Enhancing the Worldview of HBS Students and Faculty

Building on a legacy of global engagement, Harvard Business School has made internationalization a key priority for its second century. To prepare leaders to meet the challenges of today’s society, the School focuses on research, course development, teaching, and the dissemination of ideas that enhance global understanding. HBS is committed to extending the School’s intellectual impact far beyond its campus.

With more than a third of MBA students and two-thirds of Executive Education participants coming from outside the United States, today’s classrooms reflect our global society. In the MBA Program, all students in the first year get hands-on exposure to organizations in emerging markets through the January module of the FIELD (Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development) course. In their second year, many build on their knowledge through globally focused coursework, including IXPs (Immersion Experience Programs).

The School’s faculty—more than 40 percent of whom were born outside of the United States—are engaged in research and teaching that are global in scope. To enhance their work, the School provides Global Research Fellowships and short-term immersion experiences, as well the resources of nine Global Research Centers in key geographic areas (see map below). The centers facilitate the development of research and case studies while strengthening the School’s relationships in the local community. By offering a lean but deeply networked international presence, the centers enable the faculty to produce research that informs management practice around the world and have become a locus for HBS activities in their regions.

The insights faculty members gain from their research are disseminated across an ever-widening audience that includes MBA students and Executive Education participants, as well as leaders in industry, government, and academia. The School also draws on the expertise of its 26,000 alumni living outside the United States. Those who serve on HBS regional advisory or alumni boards, or as members of the new Global Leaders Circle, provide significant support and guidance so that HBS—the faculty, students, and research—has truly global perspective and impact.

A Sampling of HBS Global Activities

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