News Nuggets: MBA News From Around The Globe

A $15 million gift from Gina L. and Tucker S. Bridwell (BBA ’73, MBA ’74) to SMU’s Cox School of Business will generate transformational economic research and cutting-edge business education for generations to come, according to the school, through the creation of the new Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom.

The research institute will examine and promote free enterprise in markets around the globe. The gift builds on the Bridwells’ legacy of support for SMU and promises to elevate the Cox School’s already outstanding global reputation.

“Mr. and Mrs. Bridwell’s leadership and commitment to the University speak to the strength of their feelings for SMU,” SMU President R. Gerald Turner says. “They believe that SMU shapes world leaders and want students to have the opportunities Mr. Bridwell did to learn on the Hilltop and make their mark on the world.”

Of the Bridwells’ $15 million gift, $7.5 million will transform the current William J. O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom into the new Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom. The designation for the additional $7.5 million from Mr. and Mrs. Bridwell will be determined at a later date within the Cox School of Business.

“Tucker and Gina’s gift will enrich existing programs, impact our understanding of free enterprise in global markets and generate countless opportunities for SMU faculty and students,” says Matthew B. Myers, dean of the Cox School and Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership. “We are grateful for their belief in Cox and for their service to SMU over the years.”

MARYLAND SMITH TO EXTEND TEST WAIVER THROUGH 2021

The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business will extend its waiver option for Graduate Management Admission Tests and Graduate Record Exams for full-time and part-time MBA applications into the 2021-2022 academic year. The move was made because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“The GMAT or GRE is an important assessment, but we review candidates holistically,” says Pasquale Quintero, senior director of full-time MBA and business master’s programs at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “We will take into consideration academic history, work experience, industry certifications, and other factors that will strengthen one’s application.”

To qualify for the GMAT/GRE waiver, prospective MBA students must meet one of the following criteria:

• Industry certifications such as CFA, CPA, CAP, PMP, PHR, PE, or Six Sigma; with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Other exams such as MCAT or LSAT, with overall scores in the 70th percentile or greater
• Earned graduate or terminal degree in business or STEM related field; with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Earned undergraduate degree, equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s, from an accredited university or college with:
• GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or Degree Classification of First Class or First Class with Distinction
• 3 years of professional work experience
• Completion of undergraduate coursework in statistics or other quantitative courses, with a grade of B or higher
• Employer sponsorship: Candidates who are recommended by their employer for the Full-Time or Part-Time MBA program may qualify for a GMAT/GRE waiver

Active-duty military members or veterans with the G.I. Bill may also be eligible for GMAT/GRE waiver.

A NEW MBA IN PHILADELPHIA

In January, the Erivan K. Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia will launch a redesigned MBA curriculum. The new curriculum, which reduces the number of required credits to 36, is a “stackable” collection of three certificates: a core overview, plus two specialty credentials of the students’ choice.

The new model is the first and only MBA in Philadelphia to allow individuals to fully customize their experience.

“We were looking to create a transformational new MBA model that would allow students to create a program to enhance their careers and their capabilities, as well as provide value to their employers,” Haub School of Business Dean Joseph A. DiAngelo says.

“Our mantra was, ‘Let’s find a way to help companies find solutions in their organizations,’ so they would be encouraged to send their employees to the Haub School. This new MBA model will do that for our corporate constituents. And it will allow students to garner new skills to provide value to their companies.”

The new curriculum emphasizes flexibility, speed-to-degree and industry relevance, allowing students to dig deeper into what interests them or fits their current roles and goals, and companies to get higher ROI on any education assistance they might offer.

SMALL BUSINESS SCHOOL CHALLENGE TO INCLUDE MBA TEAMS FROM HBS, YALE SOM

Communications provider RingCentral has announced the creation of a new small businesses/MBA initiative to help businesses find new ways to pivot in tough economic times, partnering with groups of MBA students from across the country to host the Small Business School Challenge.

Small business owners who sign up will be teamed with MBA students from leading business schools — including Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management, and NYU Stern School of Business — in a 48-hour virtual workshop. Students will brainstorm ideas and develop innovative strategies for helping businesses succeed in the coming year and beyond. Business leaders will also be able to tap into the ingenuity of the other small businesses participating in the challenge.

It is the second Small Business Challenge that RingCentral will host this year. The contest will be held October 15-17. More information, including registration information, is available in this blog.

NEW AI/DATA SCIENCE CENTER LAUNCHED IN PARIS

Institut Polytechnique de Paris and HEC Paris have launched a new center with global ambitions in the fields of AI and Data Science. The schools announced the creation of Hi! PARIS, an interdisciplinary center for research and education devoted to AI and Data Science, on September 15.

Hi! PARIS is the first interdisciplinary and inter-institutional center in Europe, bringing together education, research, and innovation. Its declared ambition is to become a world leader in these fields within five years by answering the major challenges linked to technological transformation and its impact on companies and society at large. The center will draw on the 300 researchers and the infrastructures of IP Paris and HEC Paris devoted to these fields and is entirely financed by the patronage of companies that are mobilized behind the two academic institutions.

Professors Eric Moulines (IP Paris) and Thierry Foucault (HEC Paris), scientific co-directors at the center, believe that: “Thanks to a world-class team of professors-researchers, Hi! PARIS aims to conduct projects which will exploit the full potential of AI by recruiting 30 new professors and 150 PhD students of world-class level and to train the future generation of engineers and managers who will build an AI for all domains, while in the process tripling the number of students trained in this field within five years.”

According to Peter Todd, dean of HEC Paris: “The success of our project is based on the challenge of achieving multi-disciplinarity at the very highest level, relying on the combination of complementary and recognized fields of expertise of HEC Paris and Institut Polytechnique de Paris, but also on the support of major actors in the economic world. We hope that many companies will join Hi! PARIS, thus fashioning a new AI at the service of a durable economy and a just society.”

STETSON LAUNCHES VIRTUAL ‘ENTREPRENEURSHIP THURSDAYS’

Taking the leap to entrepreneurship is an exciting and scary journey filled with pitfalls, sacrifices, and rewards. Stetson University students and others can learn about the ups and downs of running a business during virtual Entrepreneurship Thursdays, a speaker series hosted by the Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship Program at the School of Business Administration.

This year, the events will be held virtually on Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. during the fall semester. The next event, on October 1, will feature Brian Scudamore, the founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? who will discuss his company and entrepreneurial venture.

For the past three years, Entrepreneurship Thursdays has featured former “Shark Tank” contestants and startup founders who have made a mark in the business world. Entrepreneurs share their life-changing stories and projects, and how they went from zero revenue to earning their first dollar. The event also provides entrepreneurship students with an opportunity to network with business leaders, pitch their ideas, obtain an internship or job and find a mentor.

“The purpose of Entrepreneurship Thursdays is to inspire students to become entrepreneurs and/or innovators within established businesses,” said Lou Paris, director of the Prince Entrepreneurship Program. “The students and general public have a chance to listen to business success stories, which come with a fair share of obstacles that can be tackled and overcome with perseverance.”

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