Global Education Will Generate Global Growth
The globalization of business creates both challenges and opportunities. John Danilovich, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, describes how globally-standardized professional education could be the key to success
The business world is globalizing. For evidence, look no further than the growth in south-south trade (i.e. trade between emerging markets). It’s a trend that’s set to continue – with south-south trade expected to account for a third of all global trade – and nearly all of global trade growth – by 2020. Realizing this potential is one of the most important challenges facing business in the current environment.
At the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), we think education is key. Strong education yields strong growth. And global business growth will need global business education.
Certainly, a key factor in stimulating this growth will be standardization in terms of professional education and certification. What we need is a single, global, standard that reaches and is recognized by all – equipping people with the best tools for tackling professional situations. It’s not enough that individuals and organizations worldwide should have sound business practices – their practices must also be compatible with one another. A universal standard eliminates barriers to business that arise when the business practices of different cultures prove incompatible – clearing the path for the global projects and global collaboration that drive economic growth worldwide.
This is the reasoning behind ICC’s groundbreaking educational initiative, the ICC Academy. Aiming to satisfy the need for standardized global business education, the Academy will look to provide world-class, certified business courses via a dynamic digital platform. These courses are designed to nurture the highest standards of business proficiency and ethical conduct – promoting the skills and habits that are necessary for creating global partnerships.
To this end, ICC has enlisted its own business experts and practitioners to devise and teach the Academy’s curriculum. Their expertise will be supplemented by content from external advisors in senior-business and policy-making positions. What’s more, the Academy will also call on ICC’s extensive global reach – with a business network spanning millions of organizations in over 130 countries – to ensure global recognition and influence for its courses.
Delivery
Also key to unifying the world’s business practices is the delivery of professional education. Delivering courses digitally – via an online platform – enables people from completely different geographies to attend the same course at the same time. They can even take part in group-based project work – collaborating with other individuals, in spite of the difference that separates them. Furthermore, digital delivery means pupils can fit their study around busy work schedules.
For this reason, the ICC Academy uses a dynamic digital platform – one that facilitates precisely this kind of accessible, collaborative education. The reach and flexibility that this affords is key to increasing global exposure to high-quality education. And its value in the emerging markets – where there is potential to expand both growth and the provision of business education – cannot be overestimated.
Centralized and standardized
Centralization is also important for standardizing business education. By developing courses centrally and distributing them universally, the standard of education is made the same everywhere in the world, with remote and undeveloped areas having access to the same quality of education as in developed economies. We believe this a key requirement for encouraging equality in development opportunities.
We have chosen to centralize the ICC Academy in Singapore – in view of the city’s established excellence as a trading and finance hub. What’s more, this location complements the Academy’s inaugural range of courses, which focuses on banking and includes almost 70 online courses and three global certificates in trade finance. Of course, the curriculum will quickly broaden to include all areas of ICC business expertise.
Shaping the future
Of course, it is important to remain attuned to new developments – adapting to meet the demands of a rapidly-changing business environment. New courses, new technology and new educational techniques will all be features of the Academy’s future offerings – making it an ideal partner for corporates and multilateral institutions. Through this, the Academy will help these companies develop their employees – and in turn their competitive edge.
This article was published on 22nd March 2015, for the World Water Day, in Global Education Magazine.