Poets&Quants’ Annual New Year’s Predictions From Business School Thought Leaders

GENERATIVE AI CHALLENGES THE norms of traditional education, research, and administration, urging business schools to adapt swiftly and thoughtfully. The implications stretch far beyond tools and systems; they demand that we rethink how we teach, learn, and collaborate in an era of rapid innovation.

It’s impossible to ignore a fundamental truth about Generative AI: we have yet to comprehend its profound implications on human and market dynamics fully. Nevertheless, I predict it will fundamentally transform our universities’ administrative functions. While rendering many traditional teaching methods and assessments in business schools obsolete, it simultaneously creates provocative opportunities to reimagine teaching strategies and learning experiences. For business schools, this moment is not just disruptive, it is an extraordinary opportunity to redefine our role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

One area that warrants greater attention in our business school circles is the impact of Generative AI on raising the standards for published research in business and management. Scholars will face increasing accountability for data validation, intellectual property adherence, and compliance with requirements from journals, funding agencies, and field data sources. The acceleration of open science principles—open access, open-source code, open data, and open peer review—will also play a role in reshaping research. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among business schools, accreditation bodies, and third-party organizations. No single institution can move the needle alone.

Cornell University ranks #3 in AI research, bringing exceptional AI expertise across disciplines, including engineering, public policy, law, and business. This interdisciplinary strength has catalyzed transformative initiatives within the SC Johnson College of Business, comprised of the Johnson School, the Nolan Hotel School and the Dyson School.

Dean Vishal Gaur recently shared some of the significant initiatives at the Johnson School: the launch of a Tech Track in the Executive MBA program, the completion of a curriculum review for the pioneering Johnson Cornell Tech MBA (now celebrating its 10th year), and the introduction of AI Curriculum Innovation Awards. These awards are designed to integrate AI skills into teaching across business disciplines, resulting in specialized MBA courses on AI Strategy and AI applications in finance, marketing, and operations.

“We believe a deep understanding of AI as a tool—and a multi-disciplinary approach to its challenges and opportunities—is essential for today’s business graduates,” said Dean Gaur. “For example, the decision to deploy an AI chatbot for customer service must consider technical feasibility, marketing implications, and ethical responsibilities. By fostering this holistic analysis, we prepare our students to lead in an increasingly AI-driven world.”

Looking ahead, I predict the future of business education rooted in immersive, engaged learning. This year, we concluded an extensive review of our MBA curriculum to emphasize experiential learning and sustainability, particularly in the second year of the program.

Immersive learning, grounded in 19th-century constructivist education theory, prioritizes active participation and meaningful integration of experiences with ideas. Our college has long recognized its value. Decades ago, the Nolan Hotel School and Johnson School pioneered immersive, career-track-oriented education. Johnson’s MBA program, for example, condensed its first-year core nearly 30 years ago to allow for career track immersions—intensive, sponsored projects with corporate partners in areas like investment banking, consulting, and manufacturing management. These programs have equipped thousands of MBAs to excel in their summer internships and beyond.

The Nolan Hotel School offers similarly transformative opportunities. Programs like the Hotel Ezra Cornell (celebrating its 100th anniversary) and the Hotel Leadership Development Program, combined with the 800-hour practice requirement, provide unparalleled hands-on experience with major hotel brands, real estate companies, and hospitality firms.

The Dyson School’s undergraduate program showcases our commitment to societal impact through the Grand Challenges program. This multi-year, immersive capstone experience integrates academic rigor with team-based projects addressing pressing global issues aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Collaborating with corporations or nonprofits, students tackle topics like hunger, climate action, and social inequity, making their learning purposeful and reflective. These projects embody engaged learning—experiential, impactful, and oriented toward the common good.
As we move forward, we are energized by the possibilities AI and immersive learning hold for transforming business education and research. These efforts reaffirm our mission: to develop globally minded, socially conscious leaders equipped to create meaningful change in the world.

—Andrew Karolyi, Dean, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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WE ARE LIVING THROUGH a historic period of upheaval, and I believe 2025 will be a defining year. AI is advancing at breakneck speed, global power dynamics are being rewritten, energy systems are being reinvented, and workplace norms are being fundamentally reshaped. I don’t think anyone can predict exactly where we’ll be in a year—never mind five years—but I do know that new leaders will require a broad and flexible set of skills and the curiosity and intellectual agility for continuous learning.

At Berkeley Haas this year, we will lean into our North Star, the four Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs). Question the Status Quo and Confidence Without Attitude motivate our spirit of innovation as we continually seek better paths forward—after all, Haas is the place for innovation leaders; we are Students Always as we learn new ways to work, lead, and collaborate; and Beyond Yourself guides us as we tackle critical challenges like climate change in all our programs but particularly in our new MBA/Master’s in Climate Solutions, joint with Berkeley’s Rausser College of Natural Resources. As we mark the 15th anniversary of codifying our DLPs, we believe they are as relevant as ever and continue to evolve.

Haas is also the place where innovation meets impact, and in January, we’ll welcome students from across UC Berkeley to our new Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub. I predict that some of the most disruptive and useful new ideas will be hatched within the walls (and on the patio) of this welcoming and inclusive new space. UC Berkeley is the #1 university in the world for alumni founders, venture-backed startups, female founders, and female-founded companies (according to Pitchbook). And we know that some of the most successful companies arise when founders from different disciplines partner to tackle big challenges. The “eHub” is unique in that it’s designed as an entry point, an incubator, and a launching pad, and will make entrepreneurship more accessible for all Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students.

In February, we’ll be hosting more than 500 students from 41 partner schools worldwide for the annual ClimateCap MBA summit. Tickets sold out in eight minutes—an indication of the urgency people feel about addressing climate issues. I have no doubt that ideas that emerge during those two days will help drive business to accelerate the transition to net zero. At Berkeley Haas, we’ll continue to grow our commitment to educating leaders who will address our climate crisis; research from our faculty found that a majority of firms anticipate hiring for sustainability-focused roles in the next year. Based on this research, we expect to see increasing demand for advanced sustainability skills, especially in consulting and across specific functions such as reporting, finance, and policy.

Addressing the rapid adoption of AI across business, I expect a continued surge in student interest and opportunities. Our faculty are teaching students and startups how to separate commercial potential from hype and where to draw ethical lines. Many of our faculty—such as Professor Zsolt Katona—were early adopters of AI tools and have been using them in their teaching and research for years. Professor Jonathan Kolstad’s new Center for Healthcare Marketplace Innovation, a joint center with the College of Computing Science, Data and Society, will be shaping decisions on AI use in that critical industry. In Finance, Adair Morse is looking at fair AI use in credit markets and Anastassia Fedyk is researching and teaching on firm-level implications for hiring and innovation; in our Management of Organizations group, Abhishek Nagaraj is studying how the industry is evolving and which companies are poised to dominate. The list goes on of faculty on the cutting edge; not to humble brag (or just straight-up brag…), but our faculty—every single one—are rock stars in their fields! In 2025, we are adding more courses that address all areas of AI from strategy to ethics.

My decades of research on organizational culture have shown that the most successful organizations are able to define and adapt to rapid change while staying true to their strategic vision. As we head into 2025, we are ready for whatever challenges come our way. Happy New Year!

—Interim Dean Jennifer Chatman, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

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I HAVE A FRIEND who is a retired containerized cargo ship captain. As the captain, he daily faced a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. Risk was ever-present. No two trips at the helm were ever the same. Yet, my friend succeeded in such an unrelenting environment. How? He understood the mission at hand: navigate the ship safely to port — usually within a predetermined and very narrow time window — no matter what was thrown at him. He watched and he listened. He would continuously correct the ship’s course through decisions, small and large. He exhibited a discipline that respected the mission (the long-term goal), while not allowing short-term, incongruent events to wreak immediate and long-lasting disaster. Among the tumult, he exhibited care for all stakeholders.

Our current social reality is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. That is not going to change anytime soon. In fact, it is likely to get more so. Yes, a rather safe and obvious prediction. A better prediction is: As the future moves beyond 2025, ultimately those who operate like my friend, never shirking responsibility and accountability, operating from a care perspective, and focused on the long-term while rooted in the moment, are more likely to succeed as well.

—Richard W. Stackman, professor and associate dean for graduate programs at the University of San Francisco School of Management

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AS WE APPROACH 2025, the global business landscape stands at a pivotal juncture, shaped by technological advancements, economic disparities, and geopolitical shifts. These forces bring both challenges and opportunities, making INSEAD’s mission more relevant than ever: to unite people, cultures, and ideas in developing responsible leaders who transform business and society.

INSEAD is dedicated to fostering principled leadership and global collaboration. Guided by cutting-edge faculty research, we prepare our students to navigate uncertainty, embrace complexity, and drive sustainable, meaningful change.

Our priority in the year ahead is clear: to address these pressing challenges head-on and empower leaders to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

Embracing the Potential of AI

As AI continues to improve I predict it will continue to improve productivity across a range of jobs and industries. As we embrace these tools we also need to address critical questions about ethics, equity, and trust.

Leadership in the AI era demands more than technical proficiency. Attributes such as emotional intelligence, empathy, and authentic communication are fundamental, and we remain dedicated to cultivating these traits within our leadership programmes. By nurturing these capabilities, INSEAD aims to equip leaders to leverage AI’s transformative potential with ethical reflection and a deep commitment to positive change.

Driving Inclusive Economic Growth

Beyond technological challenges, the global economy faces deepening inequalities. In the U.S. and China, strong growth has been concentrated at the top, while lower-income groups are often left behind. Meanwhile, in Europe, stagnant growth highlights the urgent need for strategies that both increase productivity and inclusive growth.

Understanding how companies and economies can grow in ways that benefits large segments of society, reinforcing the benefits of that growth should remain a priority for business schools and businesses alike.

Bridging Geopolitical Divides

Geopolitical fragmentation will likely continue reshaping the world in 2025, challenging global collaboration. In this context, INSEAD’s role as a business school for the world is more vital than ever. By fostering collaboration and embracing diversity, we act as a bridge in a divided world.

Our alumni network, spanning over 70,000 members in 180 countries, demonstrates the power of cooperation to drive progress and foster cross-border partnerships. Combined with a student body representing over 70 nationalities, INSEAD provides a unique platform for cross-cultural dialogue.

Ultimately, business, at its best, is a force for good—uniting people, fostering innovation, and building prosperity. Despite uncertainties, I am confident in the power of business education to tackle global challenges: harnessing AI responsibly, driving inclusive growth, and bridging geopolitical divides.
Through shared learning and a steadfast commitment to inclusivity, INSEAD empowers graduates to combine vision with empathy. We nurture leaders who navigate complexity and drive meaningful progress for generations to come.

—Mark Stabile, Dean of Degree Programmes, Dean of Europe Campus, INSEAD

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AI AND ANALYTICS PLAY a transformative role in some of the most successful businesses in the world, and I expect the trend of integrating these data-driven approaches to accelerate. As such tools become ubiquitous in “traditional” business functions across established industries, business schools have a responsibility not just to keep up by developing and offering new analytics- and AI-focused courses, but also to stay relevant by integrating modern analytics and AI tools in the MBA core courses, from finance to marketing, operations, and strategy.

Similarly, I expect the need to meaningfully address the complex relationship between businesses and their broader institutional and societal contexts to drive curricular improvements. As initiatives like the European Sustainability Reporting Standards have shown, the ability to navigate the regulatory or institutional environment, as well as the interests of various stakeholders, is key to effective organizational performance. For that reason, course improvements are likely not to be contained just within specialized areas, such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG), sustainability, and others. Covering core concepts in the MBA curriculum will have to incorporate these central issues as they can threaten or enhance business operations and managerial decision-making at any level.

Finally, business education is undergoing a transformation driven by digital technologies. The value proposition of an MBA degree will be reshaped and possibly enhanced by how well programs structure and utilize available technologies. This includes leveraging modern analytics tools (which might be more transformative than spreadsheet models were more than a quarter century ago) and incorporating generative AI in the learning process. AI tools provide an immense opportunity to personalize and create interactive educational paths to fit individual student needs beyond AI-based teaching assistants, which many faculty use, and toward fully incorporating AI tools within learning management systems. However, adopting this powerful technology often requires a willingness to change course design and delivery. As technology continues to evolve, the pressures on traditional MBA teaching approaches will continue, encouraging continuous innovation in educational practices.

—Duke Fuqua Professor Saša Pekeč, Peterjohn-Richards Distinguished Professor of Business Administration

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IN 2025, UPSKILL TO better weather uncertainty.

With a change of administration in the U.S. federal government, there will be many transitions to follow. Many staffers appointed in the Biden-Harris presidency will be seeking new opportunities come January. Similarly, certain government contractors and consultants may also be impacted, and there will inevitably be changes and adjustments required across industries. While some of these professionals may choose to stay in the job market, others may seek new advancement or professional development opportunities in higher education. Not only is Georgetown conveniently and strategically located in our global capital city in Washington, D.C., but we are uniquely positioned as a business school to prepare students for the future of work.

Despite the uncertainty of the coming year, Georgetown McDonough’s community culture is unwavering. Our Jesuit tradition, character, and values-based approach to business continue to endure the changes of our world, and as a result, we equip our students and alumni with the tools and mindset they need to tackle complex challenges and use business for good.

As we prepare for the future, Georgetown McDonough has identified three “fields of the future” that will shape the business world in the years to come – AI, analytics, and the future of work; the business of health; and the business of sustainability. By building our capabilities in teaching, learning, and research in these areas, maintaining our global view, and fostering interdisciplinary connections, the McDonough community will lead the changes taking place in the business world.

Even though we are still early into our admissions cycle for the fall 2025 incoming cohort, our MBA applications have increased – both in quantity and quality. In times of uncertainty, we historically see an increase in applications to higher education programs. We are proud to be able to offer individuals a safe space for learning, community building, exploration, and challenge as they build their careers and strive to make the world a better place. After all, doing well and doing good globally is central to our mission, and creating meaningful impact including embracing Jesuit values such as cura personalis and being people for others is our philosophy.

—Anne Kilby, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business

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AS WE APPROACH 2025, the priorities for business schools are undergoing a significant transformation to address the challenges of a rapidly evolving business landscape. The intersection of data, technology, and leadership skills has become more critical than ever. As institutions rethink their strategies, we can anticipate several key focus areas that will shape business education.

First, the explosion of data and advancements in analytical tools and machine learning are reshaping how students are prepared for their careers. These technologies provide unprecedented opportunities to tackle business challenges in innovative ways. However, technical skills alone are insufficient to thrive in this environment. At the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, we see firsthand how essential it is to prioritize developing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Without these foundational skills, even the most technically adept graduates risk being overwhelmed by the sheer volume and complexity of data they encounter.

A crucial component of critical thinking in business is the ability to identify and define a problem. Traditional business school case studies often present neatly packaged scenarios with clear challenges, which may not reflect the ambiguity of real-world business issues. At McCombs, we have been incorporating more open-ended projects into our curriculum. For example, in our undergraduate and MBA/MS programs, students work directly with both local startups and established firms to identify core challenges rather than solve predefined problems. This hands-on approach equips students to navigate ambiguity, synthesize diverse information, and refine their understanding before proposing actionable solutions. Such skills are essential for effective leadership in an increasingly uncertain world.

Another emerging priority is preparing students to handle messy, real-world data. In many academic settings, students work with curated datasets that allow them to focus on applying analytical methods. However, modern businesses deal with raw data that is often incomplete, inconsistent, or error-ridden. Our graduate-level course in Empirical Finance immerses students in the realities of working with imperfect data. They must merge information from disparate sources, address biases, and clean datasets, gaining the confidence and technical proficiency needed to tackle real-world data challenges—skills that set them apart in their careers.

The emphasis on data proficiency extends to fostering a thoughtful approach to analysis. With powerful machine learning models and statistical tools at their disposal, students might fall into the trap of “data dredging,” or running countless models in search of statistically significant results. In our programs, we emphasize grounding analysis in a deep understanding of business and economic contexts. For instance, in our Analytic Finance and Machine Learning course, students use both traditional regression techniques and advanced AI methods to analyze financial data—but only after developing clear, testable hypotheses rooted in well-defined problems. This helps increase the confidence that generated insights are not only statistically robust but also economically sound.

Equally important is the ability to communicate insights effectively. In the business world, data rarely speaks for itself. Graduates must be adept at crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences, from technical teams to senior executives. At McCombs, communication training is integrated into nearly every program. For example, in our Capstone programs, students present their findings to panels of industry professionals, receiving real-time feedback on clarity, persuasiveness, and impact. These experiences prepare students to advocate for their recommendations and drive action in the organization.

In addition to these specific skills, the broader priority for business schools in 2025 will be cultivating adaptable and resilient leaders. The business world is becoming increasingly interconnected and unpredictable, requiring leaders who can navigate complexity and lead with confidence. At McCombs, we will continue to emphasize interdisciplinary learning, ethical decision-making, and global perspectives to prepare students for these challenges.

As business schools adapt to the demands of the 21st century, their mission will extend beyond imparting technical know-how. By focusing on defining complex problems, mastering real-world data, grounding solutions in context, and communicating insights effectively, business schools can prepare students not just to succeed but to lead in an increasingly complex, data-driven world—ensuring that business education remains relevant and impactful in the years to come.

—Michael Sury, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Finance & Managing Director, Center for Analytics & Transformative Technologies at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business