October 23, 2019

Financial Times lists UOW business school in best practice report

UOW named for incorporating Aboriginal knowledge into curriculum, gender equity

The University of Wollongong (UOW) Sydney Business School has been lauded among the best in the world by business news outlet the Financial Times.

In a bid to showcase best practices in tertiary business schools across the globe, the Financial Times has published a list of universities, promoting the projects run by the universities that are making a significant social impact.

The list, published on 21 October, promotes best practices of sustainability, ethics and social purpose.

UOW received a mention for its Jindaola program, which incorporates Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives into the Masters of Business Administration curriculum and for its Women in MBA program, which offers 50 scholarships to women.

The UOW Sydney Business School worked with Jade Kennedy, a lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges and Jindaola program leader, who helped to embed Aboriginal knowledge into the curriculum. The course introduces “yarning”, or dialogue, circles, used for centuries by Indigenous peoples to build respectful relationships and preserve cultural knowledge. In the subject, “Responsible leadership effectiveness”, students explore Aboriginal leadership, stakeholder consultation and decision-making.

Both domestic and international students have responded well to the unique learning experience now offered at UOW.

The scholarships for women provide financial support to women in middle management who are studying and link them with senior female academics who mentor them, focusing on career planning and achieving work-life balance.

UOW Faculty of Business Executive Dean Professor Charles Areni said UOW’s Women in MBA program was a succession planning program that ensures that the future leadership of companies will include women who possess the right professional and academic qualifications.

“The MBA is the most commonly found degree in executive teams and boardrooms around the world,” Professor Areni said.

“It has been referred to as the passport to senior management roles. Yet the MBA is also the business degree where women are most under-represented globally. Over two-thirds of MBA graduates are men.”

UOW is one of three Australian universities recognised by the Financial Times, and one of only 16 universities worldwide to be named in more than one category.

Professor Areni said he was proud to see two UOW projects mentioned on the coveted list.

“In the Faculty of Business at the University of Wollongong, sustainable, responsible management is more than just a strategic objective or a core value,” Professor Areni said.

“It’s part of our DNA. We demonstrate this through our support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and we turn commitment into action, and action into impact whenever and wherever we can. This mindset is embedded in our academic programs, guides the research we undertake, and underpins the societal issues we address.”

The expert judging panel included major business school accreditation bodies, industry leaders from Bank of England, BNP Paribas and Accenture and corporate sustainability initiative UN Global Compact.

Photo: Sydney Business School Dean Grace McCarthy. By Paul Jones