From the President's desk
We have increased the number of member schools and have doubled from our original size to 34 business schools from 15 different countries in 2009. As the number of member and diversity increases, we feel the need for deeper cultural understanding to build stronger bond between our members. Globalization is a process of mutually respecting and accepting each other culture and values not dissimilar to individualism. The background of individualism is often religious beliefs and the knowledge of religious beliefs from around the world is essential in understanding this concept. This process demands us to look at ourselves from different point of view. At ABEST21, we like to keep this in mind and wish to continue to foster the idea of collaboration, cooperation and mutual understanding.
Furthermore, In this age of globalization and increasing rates of change, particularly in information and communication technologies, the demands on educational resources has never been greater. No single institution can recruit, develop or retain all the required resources to cover every aspect of management education. As such, business schools are challenged as never before to develop and maintain first-class management programs. This is why we at the ABEST21 envision a global Knowledge Network of business schools dedicated to the sharing of knowledge and skills, the development and application of new technologies, and the advancement of management theory and practices. By sharing the diverse strengths of all the members of this network, we hope synergies are created that would significantly improve the quality of management education at every member institution. We will advance business school education on a global basis by encouraging the mutually beneficial collaboration among member institutions.
We, therefore, have come to the conclusion that we shall use our efforts to establish ABEST21.
We are still at an infant stage of our development and have yet to mature as an organization since its foundation on 1st July, 2005. However, we believe that through the opportunity to promote international collaboration, we have accelerated our endeavor be an established organization. ABEST 21 will continue to ensure and better the quality of management education for individuals who will contribute to peace and prosperity of our world.
Fumio ITOH, President