Adams

Higher education and business have long been linked in the United States, where for example, the MBA has become a ticket to success in the global marketplace. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that institutions of higher learning are partnering with the business sector in Jamaica too.

Jamaica's higher-education system is flourishing, thanks in part to close ties with the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Business Higher-Education Forum has been empowering American universities and colleges so that the next generation of managers and executives can compete in the global market. Jamaica is on the same road.

What may come as a real surprise regarding the link between higher education and business development is that the relationship is not a one-way street. Education itself has become an exportable service and Jamaica is hoping to cash in. To participate fully in the global economy, Jamaica must capitalise on its ability to lure not just tourists to the sunny island, but also students from across the world.

Multiple industries

Students interested in becoming immersed in Jamaican culture can study in one of the nation's top four recognised private and public universities. Partnerships between American universities and Jamaican ones have become more common, offering exchange students the chance to learn about multiple industries from multiple perspectives. However, Jamaican universities are also starting to use distance-learning technologies to deliver top-quality educational services to students and adult learners around the world, without anyone having to leave home.

Jamaica stands poised to be one of the most promising developing nations by promoting domestic higher education as a key to business and social development. Jamaica no longer needs to drain its country of the brains that can fuel its prosperity and growth. The key to the island-nation's success, and perhaps to the whole region's success, is promoting higher education as a key to business development.

The relationship between higher education and business is changing dramatically. Gone are the days of creeping up the corporate ladder. The newest generations of managers and executives are culled from top business schools and programmes from around the world. Jamaican students are no exception to those earning business degrees from top universities worldwide. The lack of language barrier enables Jamaican students readily to study and work abroad. Geographic proximity to the United States means that Jamaica and the United States will continue to share resources, both human and technological.

We need to examine the trends in higher education and business that impact Jamaica, the United States, and the relationship between the two countries. For example, American universities have started offering MBA areas of specialisation in entrepreneur-ship. Jamaican universities may start doing the same, opening up a wealth of opportunity for small-business growth and development. Jamaican universities are also taking advantage of trends in education-as-business.

The role of higher education

Rethinking what higher education means and the role it plays in society can lead to surprising revelations of what the human spirit is capable of. While globalisation and internationalisation present numerous problems, those problems can be resolved by encouraging dialogue. In fact, institutions of higher learning play crucial roles in crafting public policy initiatives that can mitigate the negative impacts of free trade. Free-trade agreements need not stifle small-business growth and should not increase income disparity or access to education.

Higher education can further empower our citizens. Universities do not just churn out MBAs and other marketable qualifications. The goal of higher learning is to instil critical and creative thinking habits that can transform the global marketplace, economic theory, and urban- and rural-development models. The role of education as business is expanding and so is the role of business in education.

Winston Adams is president of the University College of the Caribbean. Feedback may be sent to wadams@uccjm.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.