About | Privacy Policy | Advertising| Editorial | Contact Us
Follow Us
Subscribe | Login
Esade Students during a Study Visit to the European institutions in Brussels.
In 2025, politics is inescapable for business leaders. Wars and power plays disrupt supply chains, tariffs appear and vanish overnight, and rules for emerging technologies shift before the ink is dry.
“Business leaders cannot ignore the interconnected nature of the global economy and the effect of these interconnections across the value chain of their companies,” says Lee Newman, dean of IE Business School in Spain.
MBAs, executives, and business students at every level want more than strategy and finance, they want the tools to navigate a volatile global order. Across Europe and Canada, a growing number of business schools are answering that call. From full-blown Schools of Governance to topical exec ed courses, these schools are making geopolitics central to business education. (See: A New Geopolitics Push? How International B-Schools Are Responding To Global Chaos)
Esade integrates geopolitics into business education through EsadeGeo, the school’s Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics.
As a business school, Esade was an early mover into geopolitics. It founded EsadeGeo in 2010 under the leadership of Javier Solana, former NATO Secretary General and EU High Representative for Common Security and Defense Policy. Today, EsadeGeo faculty teach across the school’s programs, emphasizing how global politics, markets, and nonmarket forces shape corporate strategy.
“Today, in most of the courses or specific programmes that we tailor, we always start by analysing geopolitical environments and scenarios. There is a growing demand for everything related to geopolitical scenarios,” says Professor Ángel Saz, director of EsadeGeo.
“While a few years ago we had to make the case to students that global politics and geopolitics were important for firms, today this hardly requires any justification. Daily news on geopolitical and policy elements affecting firms prove so: tariffs, regulatory barriers, export restrictions, industrial policy, sanctions and so forth.”
Key Offerings
Why is this moment particularly urgent for business leaders? The most urgent topic today is the creation of a new consensus on international trade relations and state intervention of markets. We currently are in a space where different geopolitical actors do not agree on what constitutes fair trade and legitimate economic policies. Until this new consensus is reached, volatility and uncertainty derived from geopolitics will endure.”
Do you believe geopolitics is more relevant to business education now than in years past? Definitely. The weakening of international institutions (World trade organization, Free trade agreements…) and their ability to set rules and enforce them makes geopolitics much more timely and relevant today than before. If institutions are lacking, power becomes the main approach to settle decisions and disputes among international actors.
Bignami building on IMD Campus in Lausanne (Photo: Dorian Tosca/IMD)
IMD has integrated geopolitics and security risk across its degree portfolio, spurred by a recognition that space between commercial strategy and geopolitics is gone. Its own research found that geopolitical factors were cited in 75% of 2023 corporate filings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, while harmful trade barriers have doubled since 2020.
“Protectionism is now the American default, not a Trump-era detour,” says Professor Richard Baldwin, an expert in globalization and trade economics.
The school has researched global competitiveness and economic security for more than 35 years, beginning with the World Competitiveness Yearbook launched in 1989. The center leads pioneering research on how nations and enterprises compete, creating several practical tools to help leaders assess geopolitical threats, including its “Geopolitical Radar and Sonar” framework and the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index.
Its faculty also brings decades of experience in political economy, trade policy, and global competitiveness. They include David Bach, IMD President, an expert in political economy and business-government relations and an architect of Global Network for Advanced Management; Professor Arturo Bris, director of the World Competitiveness Center since 2014; Richard Baldwin, a trade economist and globalization scholar; Simon Evenett, former co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment
Key Offerings
Do you believe geopolitics is more relevant to business education now than in years past? At IMD, we’ve been tracking geopolitics, national competitiveness, and economic security for over 35 years. While recent events like the Trump administration’s policies on DEI, international students, and higher education have made these dynamics highly visible, the underlying trends have been building for decades. Our research has documented the gradual shift from multilateralism to economic nationalism, the weaponization of trade policy, and the increasing fragmentation of global markets. This long-term perspective has been crucial—we’ve observed how geopolitical rivalries have steadily intensified since the 2008 financial crisis, with trade barriers doubling between 2020 and today. What appears sudden to many observers represents the culmination of structural changes over years.
Having said all of this, the current moment feels particularly urgent because multiple long-term trends are converging simultaneously with immediate policy actions. Trump’s tariff policies, restrictions on international talent mobility, and attacks on institutional cooperation aren’t isolated events—they’re accelerating existing patterns of deglobalization and economic fragmentation that our faculty have been analyzing. Similarly, while the U.S. may be slowing progress on energy transition and imposing severe restrictions on diversity initiatives, our clients outside the U.S. continue to demand leadership in these areas. This is why we remain committed to developing inclusive leaders and accelerating the energy transition.
ESCP’s Paris Campus is one of six ESCP European campuses. It also has a branch campus in Dubai. Courtesy photo
To create its new strategic plan, “Bold & United,” ESCP Business School surveyed 4,000 students, alumni, industry and other stakeholders to form its future priorities.
“When we asked what should come next – beyond our existing focus on sustainability and biodiversity – they pointed to two key areas. First, emerging technologies like AI. The second was geopolitics,” says Léon Laulusa, executive president and dean of ESCP.
“That was consistent with our broader strategic studies, which indicate that geopolitics will remain a defining issue for the next 40 to 50 years.”
The new plan launched in June – a time when U.S. business schools and universities faced increasing political attacks against DEI, international students, and academic autonomy. Meanwhile, Trump’s tariffs continue to disrupt trade around the world, while wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere rage on.
The plan’s response is the creation of a new university altogether: The European University of Management will be developed by 2030 and will include a new ESCP School of Governance, launching in 2029.
Key Offerings
Is the goal here primarily to help business leaders navigate global business, or are you also preparing students for roles in government and public service? Both. Even in our Master in Management program, we already offer a specialization in public affairs. Through that, our students can go on to work in NGOs, international organizations, or various ministries, and become high-level civil servants.
But we want to go further. It’s not only about helping business leaders decode the world and understand the impact of geopolitics on business. It’s also about preparing future leaders for roles in international organizations, government, and the public sector. So this goes beyond just a discipline, it’s about training for real-world positions in public leadership and governance.
At Cambridge Judge, geopolitics is taught as inseparable from business. The school’s approach is anchored in its network of research centers which informs curriculum at all academic levels in geopolitical issues.
These centers host global conferences and produce research on topics from accelerated innovation in China to economic risks from political upheaval. The Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability also convenes the Cambridge Disinformation Summit, bringing together senior policymakers and scholars to address systemic information risks.
Meanwhile, the school’s accounting subject group is leading global dialogue and learning on systemic global business information risks, including direct engagement with the highest levels of government in the EU, the UK, Brazil and other regions.
“Many of our students come to Cambridge Judge because they want to do societally impactful projects like clean energy or developing economies in impoverished communities. However, when I interview degree candidates, almost none of them have considered the likely headwinds they will face engaging these business projects in the current global geopolitical climate,” says Alan Jagolinzer, professor of financial accounting and Vice-Dean for Programs.
“Also, few have a sense of the power of their own voice in potentially influencing change in global policy. So I think we have an obligation and an opportunity to support and elevate their impact—to bring the light, if you will—to this seemingly dark environment.”
Key Offerings
Why do you believe geopolitics belongs in a business school setting? Money and influence move policy. Business has always shaped global policy and it has been particularly acute from business influencers in energy, banking, and tech industries. Geopolitics and business are not separable—they are extensions of each other.
Do you believe geopolitics is more relevant to business education now than in years past? Yes. In prior years, U.S. administrations had a more business-supportive approach to policy. Now, policy seems to be more administrative-supportive, despite the negative global systemic shocks that are destroying value in businesses.
As part of the Global Manager Initiative course, Toronto-Rotman students supported Canadian companies on a trade mission at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March 2025. Another 16 MBAs and 8 Canadian companies will attend the IAA Mobility Conference in Munich.
Rotman students can combine global affairs and business in one of the school’s most distinctive offerings: the Master of Global Affairs/Master of Business Administration (MGA/MBA). In three years, students earn two professional degrees — one from the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and one from Rotman — building the ability to bring a business perspective to global policy challenges, and vice versa.
The school’s Institute for International Business anchors much of its global strategy work. The institute conducts research on global market trends, cross-cultural management, international finance, trade policy, and multinational strategy. It also provides experiential learning through study abroad programs, consulting projects, and industry partnerships, as well as outreach through conferences, executive education, and collaborations with business and government.
Key Offerings
ESSEC Business School’s Paris-La Défense campus.
Recognizing that business decisions are increasingly shaped by geopolitics forces – trade tensions, regulatory shifts, conflict and war – ESSEC created the Institute for Geopolitics & Business to help navigate the complexity.
“Business cannot be separated from its (geo)political environment. Leaders need to understand power dynamics, geopolitical risks, and regional strategies to make informed decisions and sustain their competitive advantage,” says Vincenzo Vinzi, Dean and President of ESSEC.
“Foresight and resilience become key assets.”
Launched in 2024 as part of its 2024-2028 Transcend Strategy, the institute builds on ESSEC’s long-standing expertise by bringing together the work of three other centers: IRENE Centre for Negotiation and Mediation was founded in 1996 and has worked in 82 countries. The Center for European Law and Economics was established in 2008 while the Center for Geopolitics, Defense & Leadership in 2021.
Through these centers, ESSEC delivers research-based insights, practitioner engagement, and elective tracks for students.
Key Offerings
Do you believe geopolitics is more relevant to business education now than in years past? Yes, absolutely. We’ve entered a “post-globalization” era, characterized by increased uncertainty, predation of resources, bloc competition, supply chain vulnerabilities, and technological rivalries. Business leaders, whatever their industries or expertises, must anticipate shifts that traditional market analysis alone cannot capture.
What challenges do you think the next generation of business leaders will face that make this kind of education essential? They will face systemic uncertainties: climate crises, cyber threats, resource conflicts, and shifting global alliances. Understanding these forces is critical to developing resilient, responsible strategies, and making informed and relevant decisions to generate value in the long run.
EDHEC’s campus in Nice, France.
7. EDHEC Business School (France)
This June, EDHEC launched its new Chair of Geopolitics and Business Strategy to prepare future leaders for a volatile global environment. It is co-directed by retired French Air and Space Force General Luc de Rancourt and director of Management Education Maïlys Vicaire. The chair aims to give all EDHEC students, from BBA to executives, core skills in geopolitical awareness, scenario planning, and strategic foresight.
The chair will develop programs, events, and more to teach students analytical reasoning and decision-making based on complex geopolitical scenarios. It will emphasize critical thinking skills to identify risks and opportunities in a volatile world as a competitive advantage as well as transforming challenges into opportunities through ethical leadership and informed decision-making.
De Rancourt draws on nearly 40 years in the military, from the Gulf War to Afghanistan, NATO missions, and senior defense leadership roles. He sees geopolitics not just as a risk lens, but as a source of opportunity for businesses prepared to act with foresight. “Power politics and economic dynamics will shape the world and the future,” he says.
“You cannot separate these issues. Leaders must understand the global environment in which they will develop their activity.”
Key Offerings
What is the Chair’s core mission? The idea behind the chair is to provide the students with the skills which will help them to navigate within a very troubled world. I don’t want the chair to be something which see geopolitics as risks. It is… a matter of opportunity, and our motto for the chair is, anticipate, act, do not suffer.
What makes 2025 such a pivotal year in geopolitics? We are facing a fragmentation of the world: The end of the unipolar world and the rise of the competition between China and the US, the threat that the Russians are posing to Europe and the conflict in Ukraine, and ongoing conflict in the Middle East … Power politics and economic dynamics will shape the world and will shape the future. You cannot separate those issues, and therefore you need to make sure that the future business leaders at least understand the global environment in which they will develop their activity.
HEC Paris Campus
HEC Paris has been teaching the intersection of geopolitics, globalization, and business strategy for more than a decade, well before recent crises pushed the topic into the spotlight. But Jeremy Ghez, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, has noticed an uptick in geopolitical offerings by European business schools.
Ghez sees several reasons for the trend. One, he says, is that Europeans tend to see warning signs earlier than their American counterparts — a reflex shaped by history and a more cautious outlook. With geopolitical crises and political upheavals often unfolding closer to home, European schools may be quicker to anticipate disruptions and adapt their programs in response.
Second, he points to an organizational difference between US and European business schools. US schools are usually embedded within larger universities, with built-in access to political science, history, and other social science departments. In Europe, standalone business schools like HEC must make a deliberate choice to integrate these perspectives into business education, creating dedicated initiatives and partnerships rather than relying on cross-campus collaborations.
HEC Paris does this somewhat differently. Rather than relying solely on inviting diplomats to address students, the school focuses on what Ghez calls an “obsession” with the so what question, connecting global politics to concrete business strategy. The school’s programming bridges business and geopolitics through electives, core MBA and Executive MBA courses, and public events.
Key Offerings
What challenges do you think the next generation of business leaders will face that make this kind of education essential? “We are in the most acute information and governance crisis in my lifetime. People do not know what is real and what is fake… I have never seen a more acute need for this type of education, and we need to deploy it urgently.”
Why is HEC Paris integrating geopolitics into its business curriculum now? “We are in the business of helping executives and executives in the making better understand risk, and unless we fully understand that very multifaceted aspect of risk, then we’re not doing our job.”
Lee Newman, Dean of IE Business School, with students at IE Tower, the tech and sustainable campus of IE University in Madrid.
At IE, Strategic Foresight is a central pillar of leadership. Lee Newman, dean of IE Business School, defines it this way: “The ability to analyze, understand, and predict forces of disruption in the environment in which business happens, and to navigate these forces through sound decision-making.” Disruptors include armed conflicts, changes in international trade, climate change, and others. Business leaders must both react to these forces and anticipate their effects.
“That’s why we treat geopolitics as a core dimension of business strategy,” Newman says.
The business school works closely with the IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs to design and deliver Strategic Foresight content across all its programs. It also collaborates with key research centers including the IE Center for the Governance of Change (CGC) and the IE Transatlantic Relations Initiative (TRI).
Key Offerings
What challenges do you think the next generation of business leaders will face that make this kind of education essential? The geopolitical battle for dominance of game-changing technologies like AI and quantum computing, access to key natural resources used to power and build these new technologies, the threat of bio-warfare, the continuing rise of conflict in the cybersphere, and the drive for pre-eminence in space travel.
At IE Business School, our approach is both reactive and proactive. Reactive: On one hand, today’s business leaders must contend with crises that transcend borders—conflict, trade disruption, rising nationalism, and contested globalization—which have undermined traditional planning cycles. And Proactive: we believe leadership today demands anticipatory thinking. That’s why we treat geopolitics as a core dimension of business strategy.
Leaders need to interpret the signals of global change and make decisions that are not just responsive, but forward-looking. We are increasingly incorporating courses or larger curricular elements on Strategic Foresight into our programs.
DON’T MISS: A NEW GEOPOLITICS PUSH? HOW INTERNATIONAL B-SCHOOLS ARE RESPONDING TO GLOBAL CHAOS
Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius
About Poets&Quants | P&Q News Archives | Privacy Policy | Advertising & Partnerships | Editorial | Contact Us | Sign In / Register
Copyright© 2025 C Change Media, LLC All Rights Reserved.
Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com
9 International Business Schools Where You Can Study Geopolitics – Poets&Quants
