People and Places: August 2024

New Programs

The Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio has announced the addition of an Artificial Intelligence in Business graduate certificate, which focuses on empowering students with the means to leverage AI platforms for developing solutions to business problems. To earn the certificate, students must take four two-credit-hour courses and four elective credit hours from a selected list of courses. Taught both in person and online, the certificate program is accepting applications for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters.

The Accounting, Taxation, and Law Department at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Silberman College of Business in Teaneck, New Jersey, has announced a cooperative program for students in the 4+1 Master in Accounting (MSA) program. Students will gain essential experience and the academic credits needed to fulfill the 150-credit requirement for certified public accountant licensure. Students will work at an accounting firm in the summer before starting their master’s program, work part-time in the fall to complete their classroom-based academic credits, and transition to full-time work with the firm in the spring. Students will also complete a master’s thesis and 18 credits of advanced MSA courses designed to prepare them for the CPA exam.

This fall, the Romain College of Business at the University of Southern Indiana is launching a new Financial Institutions certificate. In the 12-credit-hour program, students take required courses in federal income taxes, money and banking, and financial institutions, and choose from three elective courses covering personal selling, financial reporting and analysis, and an internship with a bank or credit union. The certificate is tailored for students seeking a bachelor’s degree or non-degree-seeking adult learners who meet the prerequisite requirements.

Thammasat University’s Thammasat Business School (TBS) in Thailand and Singapore Management University (SMU) are teaming up to launch a 3+1 dual degree focused on sustainable business leadership. Students will follow an intensively designed study plan during the first three years at TBS, before choosing their master’s specialization in the final year at SMU. They can choose to study in one of five master’s degree programs at SMU—including a Master of Professional Accounting, Master of Science in Accounting, MSc in Applied Finance, MSc in Quantitative Finance (MQF), and MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEI)—with opportunities for internships or work placements in Singapore. In the MQF and MEI programs, participants also can choose to pursue a joint degree at City, University of London’s Bayes Business School or study abroad at University College London’s School of Management, respectively.

Collaborations

Simplilearn, a global digital skills training provider, is collaborating with the SP Jain School of Global Management in Singapore to offer a professional certificate in digital marketing. The eight-month program is designed to equip learners with cutting-edge knowledge in the digital marketing domain. Courses will cover industry-essential skills like search engine optimization and marketing, social media strategies for paid campaigns, analytics, website creation, and behavioral marketing. The program will also emphasize emerging technologies, providing insights into leveraging generative AI tools—from AI-powered marketing strategies to predictive analytics—for optimized sales, marketing plans, and customer relationship management. Offered in an online modality, classes will be taught by SP Jain’s faculty and industry experts.

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) has partnered with renowned consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Bangladesh to implement a comprehensive university management system. This initiative is aimed at streamlining and automating all business processes of the university and introducing unparalleled levels of services to IUB faculty, staff, students, and alumni. On the same day, IUB signed another contract with U.S.-based IT consultancy firm Fair Pattern Limited, which will be responsible for the project management and performance evaluation of the automation system.

Lee Business School at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has joined forces with telecommunication company Cox Communications and Southwest Gas. Together they will launch an eight-week program designed to help participants develop practical skills needed to stay competitive and grow through the Small Business Leadership Academy. Courses will cover team and cash management, negotiation, process and strategy mapping and metrics, and customer and supplier connection via social media. Orientation for the program will be held later this month.

The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University is partnering with the unions representing all professional and national team rugby players to offer them the chance to pursue a graduate education. These new agreements with the U.S. Rugby Players Association and Major League Rugby Players Association will provide the athletes with additional career advancement education. Players will be able to apply for an MBA degree delivered online by the Kelley School’s executive education programs. They can also apply for certificate programs in business and choose from several Master of Science degree programs. Courses in business planning, economics, management strategy, and quantitative analysis are taught by the same faculty who teach in the school’s full-time programs.

Grants and Donations

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford has received the largest single donation in its history: a 10 million GBP (about 128 million USD) gift from Wafic Saïd and the Saïd Foundation. The gift, which is dedicated entirely to scholarships, will bring a new generation of MBA scholars from around the world, to Saïd to pursue their MBA. Through a time-limited match-funding initiative, gifts from additional donors to fund the scholarships will be doubled in value through a 50 percent match. It’s estimated that as many as 50 additional scholars per year could attend the University of Oxford, thanks to the gift’s funding.

The Extension divisions of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of California, Berkeley have received a 12 million USD gift from alum Scott Galloway to fund the creation of a new program that gives non-traditional students access to the skills and resources they need to launch their careers. The gift, which will be split equally between the two universities, is one of the largest focused on University of California continuing and professional education. The new UC Excelerator program, scheduled to begin this fall, is aimed primarily at community college graduates and those with limited college experience. The program will provide students with career-focused coursework, networking opportunities, and access to industry leaders, all free of cost. Fall 2024 UC Excelerator offerings at UCLA will focus on business and entrepreneurship, while UC Berkeley’s program will concentrate on data analytics, facilities management, and project management.

The W.P. Carey Foundation and Arizona State University’s (ASU) W.P. Carey School of Business are partnering to expand the scope, strength, and reach of the school’s real estate programs. The foundation recently committed an additional 25 million USD to ASU, bringing the W.P. Carey Foundation’s lifetime commitment to more than 100 million USD. The funding will support the launch of an undergraduate real estate degree program, beginning in 2025, and will establish the W.P. Carey Center for Real Estate and Finance through naming and expansion. The new center will include an experiential learning lab devoted to real estate. The new commitment also establishes the W.P. Carey Distinguished Chair in Real Estate and Finance, to serve as the center’s academic director, and an executive director role in the newly named center.

Centers and Facilities

Last month, EU Business School, with campuses in Geneva and Munich, opened its third campus building, Upper Sarrià Campus, as part of the institution’s strategic expansion plan into Barcelona, Spain. The campus, which covers more than 4,000 square meters (43,056 square feet) in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, will include 23 classrooms, a cafeteria, a 70-seat auditorium, six large terrace areas, and specific areas for group work, distributed across two adjoining buildings. Constructed in line with educational and sustainability needs, the building takes advantage of natural light and offers leisure spaces, such as lounge areas, table tennis, and foosball, as well as a vending area. The campus has a capacity of 900 students and has invested over 3 million euros.

IE University has replaced Glasgow Caledonian University as the sole member of Glasgow Caledonian New York College. Based in the SoHo neighborhood in New York City, the school will be renamed IE New York College (IENYC) upon accreditation approval for the name change. With this replacement IE University becomes custodian of the college, which focuses on business and sustainability. IENYC will continue to offer graduate programs, including its MS in Business for Social Impact and Sustainability, which will launch a new cohort in January 2025. IE University and the future IENYC will remain independent institutions; however, the two institutions are planning to collaborate through student transfer agreements.

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