Frost & Sullivan offers a powerful partnership program for Business Schools to support their students with real-world research to support their case studies, analysis of industries, and best practice research. Today, the world's top 50 MBA schools are all partners.

In the current economy, it is increasingly difficult for business school graduates to obtain meaningful positions in the corporate world.  Graduates must immediately demonstrate their competence and business acumen if they are to convince employers of their value.

To quote Cambridge University Vice Chancellor Alison Richard, “Universities play a key role in giving students the skills that make them suitable for the workforce.” To develop these skills, universities must:

• Provide a world-class educational experience in which students address business issues from a strong leadership perspective
• Deliver relevant courses, seminars, and tools that help their students understand and respond to today’s business challenges and opportunities

Frost & Sullivan’s University Partnership Program enhances the university’s method of preparing students for today’s complex and competitive business climate. It provides business school students with disciplined research and functional best practices that enhance the curriculum the university is already providing it's students.

The University Partnership Program offers a highly interactive relationship with Frost & Sullivan in which we share in the success of your university, your professors, and students.

As part of that partnership, we will:

• Stimulate and inspire your students - Students will develop an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing businesses today.  Research, best practices and case studies will inspire creative thinking and stimulate thought-provoking discussions both inside and outside the classroom.
• Provide perspectives on growth strategies - Our resources will enable students to identify and synthesise industry and market challenges into sophisticated, comprehensive perspectives.
• Deliver global best practices - Students will learn how business leaders worldwide have built and executed growth strategies with measurable results.
• Introduce the importance of a growth-focused culture – Our resources will introduce faculty and students to the “growth culture” mindset – that is, to think and act on the same frequency as leading CEOs.

This dynamic, multifaceted partnership will inspire students and faculty alike to: 

• Discuss, share, contribute, collaborate, and keep an open mind – Participants derive maximum value by proactively engaging with Frost & Sullivan research staff and sharing the latest research with educators and students. 

Frost & Sullivan employs more than 1,800 analysts, strategists, and consultants globally and maintains a presence on more than 80 countries.  Through the University Partnership Program, we share these resources with your faculty and students, and they will share your commitment to enhancing your curriculum and preparing your students to enter a highly competitive business environment.

Business Education Environment: Challenges & Opportunities

Ever-changing economic and business conditions challenge business schools on a number of fronts to maintain their competitive advantage.  Especially in these straitened times, many business schools are struggling to: 

• Stretch the budget – The current economic crisis has not left business schools unscathed.  Indeed, many universities are struggling with decreased endowments and the need to trim their budgets accordingly, but without sacrificing academic quality or the overall student experience.
• Identify new sources of revenue – Given the current economic climate, many donors are tightening their belts and not contributing the same amounts they would in times of prosperity.  As a result, many business schools are looking to more frequent and timely faculty publications as a source of additional revenue.
• Help students find jobs – The importance of a best-in-class career services department takes on increased value during times of economic distress.  Any network providing access to executives at high-growth companies would be of incalculable value to Career Services during the best of times, but during a downturn, investment in such a resource becomes even more crucial.
• Prepare students for “the real world” – Since job offers and starting salary are critical metrics for business school rankings even during the best times, preparation for life after graduation takes on increased significance when students are forced to compete in a down job market.  To stand out, students must demonstrate (1) a familiarity with current market and industry trends, and (2) an ability to apply this theoretical knowledge for practical purposes.  Business schools must seek out any resource that can prepare students to make this transition with the greatest possible ease.
• Overcome the lag between the business and academic worlds – Although many faculty members hail from the business world, their experiences may be somewhat dated or skewed by the passage of time.  As a result, students may receive information that is proportionately behind actual business practices or activities.  Universities must invest in any resources that can help bridge this lag between academia and the corporate world.

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