As Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) celebrates six decades of operation, it has launched a powerful new vision arguing that business education must transform from an 'ivory tower' into an active community participant.
A New Blueprint for Business Education
The school marked its 60th anniversary with the launch of 'Reimagining Business Schools for the 21st Century', an essay collection edited by AMBS head Professor Ken McPhail. The book presents a compelling case that business schools can no longer remain detached observers but must actively engage with pressing global issues including climate change, artificial intelligence, inequality, and threats to democracy.
Professor McPhail, who has led the school since 2023, emphasised the urgency of this shift. "Business schools can't afford to sit on the sidelines of the big questions facing society," he stated, adding that they must stand firm against anti-intellectual scrutiny while becoming catalysts for positive change.
Manchester Method in Action
The anniversary event showcased real-world examples of the school's philosophy. AMBS graduate Christina Taylor, founder of social enterprise Aim Sky High, shared her remarkable journey. Just two days after speaking at the event, Taylor won the Football Industry Awards Rising Star of the Year title at the Global Football Industry Awards.
Taylor discovered Manchester University through its outreach programmes and later conducted postgraduate research into enterprise in disadvantaged communities. "I'm so passionate that if you find the right entrepreneur and give people from those communities a chance," she told the audience, "the majority of the time they're going to invest in their own communities because they want to solve the problems that they grew up with."
Fellow graduate Niaz Rayan praised the school's practical 'Manchester Method' approach, which emphasises learning through real-world application rather than purely theoretical study.
Building Inclusive Economic Growth
The school's leadership envisions business education as a force for inclusive regional development. "It's that combination of wanting to be a catalyst for economic growth in the region," Professor McPhail explained, "but to do that in a way that's inclusive and where everyone benefits."
Speaking with BusinessLive after the event, Professor McPhail highlighted the critical importance of social responsibility in business leadership. "The business world is littered with businesses that have failed because of poor leadership," he noted, "where they've just not had that kind of moral compass, that sense of broader social responsibility."
He predicted that future high-value 'unicorn' businesses would likely emerge from sectors addressing fundamental human and environmental needs, particularly in mental and physical wellbeing and climate change solutions.
The school's ambition extends beyond traditional business education. "Our ambition over the next decade is to be part of this Manchester moment," Professor McPhail stated, "to have a real impact on the economy, a real impact on lots of the social issues that mean people in and around Manchester don't feel as though they've got a stake in society."
This comprehensive approach aims to address not only economic development but also the dangerous political polarisation that represents one of society's most significant challenges.
