A lot has already been written about the range of consequences that the pandemic has had on business schools and particularly on their internationalisation activities. Travel restrictions and digital delivery continue to impact the ways business schools are providing an international experience to students and participants.

Another consequence of the pandemic is that a whole series of more fundamental questions have been raised about the approach to internationalisation. Are the demands of current and future generations of students evolving, with a greater focus on ecology and sustainability? What are employers currently looking for, and has that changed in the last year? How can we ensure that international activities serve a clear purpose and that we focus much more on inclusivity to support the transformative impact of higher education on society? How is the role of business schools changing, and are they ready to become a protagonist in the global recovery process?

Participants in the upcoming EFMD workshop on redesigning internationalisation strategies will value the opportunity to have challenging discussions on these important questions. They will explore different approaches to internationalisation, accompanied by a variety of provocative and inspiring speakers from different backgrounds. They will exchange about the challenges and opportunities of internationalisation at home, partnerships, multi-campus models and increasing digital delivery with colleagues.

Above all, they will have the opportunity to think through their institutions’ strategy and develop new approaches to tackle the challenges ahead in cooperation with peers. A design thinking methodology will provide a useful framework for this rethinking.

Reshaping and innovating the internationalisation strategies of business schools will support EFMD member schools to sustain and even increase their impact on society at large and provide their students with the much-needed openness and international mindset to tackle the big societal challenges ahead of us.