Copenhagen Business School reorganises management of international activities

Associate Professor Martin Jes Iversen will be the new Vice Dean of International Partnerships. Together with Director of CBS’ International Office Tom Dahl-Østergaard, Dana and Martin will constitute CBS’ core team in charge of overseeing, developing and executing key aspects of CBS’ international activities as of 1 January 2018.

Dorte has been heading up CBS’ global engagement since 2007, first as VP of Strategic Alliances, and since 2011 as VP of International Affairs. She has done this alongside her responsibilities as Head of Department - since January 2017 as Head of CBS’ new (and largest) Department of Management, Society and Communication), which, moving forward, will be her main CBS role.
 
During her 11-year watch as VP for International Affairs at CBS, Dorte has done an outstanding job, further developing and consolidating CBS’ international position and reputation, serving both CBS and the international business school community.

Introducing the incoming CBS International Core Team

“For several years, CBS has been at the forefront of internationalisation among the Danish universities. It is our clear ambition to develop this position further. There are good reasons to revisit these issues in light of real-world challenges that add a new perspective on internationalisation. CBS will answer these world challenges through an ambitious working agenda which will strengthen our international position”, says President of CBS, Per Holten-Andersen.

Dana Minbaeva
“Dana was one of the first international faculty members to be hired by CBS, which she joined in September 2000. In addition to being an active researcher with a strong publication record, Dana is a member of Executive Committee of the Academy of Management’s HR Division. She also plays an active role in the Academy of International Business and the European International Business Academy, serves as representative-at-large for the Strategic Human Capital Group of the Strategic Management Society, and carries out editorial responsibilities at several 4* journals”, Per Holten-Andersen continues.  

In her new position, Professor Minbaeva plans to focus on the activities supporting the CBS’s transformational initiatives outlined in the CBS strategy. Among those are global strategic partnerships, double degrees, cooperative modules, short targeted programmes, etc. She will also be deeply involved in exploring new ways in which CBS can leverage its research and teaching to create a responsible and sustainable international agenda.

Martin Jes Iversen
CBS is also pleased to announce the appointment of Associate Professor Martin Jes Iversen as Vice Dean for International Partnerships, reporting to the Dean of Education. He will take on the position as of January 2018. This position is not entirely new, as CBS has previously had positions dedicated to strategic partnerships. However, in the new structure, the responsibilities of the Vice Dean for International Partnerships will focus much more on identifying opportunities for new, structured exchange programmes on a global basis through a continuous dialogue with programme directors at CBS, international university partners, and business representatives.

“The appointment of associate professor Martin Jes Iversen as Vice Dean of International Partnerships reflects CBS´ commitment towards innovative international education. The international educational agenda, which the new Vice Dean shall drive, combines high academic ambitions, cross-cultural learning with relevant professional experiences. Martin has extensive experiences from the development of strategic partnerships in North America and South East Asia within the fields of International Business, Supply Chain Management and International Shipping”, says Dorte Salskov-Iversen

Tom Dahl-Østergaard
Tom Dahl-Østergaard will remain in his role as Director of the International Office, reporting directly to the University Director. In the new structure, Mr. Dahl-Østergaard will be able to elevate the strategic importance of International Office. By working closely with the Vice President for International Affairs and the Vice Dean for International Partnerships, the Director of the International Office will be able to ensure that the portfolio of student-exchange agreements matches the CBS’ needs and stakeholders’ expectations.

Professor Minbaeva, Associate Professor Iversen, and Mr. Dahl-Østergaard see significant potential in the new structure.

“We see our main goal as supporting the implementation of CBS’s strategy. We will take the lead in carrying out CBS's efforts in the international arena in order to ensure that the school is fully engaged with society in Denmark and around the world. The new structure covers key elements of CBS’s Business in Society strategy. Each of us will be responsible for own areas, but we will be also collaborate and cooperate. Because we need to work with a wide variety of stakeholders: CBS faculty members and administrators, CBS students and alumni, corporate partners, and business and society in general, we must be firmly embedded in CBS’ organisation covering research, education, and administration”, says Dana Minbaeva.

Immediate actions

The new structure will be implemented as of 1 January, 2018. However, Professor Minbaeva, Associate Professor Iversen, and Mr. Dahl-Østergaard are already ready to take the first actions:  

“In light of the growing polarisation, recent political events, and changes brought about by globalisation, we need to examine steps we should take to enhance the positive aspects of internationalisation and limit potential negative effects.”, Says Dana Minbaeva.

CBS’s Business in Society strategy starts with the following statement: “CBS is an international business university.” The team intends to ask stakeholders what “international” means to them. Dana, Martin and Tom plan to meet with heads of departments, heads of study programmes, international faculty, and key administrative staff (including staff members from the International Office, PRME, CBS Business, and CBS Executive). Moreover, team members will consult with select adjunct faculty, corporate partners, and representatives of the business community.

According to Professor Minbaeva, “These inputs will help us better understand CBS’s status quo in the international arena and line up stakeholders’ expectations for CBS’s development in this area.”

At the same time, the team plans to gather data in order to develop a greater understanding of societal value-added by international activities at CBS. To do so, the team will study three focus groups: current students and recent graduates (focused on international exchange), faculty (focused on satisfaction and research productivity), and employers of recent CBS graduates (focused on advantages of international-exchange experience). The data will help the team formulate a better value proposition for CBS’s stakeholders, enhance the sense of purpose behind CBS’s scholarship, and reinforce the school’s identity as an international business university.