MBAs at the UK’s top programs, including London Business School, Imperial College, and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School will no doubt feel the effects of Brexit.
Not only could students’ future job prospects be affected, but also their application processes and access to research, once they do gain acceptance.
According to a recent piece in Business Because, last week’s referendum will impact universities’ ability to attract a global applicant base in addition to non-resident faculty. Saïd Business School, for example, reports that 60% of its faculty are from overseas. Dean Andrew Likierman of London Business School expressed his apprehension, saying, “Speaking personally, I am concerned at the implications of the result for the UK.”
Leading ratings agencies such as Moody’s have issued statements regarding the effects of Brexit upon the consulting industry. Other concerns include the ability of the country’s schools to maintain their partnerships with other European b-school programs. The London School of Economics, for one, could encounter challenges in maintaining its exchange curriculum with HEC Paris.
Fortunately, caution and pessimism are not the only things at play among the country’s finance leaders. Some view the shift as a challenge. Head of technology at KPMG UK Taylor Aw — while noting that the results of the vote are disappointing — points out, “My view is that the core attributes that make the UK tech sector so strong and attractive remain in place, including an amazing talent base.”
The UK’s MBA students could embrace the shift as an opportunity to advance as problem solvers and innovators through a period of historic change.