Top 10 Schulich Stories of 2023
Schulich Launches New Tech MBA
In September, Schulich launched its new MBA in Technology Leadership (Tech MBA), the first of its kind in Canada. The 16-month, highly experiential professional program will help develop the next generation of leaders for a business world that is increasingly tech driven.
The program is designed to equip students with the leadership and management skills needed to succeed in a business world facing major transformational changes, including the rapid application of artificial intelligence and other technological advances. Key program features include a guaranteed workplace internship lasting one full term, direct exposure to industry leaders as part of a small selective class, and career support though the Tech MBA’s Professional Development Hive, two professional development courses focusing on employability skills and career readiness.
Schulich Appoints New Chair in Sustainable Finance
In August, Schulich announced that Dr. Olaf Weber had been appointed as the inaugural holder of the new CIBC Chair in Sustainable Finance. The research chair was established last year thanks to a commitment made by CIBC and adds another important chair at Schulich focused on responsible business.
Dr. Weber has had a distinguished career in the field of sustainable finance marked by cutting-edge research on the intersection of business and financial institutions’ sustainability. As the inaugural CIBC Chair in Sustainable Finance, he will pursue pioneering research that generates actionable solutions within the global finance sector.
Schulich Launches New Master of Health Industry Administration
In September, Schulich launched the School’s newest Master’s degree – the Master of Health Industry Administration (MHIA), one of the first of its kind in Canada.
The MHIA program, developed under the auspices of Schulich’s Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership, will help develop the next generation of healthcare leaders for the burgeoning and increasingly complex healthcare industry. The one-year, highly applied professional program is designed to equip students with the leadership and management skills needed to succeed in an industry facing major transformational changes, including an aging population and the emergence and adoption of new delivery models and technologies such as artificial intelligence, business analytics and virtual care.
Schulich Announces $1 Million Commitment in Support of School’s Centre for Customer Centricity
In November, Schulich announced that it had received a new $1 million commitment from StarTech.com in support of the School’s Centre for Customer Centricity, a hub for the creation, application and dissemination of knowledge related to making organizations customer centric.
The Centre was established in 2019 thanks to an initial $1 million gift, which was also provided by StarTech.com, a leading IT connectivity products manufacturer with operations in 26 countries. The Centre assists organizations in implementing a customer-centric management philosophy and culture. The Centre also provides organizations with customized consulting projects carried out annually by teams of Schulich MBA students involving extensive industry, competitor, and customer analysis, followed by insights and practical recommendations.
Schulich Takes Top Spot Nationally in 4 Rankings
Schulich placed #1 in Canada in four major rankings this past year:
- Financial Times Executive Education Ranking – Schulich ExecEd ranked 30thin the world in 2023 Financial Time’s ranking of the globe’s top executive education providers – the highest that Schulich ExecEd has ever ranked.
- Financial Times EMBA Ranking – The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA ranked #1 in Canada, 12th in North America and 37th globally. The program was also ranked #3 in the world in the category of Career Progress, 14th in the world in International Course Experience, 16th in the world in terms of incorporating ESG content into core courses, and 18th in the world in research.
- QS Master of Marketing Ranking – Schulich’s Master of Marketing program ranked #1 in Canada and among the top 10 in North America out of more than 130 programs around the globe surveyed by QS. The program also ranked #10 in the world in Alumni Outcomes – a category that measures the extent to which a school’s graduates have gone on to pursue highly successful careers.
- Corporate Knights MBA Ranking – Schulich’s MBA program placed #1 in Canada and 13th globally in responsible business. Corporate Knights surveyed more than 200 business schools around the world as part of this year’s Top 40 ranking. The ranking looked at the proportion of core courses from a school’s MBA program that include sustainability and social impact content.
Schulich Executive Learning Centre Named in Honour of Dezsö J. Horváth
In September, Schulich hosted a milestone celebration event that featured the renaming of the School’s Executive Learning Centre in honour of Dean Emeritus Dezsö J. Horváth.
Horváth, who led the School for 32 years, is the longest serving Dean of any major business school in the world. As Dean, Dr. Horváth built Schulich’s international prominence and renown. He transformed the SSB into a global business school and expanded its reach and influence. He also led the development of innovative degrees and programs. At the naming ceremony, he was praised for his “visionary leadership and distinguished service.”
Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick presented Dean Emeritus Horváth with a replica plaque in recognition of the honorific naming, describing it “as a proclamation of the high esteem in which you are held by our community, and as a sign of the sincere gratitude we share for all that you have done.”
Schulich and OneEleven Partner to Launch Joint Venture Studio
Schulich and OneEleven partnered to form a joint Venture Studio as part of the School’s new MBA in Technology Leadership. The Venture Studio will match teams of top students with member companies from both OneEleven and the Schulich Startups communities, completing pro bono strategic product and fundraising analysis for select startups.
The Venture Studio will also feature guest lectures by top founders and venture capitalists, project mentorship by leading innovators and investors, special joint events with OneEleven community members, and networking opportunities with OneEleven and the Schulich Startups community recruiting for new talent.
School Giving Day Sets New Record for Donations
In November, Schulich’s annual Giving Day campaign saw a record number of donors – 422 in total – who helped raise more than $290,000, surpassing the campaign goal by 145% and setting a new record for funds raised.
This year, the student-centered initiative focused on two key areas: the Highest Priorities Fund, which provides flexibility for innovative student experiences, including Career Readiness, the Schulich Startups Community, and the Schulich Business Excellence Academy (SBEA); and the Schulich Student Support Fund, which offers much-needed assistance to students facing unexpected financial challenges.
Schulich graduate Anna Ewing (MBA ’88), served as Honorary Chair of Schulich Giving Day 2023.
Schulich Researcher Ranks in World’s Top 1% for Citations
Perry Sadorsky, a Professor of Sustainability and Economics at Schulich, was named to the Highly Cited Researchers list for an impressive fifth consecutive year. The Highly Cited Researchers list is made up of academics whose work has consistently garnered the respect and attention of their peers, as measured by the production of multiple papers ranked in the top one percent by citations for their field and year in the Web of Science.
Professor Sadorsky’s widely cited research has shaped current practices and understanding in the fields of energy finance and business sustainability. He holds the top spot in energy finance and the third spot in business sustainability on Google Scholar and is currently co-editor of Energy Economics, the premier field journal for energy economics and energy finance.
Schulich Students Win Global Case Competition
A team of Schulich Master’s students took top spot at an international case competition hosted by Duke University that focused on energy in emerging markets. The team members were Ian Chang (JD/MBA ’24), Disha Mittal (JD/MBA ’24) and Abilash Sathyakumar (JD/MBA ’25) and they competed against 60 teams from 7 countries. In the final round, they went head to head against teams from Cambridge, Kellogg, IESE and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Their winning proposal offered a practical business model addressing the electrification challenges in Nigeria’s rural areas. The team was supported by Schulich graduate Neda Riazi (BBA ’14), who went to the national finals in the L’Oréal Brandstorm competition during her time at Schulich.