Dear GWSB Community,
It’s been a terrific start to the 2019-20 academic year. In keeping with our commitment to putting students’ interests first, we are continuing in our efforts to ensure our academic programs reflect the realities of today’s global business environment and prepare our graduates for success. Recent sessions with the Dean’s Advisory Council and Dean’s Corporate Council provided some excellent input on changes in MBA and undergraduate curriculum currently under consideration. In the course of my travels to the San Francisco Bay area, New York City and Boston, I also received valuable input from alumni, parents and business leaders.
This work on enhancing our curriculum is not taking place in a vacuum; it’s part of an overall, university-wide initiative led by GW President Thomas LeBlanc. Dr. LeBlanc joined us at this month’s faculty meeting and discussed the four important pillars of his five-year strategic plan to further advance the George Washington University toward its goal of becoming a pre-eminent, comprehensive, global research university: world-class faculty, high-quality undergraduate education, distinguished and distinctive graduate education, and high-impact research.
GWSB has representation on the four university-wide committees that are going to recommend concrete steps in each of these areas. We have a key role to play in this agenda, and I am optimistic about our contribution — and I know you are as well. We have a lot to be proud of and a great story to tell.
Our George Talks Business series has emerged as one of the best vehicles for telling our story to the wider world. GTB features live interviews with notable alumni and respected thought leaders from the business, government and nonprofit arenas. The program has drawn capacity in-studio audiences and an increasing number of online viewers for the series’ weekly webcasts.
GTB has garnered an enthusiastic following with its informative — and entertaining — roster of special guests, including Mark Lerner, managing principal owner and vice chairman of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. While I don’t mean to imply any sort of cause-and-effect relationship between the two events, it is true that since he appeared on GTB, Mr. Lerner’s Nats won the National League Pennant, becoming the first Washington ballclub to go to the World Series since 1933.
We also continue to tell our story through great “only at GW” events such as:
- The inaugural GW OCTOBER Entrepreneurship Week, which took place from October 1 through October 5. The five-day event featured an extensive schedule of presentations, workshops, competitions and networking events dedicated to celebrating entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity throughout GW. Thanks to Ayman El Tarabishy, teaching professor of management and executive director of the International Council for Small Business, for all his hard work in planning and organizing a truly outstanding program.
- The two recent presentations jointly hosted by GW Institute for International Economic Policy and The Growth Dialogue, “A New Push for Women’s Economic Empowerment: A High-Level Ministerial Panel” and “Policy Making in a World of Greater Uncertainty,” which featured impressive presentations by leading government finance officials from around the world. The presentations were moderated by Danny Leipziger, professor of international business and international affairs, and managing director of The Growth Dialogue.
It’s been a very productive and energizing time here at GWSB, and beyond. Speaking of which, this email is coming to you from China, where I am meeting with some of our many alumni here and supporting our global recruiting efforts. I hope to update you upon my return.
See you around campus!
All the best,
Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D.
Dean