At their recent meeting, which took place through Zoom, in May, deans and directors of Global Network schools were challenged to each offer one Global Network course per term. A similar challenge had been issued at previous meetings, but this time, with so many faculty having gained recent experience teaching online due to Covid-19, the response from across the network was particularly enthusiastic. Previously, in a typical term there were four to eight Global Network Courses, but in the upcoming term we will have thirty-three Global Network Courses, signaling a robust new interest in the format. Student interest in the courses was already growing at a steady pace, but with the expanded offerings the number of applications is up. Two weeks before the July 31 deadline to submit first round applications, more than 500 student applications had already been submitted. As the applications are spread across the courses, the reason for the interest appears to be correlated with the wider range of topics available, though student interest in interacting with peer students around the world at a time when international travel is limited may also be a factor.

The topics of the courses are wide-ranging: some are focused on the implications of technology in business, including courses on fintech (HKUST), blockchain (UBC Sauder) and artificial intelligence (AIM); some have a specific regional focus, including courses on Chinese business law (Renmin) and on China's macro economy (Fudan) and another on family firms in Africa (Lagos Business School); and others reflect the specialties of a school and its region, such as Service Management (Hitotsubashi ICS), New Product Development (Technion), Urban Resilience (UBC Sauder) and Green Economy Management (University of Ghana Business School).

To see the complete list of courses please follow this link.