I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Dr. Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans, a researcher practitioner at Zuyd International Business School, in the Netherlands. Her decades of experience in sustainability education shine through as she speaks passionately about the work they are doing at Zuyd, and the fantastic support they provide their students in creating space for the whole student. At Zuyd, the students choose their own path and projects stimulated by their curiosity and lecturers facilitate their learning experience. This provides space for practical application of knowledge as knowledge is passed on through a transdisciplinary approach. Jeanine shared some insight into the work they have been doing on an Erasmus+ project ‘Innovating Business Education for Responsible Global Minds’ (IBE-ReGloMi).
IBE-ReGloMi: A Reflective Framework for Responsible Global Minds
Together with colleagues from KEDGE Business School, University Babes Bolyai, Kozminski University, TH Koln and the EFMD, SIB developed a reflective framework consisting of 15 graduate attributes that could be organized into four main clusters. Dr. Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans who is a principal investigator of the IBE-ReGloMi project explains:
What does IBE-ReGloMi stand for and deal with?
The Erasmus+ project ‘Innovating Business Education for Responsible Global Minds’ (IBE-ReGloMi) addresses the critical need for a new generation of business graduates equipped to drive sustainable and equitable transformation in business development, especially in today’s increasingly volatile and uncertain world.
How did you identify the future-oriented graduate attributes that business expressed a need for?
In collaboration with 19 businesses from five European countries, 17 student focus groups from partner universities, and 9 interviews with academics through the EFMD, the project created a framework consisting of 15 graduate attributes across four dimensions. These attributes can be applied to various disciplinary contexts, job profiles, and national, regional, and international business contexts. The framework was validated with 4 to 6 academics at each partner institution (> 25 in total) and then consolidated within the partnership. The findings indicated a shift in the focus of graduate requirements: from competences purely related to core business domains to a focus on person-related transversal competences. These competences refer to the development of the student as an ethical, interculturally competent professional, capable of informed problem-solving and decision-making.
What are the main principles that underpin the IBE-ReGloMi framework?
First, it is important to understand that these graduate attributes are not isolated entities. They are interconnected and collectively promote the holistic development of the student as both a professional and an individual. This implies that the attributes need to be embedded into the core business disciplines of a study program or individual learning pathway, such as Student in the Lead. Second, the framework highlights the changing role of the lecturer from expert to coach. This implies, among other things, that the lecturer as a coach must reflect on their own values and beliefs (positionality) that are being promoted through the IBE-ReGloMi framework.
How do you think that IB coaches/experts can use this framework?
The IBE-ReGloMi framework is a reflective tool that is strongly aligned with the new Dutch International Business program learning outcomes. It inspired us when writing the assessment rubric for our own IB program. In daily practice, it supports feedback and feedforward conversations between students and coaches. It has the potential to map a study program against the identified graduate attributes. Additionally, it can be used in conversations with companies to develop business challenges, evaluate internships, or map job profiles. Importantly, it may also function as a reflective tool for coaches and lecturers to reflect on their own positions and what this implies for their coaching roles.
Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans, Sanne van Oort and Marcus de Vries are all part of the Impact Network for Regenerative Futures and help to facilitate students, such as those involved in the Green Biking Initiative. The students are forming an active group of international members getting started with surveys and designing ideas to help the community in Valencia, Spain. If you want to read more about this great hub in the Netherlands and connect with the facilitators, click on the links above. More updates coming soon!
What are you curious to learn about right now? Could you pursue a project that could be put into action and provide support directly?
Also there is a call for proposals/ save the date for the final conference of the Erasmus+ conference of the Zuyd project Innovating Business Education for Responsible Global Minds.
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