When Olin Business School alumni receive their school’s magazine in the mail this week, some may wonder what the strange little square design is on the back cover. Others will snap a picture of the black and white matrix barcode with their smartphones and be automatically transported to their alma mater’s website.
So what does the square QR or “quick response” code have to do with a business school magazine?
“At Olin we try out new ideas that keep Olin out front and connected with our stakeholders,” says Karen Branding, associate dean and director of Olin’s marketing and communications. “QR technology is already mainstream marketing in Japan, and many Fortune 500 companies here in the U.S. are using it, too. Our role as a business school is to serve business and students, and to do that well, we have to keep pace with front runners.”
Innovation and creativity are themes throughout the new issue of Olin Business magazine.
The cover story features three professors from the fields of organizational behavior, education and psychology discussing their research and teaching on Creative Thinking and Leading the Creative Organization, including creativity “enhancers” and “barriers.” The piece is the fourth in a series of articles that provide business practitioners with “how to’s” on useful business concepts. Past topics include innovation, critical thinking and strategic problem solving, and can be found on Olin’s website.
Another story features “MBA Career Platforms,” a major new initiative that aligns the entire MBA experience — curriculum, applied learning, co-curricular activities and career preparation — with the expertise, skills and mindset needed to hit the ground running in four, focused career areas:
- Brand/Product Management;
- Consulting & General Management;
- Finance & Investments; and
- Operations & Supply Chain Management.
Further extending its reach in Washington, D.C., the magazine introduces Olin’s new Masters of Science in Leadership degree program with Brookings Executive Education, the newest compenent of Washington University’s broad partnership with the Brookings Institution. Olin faculty developed curriculum for this innovative new program for top-level civil service managers who oversee federal agencies.
Another story deals with the Olin’s global activities. From outreach with recruiters and alumni in China to reports on students’ immersive overseas opportunities, this story covers internships in Europe to Global Management Studies trips to Chile, Argentina and Japan. A new course on business in Israel and ongoing programs in Paris, Koblenz and Shanghai are also featured.
To read these stories and more, visit the Olin Business School website or the interactive online edition of the magazine.
