Spanish business schools join forces to advance educational programmes in Next Generation projects

Fourteen Spanish business schools have issued a joint statement requesting that the Next Generation (NG) funds to be approved shortly by the Spanish Government take educational programmes into account so that entrepreneurs and managers in Spain can transform “defunct business models into sustainable companies with growth potential.”

The signatory schools, which have the backing of AEEDE, Spain’s business school association, are willing to help the public authorities in order to ensure that the NG funds project “helps modernise Spain’s productive fabric and improves the quality and sustainability of employment.” They state that they are at the forefront of education around the world, as confirmed by international rankings, and that Spain is one of the main educational destinations for executives from Europe and other parts of the world.

The signatories of the manifesto are: IESE Business School, IE Business School, Esade, EADA Business School, ESIC Business & Marketing, EDEM, ISDI, San Telmo Business School, IEB, UPF Barcelona School of Management, LA SALLE School of Business, DEUSTO Business School, EAE Business School and ICADE Business School.

Joint statement issued by Spanish business schools

1. As demonstrated by many international rankings, Spain’s business schools are at the forefront of education and research around the globe. As a result, Spain is one of the main educational destinations for executives from Europe and other parts of the world. This is a considerable source of talent because many students settle here after graduation, and it also plays an important role in the image that these international professionals have of Spain.
2. For many years, our business schools have contributed enormously to enhancing the decision-making of executives in Spanish companies, and likewise to creating alumni networks with hundreds of thousands of members who have contributed decisively to international growth, and to promoting innovation and sustainability.
3. In order to achieve the ambitious challenges set out in the resilience and recovery plan funded by the EU, it is essential for the managers of Spanish companies to have a first-rate education. The shift in the manufacturing and economic model requires more than merely investing in equipment and infrastructures, it also calls for managers and entrepreneurs able to transform defunct business models into sustainable companies with growth potential.
4. We believe it is essential for strategic projects and major investments in Spain to be accompanied by educational programmes on a par with the respective decision maker to ensure an outstanding, innovative vision during their implementation.
5. Business schools have pioneered the adaptation of their methodologies to the new digital context. Their potential for facilitating access to knowledge throughout Spain is an invaluable asset that helps increase social and regional unity, economic growth and the distribution of wealth.
6. Finally, we place all our academic and teaching potential at the service of the public authorities in order to contribute, in the manner deemed most appropriate, to making the entire NG funds project a great success that helps modernise our productive fabric and improve the quality and sustainability of employment in Spain.