“The science of making these robots has progressed at unparalleled speed. Robots are taking over tedious, monotonous, physically taxing and sometimes dangerous tasks. Let’s embrace it,” said Pulkit. He cited an example of how people spent their 24 hours a day, and how AI and robots could give back their time spent doing chores if they could be taught to do them. “What we have today are specialist robots, which are great at doing one thing, but what people want are robots that can do different tasks.”
MIT senior associate dean of Digital Learning and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor of Physics Isaac Chuang said as with any transformative technology, ethical considerations were paramount. “Responsible and beneficial use of AI and quantum computing should be prioritised.” He said quantum computing could enhance AI’s capabilities in areas such as pattern recognition, optimisation and simulation.
“AI, in turn, can assist in quantum machine learning and error correction. The combination of these technologies can accelerate scientific discoveries, optimise supply chains and improve decision-making processes. “However, one must be on the lookout for errors as AI is not foolproof.” MIT Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Daniela Rus said striking the right balance between innovation and ethical considerations was vital to building trust and ensuring responsible AI deployment.
“It is important to note that AI also creates new opportunities and paves the way for job transformation.” ASB chief executive officer, president and dean of the School of Business Sanjay Sarma said despite challenges, the future of AI looked very promising. “Continued research and responsible development practices will enable further advancements in AI technology and adoption across industries, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.”
Originally published by New Straits Times.
The rise of online learning platforms and advanced language models like ChatGPT has sparked a contentious debate on the value of traditional degrees and business schools. CEO, President, and Dean of Asia School of Business Sanjay Sarma sheds light on the emergence of ‘job refugees’, the concept of ‘gig education’ and the urgent need for educational leadership to adapt.
Watch here.
Originally published by Astro AWANI.
Following the artificial intelligence (AI) boom that kicked off late last year with the debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, large tech companies have been in what feels like an AI arms race to take the lead. Industry giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft and others have been pushing further into the field of generative AI, but as the tools they create get more powerful, how much will they actually transform society?
At the Asia School of Business’ (ASB) Leadership Summit, which had the theme “AI@Work”, experts weighed in on what the future might bring. Prof Ong Shien Jin, who teaches data analytics at ASB, gave an overview of the history of AI, saying that while the buzz surrounding it has exploded in the past few months, its history goes as far back as the 1950s.
“Pioneering computer scientists were asking a question: can computers be made to think?” he said. One such scientist was Alan Turing, an English mathematician and computer scientist who developed the Turing test to determine whether or not a machine is capable of intelligent behaviour.
Prof Ong’s presentation included a live demonstration of ChatGPT solving an A-level maths problem.
The demonstration used the more powerful GPT-4 with the plug-in for Wolfram Alpha, a computational tool for answering questions and solving maths problems. “To me, this was truly impressive, because maths computation is one thing, but maths reasoning is a higher-order thinking skill. “So is it ‘game over’ for education as we know it? Maybe it’s time to rethink the maths curriculum. We think that AI is going to change education, not destroy it.
“We believe that there is a good possibility that AI and humanity can coexist in synergy, but this utopian vision is not a given because we have to work towards it,” he said. Samuel Flanders, a professor of economics at ASB, explained how ChatGPT could interpret and categorise huge blocks of text data. Prof Flanders said that in cases where there’s an abundance of text data, such as reviews or social media posts, ChatGPT can be used to extract specific information or themes from large datasets.
“In the past, your options to deal with this sort of dataset were either very superficial or very difficult to execute. “For example, you could do a search to figure out how frequently a keyword appears and associate it with a certain type of response. “Or more recently, you could do a sentiment analysis to figure out if a response is generally positive or negative. “But these are superficial; if we want to go deeper and understand what’s really going on in the data, it’s very hard to do that. “Now, you can ask holistic qualitative questions about a big dataset of text, and you can get an answer in just a few minutes,” he said.
Another demo of ChatGPT’s utility was from ASB Master’s student Swaroop Ganireddy, who managed to build an interactive website with ChatGPT in just 10 minutes by simply providing it information via prompts. Had he taken it upon himself to build it, it would have taken Swaroop over a month. Additionally, Swaroop demonstrated a Windows-compatible tic-tac-toe game that ChatGPT entirely created.
Ganireddy built a website live on stage using only prompts fed into ChatGPT. — ASB
Meanwhile, Prof Isaac Chuang, the senior associate dean of digital learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discussed a possible solution to chatbot hallucinations. Prof Chuang credits the solution to a paper by his colleagues Antonio Torralba and Joshua Tenenbaum, who had two large language models (LLM) propose differing answers and then debate in order to reach a consensus.
“The paper has these two agents talk to each other by presenting each answer to the other and asking them to resolve their differences. “In the second round, the agents apologised for the confusion and the conflicting responses and came to an agreement,” he said. Another speaker from MIT was Prof Daniela Rus, a roboticist and director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, who was optimistic about the future as the vital ingredients are already in place.
“This promise and progress are enabled by three interconnected fields. “We have robotics, which puts computing into motion and gives machines the ability to move. “We have AI, which gives machines intelligence and enables them to see, hear, and even communicate like humans. “And we have machine learning, which aims to learn from and make predictions on data,” she said.
Prof Rus shared examples of the potential of AI technology to eliminate car accidents, make transportation more affordable, better monitor, diagnose, and treat disease, keep information private and safe, enable easier communication, and make education more widespread. This would allow human workers to focus on tasks requiring critical thinking and strategy, with machines taking on other, more routine tasks. She added that, at a more granular level, all fields that have data can benefit from AI.
Other AI-based startups were also present at the event, with Urbanmetry’s CEO and founder, Cha-Ly Koh, illustrating how AI was being used in her company to clean city data and apply it to ascertain climate risks along with their impact on housing prices in a specific area. V-Cred uses AI to analyse data from loan providers, platform partners and other sources to evaluate credit risk, with the goal of approving more loans and reducing defaults.
Originally published by The Star.
Pictures courtesy of The Star.
Some members of the academe are sounding the alarm on Artificial Intelligence tools as a roadblock for students’ learning. But many say we should be open to opportunities presented by digital education. Asia School of Business CEO, President and Dean Sanjay Sarma shares his views.
Originally published by The CNN Philippines.
In February 2022, Europe had a stark reminder of how quickly a massive number of people can be displaced, pretty much overnight. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced more than 8 million Ukrainians to flee, both within the country and to neighbouring European countries, with Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic among those opening their doors to these refugees.
Though the Ukrainian refugee crisis garnered much media attention and mobilization from European countries, there are numerous other conflicts, political regimes and natural disasters that have caused the displacement of many people from all over the world in recent years.
From Syria and Afghanistan to Sudan and Myanmar, the number of refugees worldwide increased to 35.3 million at the end of 2022, the largest yearly increase ever recorded, according to UNHCR, the UN refugee Agency Responsibility for ensuring refugees’ safety often rests on governments and global organizations such as the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR as well as NGOs and charities such as the International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders and Save The Children to ensure that they are able to evacuate their homes and settle in a safer place, as well as have access to basic needs such as healthcare.
But for many refugees, they leave fruitful and rewarding lives in their home countries, moving to new countries, cultures and contexts, and more often than not are simply surviving not thriving in their new environments.
This is where business schools recognize they can have a profound impact on refugees, and there are clearly plenty of opportunities where business schools, and their students and alumni, can play their part to help tackle the global refugee crisis.
Fatima Arabzada was a recipient of a State Department-funded exchange program that enabled her as a female entrepreneur to leave a highly conservative province of Afghanistan to seek asylum in the US. During her undergraduate at Bucknell University, she launched a/another business and her early career also included consulting with Deloitte.
Fatima graduated this month from MIT Sloan’s MBA Class of ‘23, where she was an Innovation Ambassador, Panelist for various entrepreneurship topics, and recipient of the MIT Sloan Social Impact Fellowship.
“Afghanistan collapsed two weeks before my MIT Sloan orientation started, and I was able to rescue 15 members of my family and 25 athletes from Afghanistan. I operated with incredible levels of ambiguity, stayed extremely calm under pressure, ingested large sums of information to make life and death decisions all while managing more than a hundred friends and family in the process.”
“Focus on expanding your horizons and allow curiosity take you to places that will provide you growth and exposure.” Fatima Arabzada, MIT Sloan MBA Class of ’23 FATIMA ARABZADA
For Fatima this is not an isolated story, unfortunately. “The refugee students have to both successfully overcome such hardships and acquire experiences that are relatable to corporate America. That is a significant hindrance when refugee students already work at least twice as hard for the same opportunities and recognition. “
She feels that it is important for business schools to acknowledge the skillsets that these individuals have acquired not only through their resumes but also through their lived experiences.
Cheikh Diouf Faye’s refugee story began in Africa, with Senegalese parents living in the north of the country. Because of the climate crisis affecting agriculture and livestock – the main economic activities in the area – many people began to leave the region to settle in more tropical areas of the south and centre. At the age of 10, Cheikh sought refuge as an infant, travelling to Spain by boat in a complicated journey that lasted more than a month, and ended with him living in a number of several Spanish Red Cross juvenile facilities.
“I was a minor and I was alone when I arrived at the peninsula. The person I came with, for different reasons, decided to separate our paths. From that moment on, the Spanish State kept custody of me until I turned 18,” says Cheikh. “My reasons for fleeing Senegal are diverse, among them are poverty, lack of education and opportunities, child labour, living in a conflict zone in the country (which demands independence) and a complex family structure.”
“I believe in education as a transformative tool, so I chose this path to change my reality and the reality of my family.” Cheikh Diouf Faye, BBA student at University of Loyola Seville CHEIKH DIOUF FAYE
At the age of 18, Cheikh had to leave the juvenile facility in Spain and, not knowing what to do next, an opportunity came to him. The University of Loyola, in Seville, offered him a scholarship to study at the university, with Cheikh choosing to study Business Administration and Management in the university’s business school.
Cheikh believes education is a key tool in lifting people out of poverty, and also helping refugees to integrate and flourish further. “I believe in education as a transformative tool, so I chose this path to change my reality and the reality of my family.
In the near future I intend to increase the number of young people in my care, my goal is to support people to have the ability to develop their futures freely and autonomously, so they do not risk their lives as I did at sea to come to Spain or any other country.”
For Cheikh, business schools are in a great position to offer refugees a close-knit community that will offer emotional support, peace of mind and the opportunity of being a valued member by helping others in any way he or she can.
Yuliia Honcharova’s story begins more recently than Cheikh’s. Yuliia left Ukraine to travel to Portugal several months before the Russian invasion, with plans to travel back at some point to the Donbass region where she is originally from. However the invasion of Ukraine left Yuliia stranded with nowhere to return to.
Technically a refugee, Yuliia decided to stay in Portugal, a country where she describes the people as “friendly and empathetic to the situation”, which she is grateful for. But the help for refugees may not be as strong compared to other European countries. Yuliia did receive help from the Galp Foundation, however, when she applied to study an International MBA at Porto Business School.
Yuliia Honcharova hopes other students will use her story at Porto Business School as an example of “resilience to life’s obstacles.” YULIIA HONCHAROVA
“I got my scholarship from Galp Foundation, which was a great opportunity to enhance my expertise with business education in Porto Business School. It is an inspiring initiative to support talented people when they most need the help.” Yuliia is currently on the program, with hopes of upgrading her education and advancing her business knowledge.
Yuliia hopes other students will use her story as an example of “resilience to life’s obstacles – how to start a new life from scratch in a new country, how to control emotions in difficult situations, and how to be kind to others.”
These are just two examples of refugees who’ve used the opportunities given to them at business schools to change their lives for the better. As we mark World Refugee Day this week, we look at some examples of how business schools around the globe are seeking to help refugees through scholarships and other innovative initiatives.
For many refugees, one of the biggest barriers they face in their new countries is access to education and work. The barriers to entry at business schools can be high, but offering scholarships to those with refugee status is a great way to improve their access to education and also create greater diversity on programmes.
ESMT Berlin, Germany, recently launched a partnership with the BMW Foundation to offer 10 full-tuition scholarships to displaced women from Ukraine to study in their Global Online MBA. The driver behind this decision was to support these women to develop the knowledge and skills that would help rebuild Ukraine, says Rebecca Loades, Director of MBA Programs at ESMT Berlin.
“Finance can be a barrier to many potential MBA students, particularly those who have been forced to flee their country and seek refuge in another,” says Rebecca. “As we firmly believe that education is a catalyst for change and transformation, we wanted to help those seeking a better life to also develop professionally and personally.”
“In offering educational opportunities to refugees, business schools are helping promote social integration, diversity, and economic empowerment too.” Rebecca Loades, Director of MBA Programs at ESMT Berlin FOTO BY MIKA-FOTOGRAFIE | BERLIN – FOTOGRAF MAIK SCHULZE
Given the scholarship is for the online programme at ESMT, applicants were not limited to having to live in Berlin or even Germany, and participants are experiencing the program from all around Europe. “In offering educational opportunities to refugees, business schools are helping promote social integration, diversity, and economic empowerment too,” says Rebecca.
“They are also helping foster social cohesion and demonstrate a commitment to humanitarian values that will benefit society.” Another business school who is offering scholarships to refugee is King’s Business School, London. As part of the wider University’s Sanctuary Programme – a programme created in 2015 in response to global displacement – the business school offers full-tuition scholarships to applicants with refugee status.
This is just one aspect of the Sanctuary Programme at King’s, which also offers digital learning platforms for refugees, and conducts faculty research into migrants and refugees. There are numerous other scholarships available for refugee students, including the Columbia University Scholarship for Displaced Students, which provides full tuition, plus housing and living assistance to students pursuing a degree at Columbia University.
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans offers 30 merit-based fellowships worth $90,000 to immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate studies in the US. And from the faculty perspective, the insights and knowledge that business school professors have can also be used to help further support refugee groups.
One such example is at the Asia School of Business in Malaysia, who’s ASEAN Research Center provides a space for free community-led organizations to offer trainings and workshops. The business school also partners with UNHCR to research important topics relevant to refugees and to disseminate it through media engagements.
One way many refugees gain income in Malaysia is by becoming entrepreneurs, and Asia School of Business hosts many events catered for these refugee founders. “More than 30 refugee businesses are able to sell their companies’ products through our ASB-UNHCR Research Workshop,” explains Dr. Melati Nungsari, an Associate Professor of Economics at the Asia School of Business and a Research Affiliate at MIT Sloan School of Management.
“Business schools have the responsibility to incorporate exposure and collaborations with vulnerable communities into their curriculum.” Dr. Melati Nungsari, Asia School of Business ASIA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
“We also engage with government officials on the labour market integration of refugees into the local economy.” For Dr. Nungsari, business schools are able to teach future management leaders about the value of hiring refugees in work. “Business schools have the responsibility to incorporate exposure and collaborations with vulnerable communities into their curriculum – be it formally or informally – in order to educate business leaders on the importance of sustainable and ethical business,” she says.
At the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University in the Netherlands, the business school saw the effect that the Ukraine war was having on Ukrainian student’s education, and decided to develop a 12-week programme on business fundamentals for a mix of Ukrainian high school, bachelor and Masters students, which could help students to rebuild the economy in Ukraine once the war is over.
“We worked everything out in our own time and we also teach for free – there are no other costs involved,” says Florian Madertoner, a lecturer in Corporate Finance at RSM. “It turns out, despite course manuals and accreditation procedures, the only ingredients necessary for a successful course are people willing to teach and people willing to learn,”.
At the end of the 12-week program, each student presented a full business plan for either a fictive or a real business. When asked how he thinks students’ final projects will benefit Ukraine and other countries, Madertoner is positive. “Currently, a problem exists, and these students see viable solutions to that problem. They are constructing socially relevant business projects such as providing more education, food, catering services and transport for the Ukraine once the war has ended.”
“The only ingredients necessary for a successful course are people willing to teach and people willing to learn.” Florian Madertoner – RSM, Erasmus University FLORIAN MADERTONER
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the University of St. Gallen, in Switzerland, has been offering various support measures for refugee Ukrainians. The “Offers for Migrants” initiative, provides selected executive education programmes free of charge to all refugee migrants with a university degree living in Switzerland.
The aim of the initiative is to enable refugee migrants to access high-quality, contemporary executive education so that they can build a better future for themselves, as well as giving them the opportunity to orient themselves professionally and to gain a foothold in Switzerland.
Offering executive education programmes for highly qualified refugees is particularly relevant, important and urgent today, says Christina Vetsch, Corporate Communication Manager at University of St. Gallen’s Executive School.
“Highly qualified refugees bring with them knowledge, skills and experience from which the entire society can benefit. In the individual programs, they learn and experience how to adapt their existing skills and supplement missing knowledge, thereby increasing and improving their chances on the labour market,” she says.
Vetsch emphasizes the importance of business schools undertaking initiatives for highly skilled refugees in terms of social responsibility and equal opportunities. “Such initiatives demonstrate that business schools are taking on social responsibility and contributing to the creation of an inclusive society.
At the same time, they promote equality of opportunity by providing skilled refugees with access to education and, subsequently, employment opportunities.” It’s not just in-person programmes for refugees on campus that business schools are looking to launch either.
Nyenrode Business University, in the Netherlands, travelled to the island of Samos in Greece to deliver a design thinking workshop to the residents of a refugee camp. The programme helped refugees to understand how to use design thinking to tackle challenges related to hygiene and sanitation, cultural and language barriers, and peace and conflict resolution in the camp.
“We worked on the challenge of lack of social cohesion and unity in the camp. A challenge that was identified by the refugees themselves.” Désirée van Gorp, Professor at Nyenrode Business University
“We train participants in design thinking and award them with an acknowledgement to provide them with a kickstart on the labour market,” says Dr. Désirée van Gorp, Professor at Nyenrode Business University. “Additionally, participants worked on solutions for the challenge of the disconnect of social cohesion and unity in the camp,” she says, with the aim for participants to become innovators and a source of inspiration and a role model in their communities.
Increasing geopolitical tensions, alongside the devastating effects that climate change is having means it’s likely that in future decades we will see more and more people displaced. The international thinktank, Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) predicts that 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050 due to climate change and natural disasters. And beyond governments and charities, business schools will need to do play a key role to help refugees gain access to education and work.
At MIT Sloan School of Management, there is a continual focus on inclusion for all members of the school’s community, welcoming students from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations around the world. Currently, MIT Sloan has a small number of refugee and asylum-seeking students enrolled, and the business school is enhancing the programming to better reach and positively impact students and better ensure that MIT Sloan feels as much like home as it can.
For Fatima Arabzada, Supporting refugees is an important area for the MIT Sloan administration to expand into. “It is critical to ensure that students have the financial and emotional resources to embrace all the learning and experiences inside and outside of the classroom.”
Fatima has three pieces of advice for refugee students who are considering pursuing business education or starting their entrepreneurial journey. “First, focus on expanding your horizons and allow curiosity take you to places that will provide you growth and exposure. During my time at MIT Sloan, I took AI, quantum computing, and entrepreneurial courses that will allow me to stay highly competitive anywhere in the world and fed the curiosity of my inner child.”
“Second, as a refugee, you are born into a cause that is significant and urgent; however, your commitment to the cause does not have to be immediate.” She observes that often survivor’s guilt can create mental blocks against embracing certain new experiences. “Focus on healing and growth so that you are able to serve in a much bigger capacity.”
Finally, she insists that betting on yourself will always pay dividends. “Find the right mentors and learn what it would take to minimize the risks of building a startup before you commit to that path. For example: I approached a businessman I respect greatly, Dob Belinsky, to be one of the founding members of his startup and I not only gained valuable insights but also gained a lifetime mentor.”
Originally published by The Forbes.
Founder and director of the Yemeni Refugee Women’s Association Leena Al-Mujaheed speaks to reporters at the research workshop on refugee studies and forced displacement jointly organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur June 19, 2023. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Refugees can be agents of change and help boost innovation and the economy of the host countries that accept them if given the chance, the founder and director of the Yemeni Refugee Women’s Association said today. Leena Al-Mujaheed said all refugees need are opportunities to rebuild their lives, such as education. “Despite the immense challenge they face, they possess untapped talents, skills, and aspirations.
“When given the opportunity to rebuild their lives and contribute to their host communities, refugees will become agents of change, driving innovation, cultural enrichment, and economic growth,” she said at a two-day research workshop on refugee studies and forced displacement jointly organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Asia School of Business here ahead of World Refugee Day tomorrow.
Prof Datuk Morshidi Sirat, special adviser to the Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, delivers a speech at the research workshop on refugee studies and forced displacement jointly organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur June 19, 2023. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
Prof Datuk Morshidi Sirat, special adviser to the Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, expressed the government’s full support for the workshop to advocate education as a basic right for refugees. “The refugees will be at stake if we play pretend on their issues. I fully support this workshop to challenge the national thinking, develop transformative and principle leaders,” he said.
About 200 participants from all over the world attended the workshop and gathered to exchange and discuss ideas to understand deeper on refugees issues. A refugee advocate from Tokyo, Japan, Yusuke Yasuda said he hopes that this will be a platform for him to gather more ideas and perspectives from people around the world. “This is my first time attending a workshop from UNHCR and I’m excited.
I studied the labour migrant issues years ago in the UK, but although this workshop Isn’t really my topic, I’m here to deepen my knowledge on refugees’ issues. “This type of workshop is important for us to exchange ideas and also to disseminate it to the public about awareness. I’m planning to further my study doing a doctorate and maybe I can get some basis, foundation, ideas and motivation here to do it,” the 32-year-old said.
Malaysian Sharleen Foo, 35, said she voluntarily registered for the workshop as she wants to learn more on why refugees’ matter to a country. “I wanted to know how refugees can contribute to our country and speaking to some people here, they explained that they can contribute to our economy and our communities to name a few. “I guess I’ll gain a lot more information when the workshop finishes. Refugees should be treated with basic human needs. Always,” she said.
Some 181,300 refugees in Malaysia are currently living in situations where they face a daily challenge to seek basic human rights. The two-day workshop is being held for the third time in Malaysia by the UNHCR, in collaboration with the Asia School of Business, to highlight the importance of those who fled their war-torn country receiving basic human needs such as healthcare and education when seeking asylum.
UNHCR representative Thomas Albrecht delivers a speech at the research workshop on refugee studies and forced displacement jointly organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur June 19, 2023. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
UNHCR representative, Thomas Albrecht, said the workshop is to create a space to connect researchers working on refugee studies in South-east Asia, including Malaysia. “World Refugee Day is a day to honour courage, strength, and contributions of millions of people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, war or persecution.
“We see this workshop as a space for networking and merging ideas and a strengthening of the collective knowledge and understanding of where the gaps are in refugee research in the country. “Our hope is that this will be the start of a community of researchers and academics working to strengthen the efforts of civil society, the government, refugee communities, and UN organisations in Malaysia,” he said in his opening ceremony speech at the Asia School of Business here.
Albrecht said working more closely in partnership with academics towards solid and evidence-based advocacy is critical. “It is critical in strengthening our lobbying for policy change, especially when new or potentially unpopular ideas are being proposed,” he said.
Originally published by Malay Mail.
