IMD campus in Switzerland.
IMD LAUNCHES INITIATIVE ON BOARDROOM RISK AND RESILIENCE
IMD has launched the Hoffmann Risk and Resilience Initiative to help boards and senior executives incorporate sustainability into corporate governance. A grant from Swiss business leader André Hoffmann funds the work.
Florian Hoos, IMD professor of sustainability and accounting, leads the initiative. It will bring researchers, board members, investors, and executives together to develop approaches to environmental, social, and technological risks.
The work will begin with research and engagement with business leaders. IMD then plans to turn the findings into a practical playbook and digital learning tools before supporting their use by organizations around the world.
Hoffmann, vice chairman of Roche and co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees, says leaders need access to updated tools. The initiative will draw on IMD’s executive education and research to help boards connect sustainability decisions with corporate resilience and long-term value.
Aalto University School of Business
AALTO AND BOCCONI TO LAUNCH DOUBLE DEGREE IN MARKETING
Finland’s Aalto University School of Business and Italy’s Bocconi University will launch a two-year double degree in strategic and creative marketing. The first cohort of 20 students will begin in fall 2027.
The 120-ECTS program combines consumer behavior, branding, and marketing strategy with data analysis and practical work. It aims to prepare graduates for careers with international companies, consulting firms, and agencies.
The partnership brings together Aalto’s emphasis on creativity and technology with Bocconi’s strengths in strategy and analytics. Students will gain exposure to both schools’ academic environments, business communities, and alumni networks.
Anastasia Nanni, an assistant professor at Aalto, says learning across different teaching styles and institutional settings is part of the program’s value. Aalto business school Dean Timo Korkeamäki describes the partnership as part of the school’s effort to expand international education.
COST AND CAREER RETURNS WEIGH ON PROSPECTIVE MASTER’S STUDENTS
Rising costs and an uncertain job market are changing how prospective students evaluate business master’s degrees, according to CarringtonCrisp’s Tomorrow’s Masters 2026 study. Conducted with EFMD, the survey gathered responses from 2,226 people in 32 countries.
More than half of respondents, 51%, cited rising living costs as a reason not to pursue a business master’s, up from 48% the previous year. Another 44% said they might be unable to pay program fees, compared with 40% in 2025. A third identified strong graduate career outcomes as the most important element, up five percentage points.
Interest in studying abroad also declined. Some 35% planned to study in another country, down from 40% a year earlier. Meanwhile, 47% were very or extremely interested in studying with an international business school while remaining at home, up from 43%.
The findings also point to demand for different program designs. Nearly a third preferred a degree combining business or management with another specialist subject. Study author Andrew Crisp says schools need to demonstrate career returns and develop formats that better accommodate students’ financial and work commitments.
emlyon business school in France.
EMLYON EXPANDS IN LONDON THROUGH LIS INTEGRATION
London Interdisciplinary School has joined France’s emlyon, giving the institution a London base as it expands across management, technology, and interdisciplinary education. The integration builds on a relationship that began in 2023.
LIS will retain its identity, educational approach, and academic independence while gaining access to emlyon’s resources and international network. The institutions say the arrangement will support growth in undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education.
LIS combines the arts, sciences, and technology through work on practical problems. It enrolls students from 46 nationalities and works with more than 200 employer partners. Its approach emphasizes analytical and creative thinking alongside data and AI skills.
The London presence will also support the development of emlyon programs in the UK. Potential additions include student exchanges, joint degrees, postgraduate offerings, and faculty collaborations, although the announcement does not set launch dates for those developments.
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