The Business School - Issues for a New Future is a collection of public research papers, created by Woods Bagot. Consisting of a series of nine individual papers, it explores strategies to enable the industry to harness and develop the talents of the next generation of business leaders.
"The higher education industry is facing a web of challenges such as a decline in government funding, weakening student in-takes, ageing infrastructure, and increased institutional competitiveness; combined with the challenges of a new generation of students and the ever-evolving landscape of technology," commented Mark Kelly, Global Director, Education, Health and Science, Woods Bagot.
"As innovators for tomorrow, we see this current state of play as a chance to question the norms, investigate trends and explore strategies for change."
Undeniably, the papers draw a strong correlation between the typologies of space and the success of an institution in meeting its objectives as a global leader in business education.
"Business schools are in a unique position to steer business strategy and engage tomorrow's leaders. Innovative design is paramount to the success of an institution in converting the current opportunities and creating not only a distinctive brand proposition, but also a lasting contribution to learning, teaching and business practices of the future," added Mark.
Furthermore, there is a strong call for institutions to take stock of the innovations occurring in today's workplace environments, which are undergoing significant change.
"Integration, collaboration and cross-silo fertilisation are critical to the success of business schools; looking towards the professional sector is the best starting point for inspiration and guidance for future typologies of our higher education institutions," noted Mark.
This approach also speaks to the notion of aligning higher education spaces to the expectations of a professional environment and employee needs.
"Technology and generational change has seen a significant shift in the way people live, work and learn. The business school of the future must adapt as the workplace is doing in order to meet the basic needs of the current and future generation," said Mark.