- The short: what’s changing on campus
- Why now: trade wars, chokepoints, export controls
- What’s inside the new modules
- Who benefits: roles & sectors
The short
- Trend: Top B-schools are formalising geopolitics as a core/elective with live case studies and risk labs.
- Focus: Supply chains, sanctions/export controls, semis & energy, shipping lanes, and AI + data sovereignty.
- Format: Team simulations (crisis wargames), policy memos, and CFO-style scenario sheets.
Why now
- Persistent trade frictions & tariff cycles hitting pricing and market entry.
- Red Sea/Panama chokepoints, FX volatility, and commodity whipsaws.
- Export controls on chips & dual-use tech; data/AI localisation mandates.
What changes in class
- Live news → graded briefs: students submit weekly 300-word risk notes with actions.
- Cross-faculty: econ + strategy + public policy co-teach.
- Risk quant: probability-weighted P&L trees, supplier maps, insurance & hedging.
Inside the module (illustrative)
| Week | Theme | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Trade blocs & tariffs | Market-entry memo + landed-cost model |
| 3–4 | Energy & shipping lanes | Route re-plan; ETA/cost delta vs baseline |
| 5–6 | Chips & export controls | Supplier substitution tree; lead times |
| 7 | Data/AI governance | Cross-border data map + compliance gaps |
| 8 | Crisis sim (capstone) | Board deck: go/no-go with risk price |
Who benefits
- Consulting & strategy: market-entry & ops redesign.
- Ops/supply-chain: rerouting, near-shoring, buffer math.
- Fin/treasury: hedges, insurance, counterparty risk.
- Policy/corp affairs: licensing, compliance, advocacy.
Signals to watch
- More core credits and joint centres (Mgmt × Policy).
- Exec-ed “geopolitics for CFOs/CSCOs” tracks.
- Internships co-designed with risk teams & GBS hubs.