…and They Will Come
At HBS this spring, the world-renowned architect A. Eugene Kohn is teaching Design, Construction & Development Risk in Commercial Construction, an MBA elective. Kohn is the founder and chairman of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), a firm he has shaped into a world leader in all aspects of architectural practice. KPF projects include IBM headquarters, buildings at London’s Canary Wharf, and the Shanghai World Financial Center.
HBS Debaters Muzzle Yale Bulldog
In November, in the friendly confines of Spangler Auditorium, the HBS debate team talked circles around a visiting contingent from the Yale School of Management and won a 2–1 decision. As reported by the Harbus, the motion up for debate was, “This House believes that the U.S. government should impose a windfall tax on U.S. oil corporations.” One hour before the debate began, the HBS team was picked to argue in favor of the resolution. According to the Harbus, the judges favored the HBS team for its ability to frame the motion in ethical terms, as opposed to Yale’s focus on the tax as impractical.
Porter Ranks Competitiveness
The United States and Germany remain at the top of the latest global Business Competitiveness Index produced by University Professor Michael Porter and two colleagues at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. China slipped nine places to No. 64 out of 121 countries surveyed, while India moved up four places to No. 27. The index is part of the research contributing to The Global Competitiveness Report 2006–2007, released last September by the World Economic Forum. For more information, visit www.weforum.org/gcr.
Allston to Get Harvard Museum
A new Harvard art museum will join the University’s planned life-sciences complex on Western Avenue across from HBS — the first two structures in Harvard’s long-range expansion plan in Allston. University officials announced the selection of the 1.6-acre site at 224 Western Avenue late last year. Construction on the 125,000- to 135,000-square-foot, three-story museum is expected to begin in the fall. When completed in late 2009, it will house modern and contemporary art and include retail space and a café. Construction of the 530,000-square-foot life-sciences complex will begin by midyear. To learn more about the University’s newly released Allston Master Plan, visit www.allston.harvard.edu/ai.htm.
Latin American Conference
Two former Latin American presidents, a dozen chief executives, and more than thirty top managers and HBS faculty participated in the lX Latin American Conference held at HBS in January. Some 400 attendees took part in a daylong series of presentations on the business challenges and opportunities in Latin America. Speakers addressed the general lack of understanding of the region’s business dynamics and the worrying lag in competitiveness relative to emerging markets in China and India. The conference was sponsored by the HBS Club Latinoamericano. To learn more, see the article in the January 29 issue of the Harbus, http://media.www.harbus.org.
HBS Hosts Chinese Educators
As part of its continuing initiative to help improve management education in Greater China, the School, along with HBS Publishing, welcomed 77 senior professors and deans in mid-January for the fourth session of the Program on Case Method and Participant-Centered Learning. Educators from eighteen top business schools in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore participated. Since early 2005, more than 216 business educators, including 37 deans and associate deans from China's top twenty business schools, have completed the program. HBS faculty provide intensive instruction in the participant-centered learning model, case teaching, case writing, and course development. For details, visit www.hbs.edu/news/.
