Interviews with industry leaders provide insights into views of business schools and their graduates.

ABDC members have now received the ABDC report on Industry-Business School Engagement, which was commissioned by the ABDC to improve understanding of how Australian business schools are perceived and how Business Deans can engage more effectively with industry, government and business professions.

The interviews, with peak industry bodies and three of the four ‘Big Four’ professional services firms, were chosen to represent a wide spread of interests and provide a detailed snapshot of current industry perceptions of business schools and their graduates.

This first stage of the ABDC Engagement Project will be complemented by Deans’ interviews with business school Advisory Board members, which are currently underway.

‘Many of the criticisms will be well known to ABDC members. No doubt some will be judged as more about perception than reality. However, the ABDC believes that both perceptions and realities must be addressed if business schools are to meet, and be seen to meet, the requirements of industries and our graduates, and to maintain their social licence as valid researchers and educators critical to Australia’s future,’ ABDC President, Professor Tony Travaglione, says.

‘Those interviewed have made many practical suggestions on how to improve business school engagement with their respective industries; most effectively teach and provide students with practical experiences; how to guide graduates so they perform better in job interviews and at work; how to hone, deliver and communicate research of clear value to business.’

‘The ABDC is now acting on some of the recommendations, as approved by the ABDC Executive Committee,’ Professor Travaglione says.