Digital transformation as strategy: Preparing for the 2025 EFMD Digital Strategies in Business Education Workshop

2 October 2025|Marketa Dvorackova|

Digital transformation has become one of the defining challenges—and opportunities—for business schools worldwide.

No longer an optional add-on, digital strategy is now central to how institutions deliver impact in teaching, research, and engagement. Yet, as the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2023 shows, while many countries have adopted national digital education strategies, implementation varies widely. This unevenness underscores the complexity of aligning technology adoption with pedagogy, institutional culture, and long-term vision.

At the same time, technological innovation continues to expand the possibilities for higher education. Advances in artificial intelligence, immersive learning through VR, blockchain-based credentials, and adaptive learning platforms are changing the ways students learn and how institutions operate.

A recent study in Frontiers in Education (2025) points to the ways in which these developments allow for more personalised and interactive learning journeys, while research on generative AI illustrates its potential to support creativity and engagement. At the same time, these opportunities raise important questions about ethics, reliability, and the need for new institutional capacities.

How institutions can prepare

For institutions, preparing for this transformation begins with an honest self-assessment: where do they stand in terms of digital maturity, and what obstacles must be addressed? Effective strategies are as much about people as they are about technology. Faculty, administrators, IT services, and students all need to be engaged; otherwise, initiatives risk becoming siloed projects with limited reach.

Building capacity will be essential. As digital tools become more central to teaching, learning, and administration, schools must ensure that staff and faculty develop the necessary skills, from digital pedagogy to AI literacy. Just as importantly, institutions need to plan for long-term sustainability. Without strong governance, adequate resources, and a clear vision, even the most promising initiatives can lose momentum.

Looking ahead: The 2025 EFMD Digital Strategies in Business Education Workshop

To support schools in addressing these challenges, EFMD will host the Digital Strategies in Business Education Workshop, taking place online on 6 and 13 of November 2025, in cooperation with POLIMI School of Management. The workshop is designed to help institutions embed digital initiatives into their strategic core, moving toward more coherent forms of transformation. It will provide a forum for reflection on global trends, peer-to-peer exchange, and the development of practical action plans that schools can adapt to their own contexts.

During the two afternoon sessions, participants will engage with several interconnected themes during the workshop. One will be the role of generative AI, examining its potential to enhance business school operations and influence pedagogy and research. Another will focus on the EU’s latest policies on lifelong learning and microcredentials, which are prompting schools to rethink how they deliver value across a learner’s lifetime.

The COIL model from the State University of New York will serve as an example of how online collaboration can enrich curricula and support global engagement. In addition, peer-led case studies will share real experiences of digital transformation, offering valuable insights into both achievements and setbacks.

What makes this workshop unique

The distinguishing feature of EFMD’s workshop is its strategic orientation. Many conferences highlight the latest technologies, but this program focuses on how digital initiatives can be aligned with mission, culture, and long-term objectives.

Its peer-to-peer design ensures that participants learn directly from colleagues facing similar challenges, while its forward-looking perspective encourages institutions to anticipate emerging issues such as AI, microcredentials, and international collaboration. Above all, the workshop emphasises actionable outcomes, equipping participants with draft strategies and clear next steps that they can put to use immediately.

By placing institutional strategy within the broader context of global change, the workshop equips leaders to move beyond experimentation and toward purposeful digital transformation. This November, the conversations will not only help schools respond to immediate challenges — they will also inform the long-term direction of business education in an increasingly digital world.