Jamaican management schools among the world's best
Published:Sunday | April 19, 2015 | 12:00 AM
A NEW report put out by the World Economic Forum has indicated that business management schools in Jamaica are ranked highly and are among the best in the world.
The Global Information Technology Report 2015, titled 'ICTs for Inclusive Growth', has ranked the quality of Jamaica's management schools with a placement of 57th out of a total of 143 countries.
The annual report, which measures the drivers of the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution using the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) highlights an overall trend of improvement in the application of ICT in Jamaica.
This year's ranking stands at 82, up from 86 and 85 in 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Responding to the ranking, dean of the faculty of the College of Business and Management at the University of Technology, Professor Paul Golding, said he was not surprised.
"At UTech, for instance, there is a good balance between theoretical and applied practical knowledge," Golding said in agreeing with the ranking.
balance a contributing factor
He went on to explain that the emphasis on both practical and theoretical approaches of local management schools has contributed to the ranking.
"In the case of the School of Business Administration, absent the opportunities for internship, the school has developed a unique student conference approach where students are required to plan and execute a two-day conference held at the Jamaica Conference Centre. This has been executed over the last 13 years, requiring students to transfer their theoretical knowledge into, among other things, fundraising, accounting, marketing, planning, problem solving and interpersonal skills," he said in an emailed response to The Gleaner.
He explained that a focus on entrepreneurship was also a key factor.
"There is also the thrust towards entrepreneurship in the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership, in which students are required to create innovative products and business models and pitch [them] to potential investors," he said.