Business Leaders: Business schools for innovation and student experience

03 Aug 2018

The need for dynamic and adaptable business graduates has never been so intense. The ever-changing economic landscape is becoming more connected, more competitive and more complicated that ever before – and graduates are feeling the heat when it comes to responding to this.

Tense political relations are curving international business partnerships, as well as creating new ones. Brexit is carving out a whole new economic future between the UK and the rest of the world, the US is building bridges with North Korea and burning them elsewhere, while China’s world domination shows signs of slowing down.

Innovative technologies are propelling the economy towards unchartered territory, as Artificial Intelligence promises to revolutionise the global job market and streamline almost every industry.

Together with increasing populations and rising standards of living, the modern business graduate must be prepared not only to be a passenger during these unpredictably turbulent conditions, but also to master them and use them to soar.

Source: Curtin University

Business schools play a crucial role in preparing students for these new heights. Their programmes teach students not only the fundamentals of business practices but how to influence the industry going forward.

Through innovatively-tailored business education courses, students can learn how to respond and adapt to political, technological and environmental challenges to drive the industry towards a brighter future.

Creatively curated syllabi mused with industry placements allow students to gain a fool-proof background in business and professional insights into how this applies to the wider economy.

Knowledge imparted from leading academics, constantly pushing boundaries with cutting-edge research, allows students to draw on the highest level of current business theory to influence their industry perspective and inform adaptable decision-making beyond graduation.

This prepares students to tackle and overcome challenges currently facing the global business sphere, equipping them with the critical thinking skills needed to influence the industry despite its unpredictable future.

Source: Queensland University of Technology

Unlike other graduates, students from leading business schools will have the theoretical background and industry-applicable knowledge to creatively analyse and influence the field which will impact everyone in the economy and beyond.

This makes these students sought-after by employers as they have already demonstrated the innovative perspective needed to make a difference in the global economy. Students graduate ready to hit the ground running and apply their dynamic education to their real business world.

If you want to become a society shaker, consider these four leading business schools which emphasise innovation and the student experience…

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS – MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

Macquarie University is ranked in the top 200 in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2017 and has been awarded a 5 star rating by QS 2019 for teaching, employability, research, facilities, internationalisation, innovation and inclusiveness.

The Macquarie University Campus is located in Sydney in the Macquarie Park Innovation District, one of the largest business and technology precincts in the Southern Hemisphere. Home to more than 180 large international companies and 200 small businesses, this unique location enables students to gain a competitive advantage through internships with leading industry partners such as Microsoft, Optus and Google.

Source: Macquarie University

The Faculty of Business and Economics offers an interdisciplinary approach, allowing students to combine courses taught by world-class academic staff, with deep subject knowledge and industry experience.

Degrees are designed in collaboration with industry experts and are accredited by professional bodies, including CPA Australia, ACCA, ASIC, AMI, AHRI. The flexible design allows students to generalise or specialise in an area of interest – economics, accounting, finance, actuarial studies, analytics, marketing, management, entrepreneurship or human resources.

Students are supported during their studies through the BE Successful program which includes mentoring, academic assistance, career workshops and online preparation activities.

On top of academic excellence, students have the opportunity to study in one of world’s top 10 most desirable student cities, as well as one of the 10 safest cities in the world, making it the perfect study space.

QUT BUSINESS SCHOOL – QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Ranked in the top 20 universities in the QS Top 50 Universities Under 50 2019, QUT is one of the world’s leading young universities. With this comes an innovative approach to business education, preparing students for the dynamic global landscape they’ll be entering.

Source: Queensland University of Technology

The school focuses on four key areas of business: accountancy; advertising, marketing and public relations; economics and finance; and management, allowing you to pursue whichever stream ignites your passion the most.

All departments encourage students to develop their industry knowledge through up-to-date curricula which challenge and inform students about current business developments. Combined with an emphasis on real-world industry links and networking events, you’ll gain the skills needed to get ahead of your peers through learning employable skills, building your career at the same time as completing your studies.

The school holds triple accreditation with globally-recognised education bodies – a badge of honour held by fewer than 1 percent of all business schools worldwide. Business degrees from QUT Business School are recognised by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, EFMD EQUIS Accredited and the Association of MBAs, meaning students can take the elite qualification anywhere in the world with the highest quality assurance.

BUSINESS SCHOOL – MASSEY UNIVERSITY

Founded in New Zealand over 80 years ago, Massey University offers students the opportunity to study at New Zealand’s biggest business school in one of the most sought-after locations in the world.

Source: Massey University

Undergraduate students can study the Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of AgriCommerce and Bachelor of Communication. Postgraduate students can choose from Master of Advanced Leadership Practice, Master of AgriCommerce, Master of Analytics, Master of Aviation, Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Studies, Master of Communication, Master of Finance, Master of Journalism, Master of Management or Master of Māori and Indigenous Business.

“As I wanted a career change I decided to pursue my passion for international business and the financial markets, which led me to Massey University,” said Flavio Hangarter, graduate of Bachelor of Business Studies.

“Completing my Bachelor of Business Studies in International Business and Finance at Massey has enabled me to pursue my new-found areas of interest in international business development and business strategy.”

As well as academic excellence and a thriving social life, Massey University Business School includes business internships as a route to gaining course credits, allowing you to integrate industry experience with your educational development.

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW – CURTIN UNIVERSITY

Curtin University’s Faculty of Business and Law offers a cutting-edge business education in one of the top 20 QS Top 50 Universities Under 50, making it the ideal place to gain a modern perspective of this ever-changing industry.

Source: Curtin University

State-of-the-art facilities help students fulfil their business potential, including The Trading Room, where students can use Bloomberg software to analyse and influence the financial markets and view historical data to inform their current studies.

The Agency is geared towards those who love everything social, showing students how brands market themselves online and track consumer engagement through social media analytics. In today’s world of marketing, this is a valuable tool for soon-to-be graduates.

With campuses in Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Dubai as well as their flagship campus in Australia’s cultural hub of Perth, students gain a truly international business perspective, making them ready to tackle the real economic needs beyond their studies.

“We pride ourselves on maintaining high standards of teaching and on being future focused in our approach to education. A number of our staff have been recognised with the Australian Office of Learning and Teaching Awards for teaching excellence and outstanding contributions to student learning,”said Professor Nigel de Bussy, the Pro Vice-Chancellor.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International