Inception

GBSN began in 2003 as a unit within the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, under the direction of then-IFC Chief Economist Guy Pfeffermann. The group worked to develop a new model to strengthen business management and leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa in which best practices from around the globe would be captured and adapted for local relevance in order to make high-quality business education locally applicable and accessible.

This belief in the importance of quality local business schools to stimulate development, coupled with a network approach to provide a uniquely robust and sustainable method of capacity building, gave rise to the first global network of top business schools focused on strengthening management education in emerging markets.   After assembling the initial membership and conducting a preliminary survey of business schools across Africa in 2004, GBSN launched a set of pilot projects in four African countries.

Early Development

Initial projects included: strategic planning for a school in Ghana seeking to attain international accreditation, development of an entrepreneurial management course in Nigeria, production of local case studies in Kenya, and creation of a pan-African faculty development program focused on participatory pedagogy for business schools.  To implement these projects, GBSN utilized the expertise of its member schools to provide best practice and mentoring. In return, these top international business schools strengthened ties with developing business schools in Africa and gained first-hand understanding of local business environments, enhancing their own research and teaching back home.  These partnerships enabled two-way flows of knowledge to blossom between the developed and emerging market schools, strengthening institutional and faculty relationships and increasing the sustainability of the network.

As the pilots progressed, GBSN participated in a number of World Bank – IFC collaborative projects to further develop the capacities of local businesses.  These programs brought GBSN into Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania and extended the scope of case writing activities in Kenya. GBSN’s pilot project in Ghana brought together a number of African business school deans for a workshop, resulting in the birth of the Association of African Business Schools (AABS) in 2005.

Independent NGO 

As initially envisioned, in November 2006, GBSN was spun off from the World Bank Group and became an independent non-profit organization, incorporated in Washington, DC. As an NGO, GBSN continues to develop the network, maintaining its mission to improve business education in emerging markets while expanding its work outside Africa and exploring new areas of management education. Core activities such as faculty development and case writing continue, while new programs include sector-specific activities, such as the enhancement of management education for health systems and strategic planning for new greenfield developing-country business schools.

As an NGO, GBSN also found the ability to partner with new organizations. GBSN’s growing network of top business schools now offered a unique platform from which to launch new interventions in management and leadership training. Through corporate partnerships GBSN introduced health management fellowships, developed francophone case studies in Senegal, and expanded business education opportunities for women across the developing world. GBSN also leveraged its network to design business school programs for the health system, and has assembled global expertise to guide the development of new business schools. 

Current and Future Directions

Through its activities, GBSN has strengthened faculty at more than 16 business schools in Africa, developed more than 170 local case studies, surveyed 800 African health professionals on the need for management and leadership skills in healthcare, and, working with experts from 12 countries, helped guide the establishment of a new business school in Pakistan. 

The Network has grown from its original 18 member schools to over 40 schools today, and is rapidly expanding.  Through its programs and network GBSN plays a strong role in raising awareness of the importance of management education in national development – a much-neglected but crucial facet of development policy – by working with numerous partners to leverage the strengths of local business schools to accelerate development in emerging markets.