SKEMA USA, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, collaborated with IBM's Global University Programmes to implement the first-ever programme-wide deployment of the IBM Skills Academy. The IBM Skills Academy is a training and certification programme designed to bridge the skill gap between the university and the market industry. Coursework includes high-demand skills including design thinking, data science, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, blockchain, Internet of Things, quantum computing, etc.
'Become the AI School for Business'
"SKEMA was founded in 2009 as an international community devoted to becoming a global business school leader on five continents," said Mohamed A. Desoky, associate dean of academic programmes at the SKEMA Raleigh campus. "Our primary vision is to open the AI School for Business and deploy an Artificial Intelligence Lab on campus. A key step was teaming up with IBM, which gives us a huge advantage in teaching cutting edge management practices and capabilities."
IBM'S premier training and digital certificate
The 'IBM Skills Academy Program' is IBM's premier training and digital certificate worldwide programme with curriculum aligned to high-demand jobs in the new digital-age technology job market. The programme explores the topics, technology and skills required to gain practice in the successful application of artificial intelligence techniques to address key industry problems. For more than 70 years, 'IBM Global University Programs' has led the mission to be the intersection of where technology and academia meet through their various programmes. Accredited academic institutions can leverage many of the programmes at no cost, such as IBM Academic Initiative which provides access to IBM technology as well as the IBM Guest Lecture programme.
Arvind Krishna, current chairman and CEO of IBM, recently stated: "Whether it is cloud-based platforms or AI-powered software, businesses across every industry are reshaping their future around the possibilities of these powerful and exciting technologies."
The programme's flexibility allows academia to set the requirements. After completing an intercultural business course at SKEMA Raleigh, both graduate and undergraduate students enter the IBM Skills Academy sequence where they learn data science and artificial intelligence, as instructed by a SKEMA Raleigh professor who has obtained an IBM Skills Academy instructor certificate.
Certificates demonstrate the relevant skills
The IBM Skills Academy was first taught online and onsite during the 2020-2021 academic year, and the same model will be deployed in Raleigh in the upcoming year. IBM provides a cloud-enabled learning environment and 'train-the-trainer' learning model leveraging IBM and open-source technology. Upon successful completion of the course, students may obtain digital certificates for each course. Certificates demonstrate the relevant skills and authenticity of their new competency. They can also be shared on social media and provide access to a global jobs database.
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the most important U.S. accrediting body for business schools, noted the importance of AI: "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies (ET) are transforming modern business. Those changes will only accelerate over time.
"The business world needs agile and collaborative problem-solvers to manage these global changes. Technology literacy will be essential for future business leaders to thrive… Those who control the research and training required to succeed in AI-enabled workplaces will define industry standards for a new era in human history. Technology and talent must go hand in hand as we shape our collective industrial future."
75 hours of theory, lab exercices and industry use cases
The IBM Skills Academy takes students and professional learners through an enablement journey of design thinking and their chosen upskill field of interest (e.g., artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, etc.). Each course comprises 75+ hours of theory, lab exercises and industry use cases. To earn the certificate and course credit, students must successfully complete all three elements which include a comprehensive exam, required labs and a student project using design thinking methodology.
Prepare business leaders of the future to harness the power of AI
A recent study by Wharton School featuring 43 interviews with academic, corporate, and technological leaders across the world, along with 29 deans and academic leaders from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, U.S. and Latin America, discussed the importance of AI adoption.
"As AI and related technologies displace jobs and workers, traditional business school curricula will need to be updated to provide students with the skills they need to manage and lead in a rapidly changing world. AI-augmented roles will require workers with stronger skills in areas like ethics, leadership, emotional intelligence, and change management.
"Our research showed a clear opportunity for business schools to teach these human skills that in-person MBA and executive education programmes excel at providing… Courses in ethics, data protection and security, distributed leadership, managing innovation and AI governance will be highly desirable to MBA candidates and executive education clients."
'AI is more than just a game-changing technology'
"AI is more than just a game-changing technology for business regarding data collection, analysis and implementation," says Desoky. "AI has and will continue to change the way we work, live, communicate and experience the world. Thanks to IBM, SKEMA plans on being one of the leaders in business education helping to train and prepare business leaders of the future to harness the power of AI for the common good."
The global artificial intelligence market is expected to reach $267 billion by 2027, according to Fortune Business Insights, up from $27 billion in 2019. Salesforce reported in 2019 that nearly 1 out of every 4 business sales teams use artificial intelligence, with that percentage expected to grow every year. In 2019, Gartner estimated the number of businesses adopting AI grew by 270% in just four years.