# Reboot Business Education: Make Lifelong Learning the Default

By Michael B. Horn · Published 2025-05-05 · Updated 2026-06-08 · Education Technology on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/education-technology/reboot-business-education-make-lifelong-learning-the-default
Creator hub: The Future of Education with Michael Horn

> Business schools must shift from credential factories to continuous learning ecosystems as AI and digital transformation accelerate workforce demands

## Key points

- Business education must shift from one-time degrees to ongoing learning relationships, treating institutions like platforms built for continuous updates.
- Leadership and social skills are becoming more critical than ever for executive success, even as technical and digital skills rapidly evolve.
- Research and curriculum must stay tightly integrated so business programs reflect real-time changes in the global workforce.

Block Field

As [artificial intelligence reshapes industries](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2024/12/03/how-ai-is-reshaping-the-future-of-work-across-industries/) and [digital skills rapidly evolve](https://marketscale.com/industries/pro-av/trends-in-technical-upskilling-and-certification/), business schools find themselves at a crossroads. Traditional MBA programs and executive education are no longer endpoints but touchstones in a lifelong learning journey. As digital tools and technologies advance rapidly, educational models must keep pace to remain relevant in a changing workforce. Business schools must tightly link research, teaching, and real-world practice to stay aligned with the demands of today's dynamic economy.

> Traditional MBA programs and executive education are no longer endpoints but touchstones in a lifelong learning journey.

So, how must business schools evolve to keep pace with the accelerating world of work?

In this episode of [*The Future of Education*](https://marketscale.com/shows/the-future-of-education-with-michael-horn/), host [Michael Horn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbhorn/) welcomes [**Bill Kerr**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamkerr/), D'Arbeloff Professor at [Harvard Business School](https://www.hbs.edu/) and co-director of the [Managing the Future of Work Project](https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/Pages/default.aspx), for a conversation on the evolving role of business education. Together, they explore how institutions like HBS can remain relevant in an age of continuous disruption.

**Key takeaways from the episode…**

-  **Lifelong Learning as a Business Model**: Business education is shifting from a one-time degree to a continuous relationship with learners, like "hardware built for software updates." 
-  **Social Skills Are the New Power Skills**: While digital skills evolve rapidly, leadership and social skills have become more central than ever for executive success. 
-  **Keeping Curriculum at the Frontier**: Research and teaching must stay deeply integrated so that academic programs reflect the changing needs of the global workplace in real time. 

### About the Guest

**William Kerr** is the D'Arbeloff Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, where he also serves as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research. He co-directs the Managing the Future of Work initiative and leads the Launching New Ventures program, focusing on entrepreneurship, workforce evolution, and innovation. A recognized expert in global talent and entrepreneurship, Bill holds a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT and has received awards for both distinguished research and excellence in teaching.

Tags: Bill Kerr, business school, executive education, Harvard Business School, MBA, MBA programs

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