A world of opportunities: The Global Network for Advanced Management

As the only Canadian member of the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM), a collaboration of 32 graduate schools around the world, the UBC Sauder School of Business offers students global learning opportunities and numerous ways to share knowledge, meet talented peers, and explore programming across partner institutions.

Today’s leaders in all sectors are being asked to find solutions to increasingly complex and largescale problems. That’s where UBC Sauder stands out with access to other leading business schools through its membership in GNAM.

A competitive advantage 

For participating UBC Sauder students, the chance to gain global business experience through GNAM is a unique competitive advantage. Whether its traveling to international universities, touring local businesses, or taking online courses offered by schools in the network, students can gain valuable experience in cultures spanning six continents. 

Offerings include a Dual Degree with the Yale School of Management, attending intensive week-long courses at partner universities, and connecting virtually with MBA candidates from around the world to collaborate on projects and gain skills virtually in a global business setting. 

These experiences give students a real opportunity to expand their learning and their connections beyond the walls of UBC Sauder, says Dean Darren Dahl. 

“When you are in an international context, you get to hear other perspectives and meet other people from around the world and hear their views,” says Dahl. “We know these experiences have all kinds of benefits: you’re more creative, more emphatic, and more motivated.”

Dean Dahl says GNAM member institutions are all world class in terms of their research, teaching, impact, and thought leadership. The school’s participation in GNAM further builds UBC Sauder’s standing as a globally leading business school and strengthens the school’s name recognition, giving all students an edge. 

“Being part of the club, this grouping, is a strong signal that UBC is on the world stage,” says Dahl. “It’s a competitive advantage that we’re the only Canadian school that is a member of GNAM.”

As a platform for innovation, GNAM also provides UBC Sauder faculty with access to cutting-edge expertise and industries beyond Canadian borders.

“When we go to GNAM, we learn how other schools are dealing with ChatGPT as an instrument for enhanced learning, for example,” explains Dahl. “We’re learning from institutions that have great relationships with multinational companies located all over the world. We can access that innovation and those ideas because we are part of this group.”

Global Network Deans and Directors Meeting

UBC Sauder is focused on enhancing its connections through the network, most recently as host of the 23rd Global Network Deans and Directors Meeting. In May 2023, leaders from 32 member schools converged in Vancouver to network, share ideas, and look at ways to move GNAM forward. 

The theme of the conference asked participants to consider the role business schools can play in issues impacting marginalized communities, including Indigenous reconciliation, the opioid crisis, and malnutrition.

For Jörg Rocholl, President of ESMT Berlin and Chair of the GNAM Steering Committee, this opportunity for dialogue highlights the value of the Global Network itself.

“For me, it was a very eye-opening discussion, as it urged us to reflect broadly on the overall societal benefit business schools can generate,” explains Rocholl. “The rising issues of our time – whether it is geopolitics or climate change – require a concerted global effort. We need more global exchange to understand each other's perspectives. That is what is so important about this network. It provides exactly those opportunities.”

Rocholl says hearing a uniquely Canadian point of view on globally relevant topics, such as Indigenous reconciliation and sustainability was also a highlight. “It's great to have a Canadian business school in the network and to have that specific Canadian perspective. This was a unique experience, and it inspired a lot of thinking.”

This two-way knowledge sharing and the opportunity to showcase unique initiatives at UBC Sauder allows the school to broaden its impact, says Dahl. “That’s part of being a good partner: bringing what you do that is unique and valuable to the broader community.”
 
With the network expanding, these opportunities will only continue to grow. The member institutions are now focused on expanding GNAM’s offerings to include more options for undergraduate and graduate students and enhanced executive education and career services programs.