Business education more crucial than ever, deans of top schools say

Liu Qiao, dean of Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, and Francesca Cornelli, dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, share their insights on the current value of business education amid various challenges in an exclusive interview with China Daily on November 9, 2024. Business education is increasingly vital to prepare leaders with strong soft skills, cultural sensitivity, and critical thinking abilities in today's globalized and technology-driven world, deans of top global management schools said. Liu Qiao, dean of Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, and Francesca Cornelli, dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, shared their insights in an exclusive interview with China Daily on the current value of business education amid challenges posed by geopolitical landscape and rapidly evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence. Guanghua's dean Liu said that critical thinking has become an essential skill for business leaders, especially as AI tools such as ChatGPT make information and answers more accessible than ever. Deans of both Guanghua and Kellogg said the program is a key initiative for advancing cross-cultural understanding and sustaining a constructive partnership between China and the US in business education.