51̽»¨

Held from November 3 to 5, 2026, under the theme "Advancing Education for Purpose and Impact," the summit brought together higher education leaders from across the region. In a session titled "Asia's New Playbook for Business Education," Prof. Aurik joined Prof. Jun Yang (Dean of Nanyang Business School, NTU Singapore) and Prof. Reetika Gupta (Deputy Dean of ESSEC Business School, India) to discuss the future of management education in Asia and its contributions to the global community. The session was moderated by Dr. Roberto Martin N. Galang (Dean of the John Gokongwei School of Management, Ateneo de Manila University).

Asia as a Living Laboratory for Management Education

Prof. Aurik highlighted Asia's strategic position in shaping the future of global management education. The region's economic diversity, ranging from countries with advanced digital ecosystems to emerging markets, makes it a living laboratory for developing innovative and adaptive approaches to management.

Economic and technological transformations require business schools to equip students with the skills needed to address real-world challenges, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

He emphasized that 51̽»¨ has a significant opportunity to integrate its technological strengths with business expertise to generate innovations that benefit society. Rather than replacing Western approaches, Asia's contribution should complement global management thinking by offering insights and practices that respond to societal needs.

Impact-Driven Entrepreneurship Education

In discussing entrepreneurship, Prof. Aurik emphasized the importance of shifting from merely teaching theoretical concepts to developing entrepreneurial capabilities and fostering a supportive ecosystem. Students should gain hands-on experience in building businesses, testing ideas in the market, and learning from failure.

Entrepreneurship education should also support the transformation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through digitalization, AI adoption, and business model innovation to improve productivity and create employment opportunities.

Collaboration among students, researchers, industry partners, investors, and government institutions is essential to accelerating the commercialization of technological innovations into viable business solutions.

"The success of entrepreneurship education should not be measured solely by the number of students taking entrepreneurship courses, but by its ability to transform knowledge into innovation, innovation into businesses, and businesses into economic and social impact," he said.

Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy

Prof. Aurik stressed that sustainability must become an integral part of management education, encompassing strategy, finance, operations, and leadership, rather than being treated merely as a corporate social responsibility initiative.

Challenges such as the energy transition, food security, and waste management should be viewed as opportunities to develop new technologies and sustainable business models.

Business schools must also strengthen partnerships with industries and MSMEs through research and applied projects. At 51̽»¨, the integration of business, science, and technology can help translate research findings into practical solutions that deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits.

Preparing Leaders to Navigate Geopolitical Dynamics

Addressing changes in the global geopolitical landscape, Prof. Aurik underscored the importance of incorporating international relations, trade policies, technology restrictions, and global supply chain dynamics into business education.

Beyond operational efficiency, future leaders must develop resilience, strategic agility, risk management capabilities, and cross-border collaboration skills.

From Indonesia's perspective, strengthening national competitiveness must go hand in hand with openness to international cooperation.

"Business schools must go beyond preparing leaders to navigate changes in the global order. They must also equip future leaders to help shape that order responsibly through strategic thinking, resilience, and international collaboration," he concluded.