After the peer review visit, BGA consultants concluded a report and offered several valuable recommendations regarding the challenges.
Addressing the first challenge for IMISP, the solution provided by BGA was to rely less on traditional marketing methods of ‘word-of-mouth’ or referral. Instead, was recommended to concentrate on targeting more personalised promotion and emphasising the business school’s unique selling points highlight the school’s flexibility, focusing on SMEs, pastoral care, smaller class sizes, and its intimate relationship with students and alumni.
As the business school has international aspirations, it was recommended not to neglect the latest international academic inputs and developments (particularly on emerging markets) and should strategically decide what would be suitable in the local context; this also concluded to carefully review existing plans and partnerships that needed to take place.
Integration of online learning for the school solutions was advised by analysing best practices of teaching online and developing a set of own courses and programmes fitting for online and blended learning delivery; the school should carefully increase the exposure of students to online formats without compromising the on-campus experience in both the EMBA and the executive education programmes.
The final recommendation, IMISP should create a coherent inventory of qualitative measurable impact of the institution; sustainability does not have to be ‘volunteering activities free of charge’ but should be the result of the institution’s core (and profit-making) activities.
The school should aim to harness the pool of alumni and representatives of corporate clients as guest speakers and advisors in return for building corporate relations, revenue generation, and funding sources. Therefore, it would be essential to consider how the school can formalise an active, structured alumni management system.