IB director general addresses Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Conference

IB director general, Jeffrey Beard, presented on 2 March at Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Conference, held on the Harvard Business School campus in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.             

Jeff was one of four panellists on the Innovative K-12 Education Solutions Panel. Among other things, the panellists discussed why there is a need for innovative solutions in K-12 education, and the ultimate solution for the issues facing K-12 education.

When asked about the global needs for education, Jeff commented that,

A good education will result in both enlightenment and access to opportunity, but the focus should be in understanding, comprehending and the development of critical thinking skills, all of which are qualities we promote in the IB programmes.

The panel was challenged with proposing innovative models that have been effectively deployed at both the sovereign level and by entrepreneurs. As Jeff Beard pointed out, IB programmes are universal initiatives that are adaptable to sovereign needs. The programmes begin by encouraging students to understand their own culture and language before they can appreciate others’ and can sit alongside (or can be overlaid) national curriculums.

When asked to describe the unique characteristics of IB programmes, Jeff highlighted the fact that they are rigorous and student-centred, and stimulate young people to be intellectually curious. Second, Jeff added,

Our assessment capabilities are world class.  Over 5,000 external examiners grade a leaving exam that is primarily designed around measuring what the student knows and how best they can articulate their knowledge in a written form.  Our assessment procedures reward the student who can think for himself, show initiative and problem solve.

The Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Conference sought to promote the perspective that business success and concern for broader social issues are compatible. The theme of this year’s conference was “IMAGINE”, and the panels, keynotes, business plan competition and other events challenged participants to create change and impact by pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking.