People and Places: August 2026

Article

26 August 2026

Imperial Business School launches joint MSc in AI, Economics, and Policy with the Department of Computing. IIMB to open a new campus in Indonesia.

Transitions

The University of Bologna in Italy has selected Christiane Spitzmueller to become dean of Bologna Business School (BBS). She comes to BBS from the University of California, Merced, where she is currently a professor of psychological sciences and vice provost for academic affairs and strategy. She previously founded the Center for Applied Psychological Research at the University of Houston and today leads the Center for Excellence in Faculty Advancement, a multi-institution research consortium funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation that has produced the largest quantitative studies of how universities make faculty career decisions. Spitzmueller also has experience as a visiting professor at Lagos Business School in Nigeria and at Memorial University of Newfoundland’s business school in Canada. She will take up her post at BBS on 15 September. Massimo Bergami previously served as dean of BBS from 2000 to May 2026 and is currently the institution’s executive president.

Raj Krishnan Shankar has been appointed as the next director of Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, in India. Shankar, who spent more than a decade working in consulting before turning to academia, previously held faculty positions in entrepreneurship at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, and at Nord University Business School in Norway. Debashis Sanyal previously served as director from 2018 to 2024, when he became director of Great Lakes, Chennai. Jones Mathew has been serving as interim dean of the school.

Dennis Yu has been named dean of the School of Business at Stockton University in New Jersey. He took the position on 13 July after nearly two decades in various leadership positions at Clarkson University in upstate New York. Yu, who was most recently a professor of operations and information systems, was previously the director of assessment and accreditation at the university’s Reh School of Business as well as associate dean for graduate and professional programs at the Reh School from 2020 to May 2022. Yu took on the role at Stockton upon the departure of Alphonso Ogbuehi, who accepted the position of dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies at Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina.

Mikhail Kouliavtsev has been selected as the next dean of the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Texas A&M University–Central Texas. Previously, he was a long-serving faculty member and administrator at Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business. His roles included head of the economics and finance department and director of the Center for Business and Economic Research. Kouliavtsev’s appointment at COBA was effective on 1 August. He replaces James Lumpkin, who has led the college on an interim basis for the past year.

Laurence Ales has been named interim dean of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh. He assumed the position on 1 July after nearly two decades in various positions at the Tepper School. He joined the CMU faculty in 2008 as an associate professor of economics and most recently served as the senior associate dean for education. In the latter role, he worked closely with faculty and staff to strengthen the Tepper School’s educational programs and enhance the student experience across its degree offerings. Ales succeeds Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, who concluded her six-year tenure and will return to the faculty in the 2027–28 academic year.

Michigan Technological University in Houghton has appointed Srinath “Sri” Beldona as dean of the College of Business. Beldona comes to Michigan Tech after serving as chief academic officer and special assistant to the president at East Texas A&M University’s Dallas campus. Before that, he was dean and professor of management at the Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business. Beldona succeeds Dean L. Johnson, who led the college on an interim basis from January to November 2016, when he assumed the permanent position. Johnson joined the Michigan Tech faculty in 1996, achieving promotion to full professor in 2012, and accepting the position as associate dean in 2014. He also served as the James and Dolores Trethewey APMP professor and founding director of the Applied Portfolio Management Program.

New Programs

Starting in September 2027, the University of Washington Foster School of Business in Seattle will offer a new Master of Science in Finance (MSF) designed for recent college graduates from quantitative fields of study. The STEM-designated, 46-credit program bridges the gap between broad undergraduate study and the highly technical demands of modern finance roles by combining a rigorous finance curriculum with applied learning experiences and embedded career coaching. The MSF is structured to help students build skills that remain relevant as technologies evolve. Students joining the program will be able to tailor their education by taking elective modules alongside the core curriculum. Elective modules cover topics like machine learning, blockchain, behavioral finance, sustainable finance, and global markets, among others.

The McCombs School of Business and the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have designed a multidisciplinary degree program that will begin enrolling students for the fall of 2027. The new five-year program aims to blend technical innovation and strategic business thinking. Students in Cockrell’s mechanical or petroleum engineering or geosystems engineering and hydrogeology programs can apply for the Cockrell-McCombs BS/MS Honors Program and can choose to study in one of four specialized programs at McCombs—including business analytics, finance, marketing, and information technology and management. Accepted students will participate in a study abroad experience during their first year and multiple internships throughout the program. Students will earn both a Bachelor of Science in engineering and a Master of Science in business.

Imperial Business School has launched the U.K.’s first graduate degree to combine technical AI training with economics, law, and governance in a single curriculum. Imperial College London’s Department of Computing and Imperial Business School are jointly launching an MSc in AI, Economics, and Policy degree. Students will develop a strong foundation in AI systems and data-driven technologies, alongside a deep understanding of competition, digital markets, the economics of AI, and legal and regulatory approaches to AI governance. The degree also offers a pathway to a PhD and research careers in AI governance and digital markets. Applications are currently being accepted for September 2027 admission.

The Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow has unveiled a new executive education portfolio developed in partnership with employers across Scotland to create a more accessible, affordable, and practical approach to professional development. The new portfolio has been co-designed around the challenges employers say matter most, from developing stronger leaders and creating more inclusive workplaces to harnessing artificial intelligence and improving organizational performance. The inaugural executive education portfolio includes four flagship programs: Adaptive Leadership: EQ and Neuroinclusivity; AI for Productivity and Growth; Menopause Ready: Lead. Protect. Perform.; and The LeadHERship Retreat (with former Influential Leaders honoree Kathleen Riach as a faculty expert). The business school also introduced a tiered pricing model designed to ensure organizations are not excluded because of budget constraints. Program fees begin at 295 GBP (roughly 400 USD) for charities, NGOs, and nonprofit organizations, with additional discounted rates for University of Glasgow alumni, and corporate pricing.

Collaborations

ESCP Business School has announced a new strategic partnership with McKinsey & Company aimed at incorporating real-world strategy and consulting expertise into the institution’s Master in Strategy and Digital Business (MSDB) program, delivered at ESCP’s Berlin campus. As part of the collaboration, a team of McKinsey consultants will teach a dedicated course within the MSDB curriculum, offering students direct exposure to the analytical frameworks and strategic thinking that shape digital business decisions at the highest level. In addition, McKinsey experts will give guest lectures and lead workshops, providing students with insight into the real-world development of digital business strategies.

Aventis Graduate School in Singapore and the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC) recently signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic framework for advanced executive education. Together, they will launch two immersive executive training initiatives that will take place in October. The programs will run in two distinct cohorts and are designed to move organizational leaders beyond foundational AI awareness toward practical, scalable, and secure deployment in real corporate environments. The three-day professional certificate program is a fast-track option for tech-forward professionals and enterprise innovators, focusing on immediate proficiency with generative AI tools, cross-border workflows, and real-world commercialization. The five-day CXO certificate is a comprehensive executive track featuring intensive masterclasses, enterprise infrastructure strategy mapping, and a final pitch arena. Participants will also have a free day to explore Guangzhou, China, or network informally. Upon completion, participants will receive the CXO Certificate in AI Innovation, Enterprise Transformation, and China Tech Ecosystems, jointly issued by senior leadership from both Aventis Graduate School and the CSGKC.

The Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas is collaborating with DeSales University’s Waterbury Reilly School of Business, a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, to expand online graduate pathways. Through a memorandum of understanding, graduate students at each university will be able to pursue select online concentration courses offered by the partner institution while remaining at their home university. DeSales University students may access University of Dallas courses in accounting, finance, and financial planning, while University of Dallas students may enroll in healthcare management and operations and supply chain management courses at DeSales University. Courses are delivered online, with flexible synchronous and asynchronous options that support working professionals and graduate students balancing academic, professional, and personal commitments. The partnership is designed to promote access to rigorous graduate education, support holistic student development, and strengthen professional relevance across high-demand fields. The universities also plan to use the partnership as a platform for continued collaboration, including student-facing information sessions, faculty-led conversations, and future programming on topics such as ethical business leadership, financial planning, and operations.

The S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in India has partnered with global edtech platform Great Learning to launch a portfolio of AI-led executive programs for working professionals. The new academic offerings aim to address the evolving demand for managers, senior leaders, and C-suite executives who can move beyond understanding AI to governing, scaling, and applying it responsibly across business functions. SPJIMR faculty are designing the curriculum and will deliver the three programs in the portfolio in partnership with mentored learning from Great Learning’s network of industry practitioners. Taught entirely online, the five-month Artificial intelligence and Generative AI for Managers program is tailored for early- to mid-career professionals seeking to build practical and strategic AI capabilities while addressing areas such as compliance and regulatory alignment. Further, senior professionals joining the seven-month AI for Business Leaders program will be able to tailor their education by taking a specialization track alongside the core curriculum. Tracks cover topics like fintech, supply chain and operations, digital marketing, and technology leadership, among others. And lastly, the nine-month Chief Financial Officer program will blend live online courses with campus immersions to help participants develop strategic capabilities, including corporate valuation, risk management, governance, forensic accounting, and AI-enabled finance transformation. Upon completion, participants will earn a Certificate of Completion from SPJIMR.

Grants and Donations

David Bruce Smith made a new bequest on behalf of his late parents, Robert H. and Clarice Smith, to the University of Maryland in College Park that will continue to support the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the scholarships and programs they supported. Half of the money, 5 million USD, will establish two endowed positions: a professorship in business leadership, technology, and societal impact, and a faculty fellowship in business and innovation, each of which will also bear Robert H.’s name. The new Do Good endowed professorship will enable a faculty member to work at the intersection of entrepreneurship and the public good. Possible areas for research include how AI might enhance transparency and accountability, sustainable business models, and inclusive economic growth. The faculty fellowship will recognize a junior faculty member who advances the Smith School in innovative ways. The second half will provide funding to enhance productions and programming initiatives at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The Smith family is one of the largest benefactors of the Smith School and the College of Arts and Humanities, which includes The Clarice, the Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture, and the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, the latter two of which are named for the Smiths’ late daughter.

Centers and Facilities

Last month, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) in India announced plans to establish a second location in Singhasari, Indonesia. The proposed campus will aim to strengthen research collaborations, faculty development, consulting initiatives, and policy partnerships. It will also expand opportunities for student exchanges and industry engagement across Indonesia and the wider ASEAN region. IIMB will deliver its offerings in two phases: short-duration executive education programs in phase one, followed by the degree-granting programs in phase two. The announcement comes after a memorandum of understanding was recently signed between IIM Bangalore and the Singhasari Special Economic Zone, where the international campus is expected to be located.

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