Tuck School Advances the Cause of Experiential Learning: MBA News

A summit looking at ways to develop the use of experiential learning across management education in the MENA region was held at the American University in Cairo School of Business yesterday.

‘Learning by Doing: The Power of Experiential Learning in Management Education’ was cohosted by the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, the American University in Cairo and the nonprofit organization, the Global Business School Network (GBSN).

“We are excited to help advance the study and practice of this critical aspect of management education,” said Phillip Stocken, associate dean for the Tuck School’s MBA program, in a press release. Representatives from UVA Darden School of Business and George Washington University School of Business were also in attendance alongside the Tuck School.  

Of course, the use of experiential learning at business school is not just a matter of its application into curricula and teaching methods. To give management students a platform for hands on practice, opportunities in industry are also required. For this reason, the summit also considered ways of increasing private sector engagement through panel discussions that featured the president and CEO for General Electric in Northeast Africa and Proctor & Gamble Near East’s general manager, among others.

Millennials ‘expect immediate feedback’ says American University in Cairo

In explaining the pertinence of experiential learning in modern management education, the business school dean at the American University in Cairo, Karim Seghir, pointed to the differing outlooks held by the emerging generation:

“Generation Y does not get inspired by conventional teaching methods; they want to be active participants in the learning experience. Millennials want to immediately see how they can apply what they have studied. They expect immediate feedback,” Seghir said.

Learning through experience is accepted as an essential component of MBA programs in established business education markets in North America and Europe, but in emerging markets and countries with fewer resources the practice is far less prevalent.    

Promoting the development of management education in these areas is the work of the GBSN, a body that includes Michigan Ross, Ivey Business School and St. Gallen on its executive board, as well as the American University in Cairo and the Tuck School among its members.  

“One of the biggest challenges facing developing world management schools is to meet the expectations of talent-seeking companies,” said GBSN’s founder and CEO, Guy Pfeffermann, adding: “I can’t think of a better way to hone problem-solving, teamwork, communications, and other critical skills than taking part in a well-run experiential learning project.”