The Global Executive MBA That’s Fast-Tracking Defence & Space Careers

MBA Blog / 15th April 2024

Q (a). The rollout of your Global Executive MBA (Defence and Space), which brings together the University of South Australia, Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, and the University of Exeter Business School, has been driven, in part, by AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US. Can you talk about the opportunities this will create and the skill shortages that currently exist in the defence and space industries?

Lan Snell (LS): The complexities of achieving a unified approach to governance, reporting, and adherence to international obligations via qualified personnel highlight the pivotal role AUKUS plays in shaping modern defence attitudes and underscores the need for collaborative frameworks, the importance of a skilled labour force, and the potential of innovative technologies such as directed energy weapons and AI.

Consequently, skills development will be crucial to the ongoing development of the defence and space ecosystems. While technical skills are essential in these industries, developing advanced leadership cooperation, mobility of labour, and a community of industry professionals between the three AUKUS nations will also be necessary across the defence and space supply chain.

Q (b). What does this mean for the MBA market?

LS: We are seeing a decline and shift in influence from West to East, as well as marked improvements in the regional rankings of higher education institutions. For business schools in particular, this context provides the impetus to broaden our horizons and produce new forms of bi-lateral and multi-lateral
collaboration in order to sustain a position of relevance for ‘traditional (English-speaking) leading powers’ in international education – think the ‘Five Eyes’ nations: Australia, UK, USA, Canada, and New Zealand. To read the entire article, click here! To have CEO Magazine sent directly to your inbox, click here!