RESTON, Va. (September 23, 2026) – The purpose of business education is shifting from delivering information towards developing judgement, adaptability and human connection. As generative AI takes over more routine analytical work, schools are placing greater emphasis on communication, empathy, collaboration, conflict resolution and complex problem framing, according to 10 top European business school deans.
The finding comes from The Future of Graduate Management Education Revisited 2026, a new report from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). A follow-up to GMAC's 2022 study, the report draws on interviews with deans from IMD, Vlerick Business School, London Business School, Esade Business School, the University of Glasgow, Nova School of Business and Economics, HEC Paris, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Imperial College Business School and INSEAD, alongside evidence from the GMAC Prospective Students Survey 2026, the GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey 2026 and the GMAC Application Trends Survey 2025.
The report also finds that AI is driving business schools to shift from credentialing knowledge to developing capability and assessing whether students can think independently. Schools are rethinking assessment because written submissions on their own can no longer provide sufficient evidence of what students understand.
At HEC Paris, “machine off” assesses students’ foundational knowledge, while “machine on” exercises assess how effectively students can use AI. Nova SBE has increased the time students spend defending their theses, while Frankfurt School is bringing back oral examinations and final presentations. INSEAD is developing interactive AI-powered case studies in which students engage with an avatar of the protagonist and must ask the right questions to uncover the information they need. Peter Todd, Dean of Imperial College Business School, describes the shift towards live assessment as the “performative arts.”
“We are not going to analyze what you submitted,” says Pedro Oliveira, Dean of Nova SBE. “We are going to analyze your ability to argue the point you are making in the document and to defend the document. If the thesis was written by AI, it will be obvious in 30 seconds.”
The report finds that schools face two connected challenges: preserving students’ ability to think independently and teaching them to use AI effectively. Marion Debruyne, Dean of Vlerick Business School, warns of “cognitive surrender,” where students outsource their learning and thinking to AI and lose the ability to practice fundamental skills.
“Employers and candidates need to know that a qualification remains a reliable signal of capability. The response to AI should strengthen that trust by making the standards behind assessment clearer and more meaningful,” says Nalisha Patel, Regional Director, Americas and Europe at GMAC. “The pace of AI means schools cannot rely on periodic reviews. They need to give faculty the space to test new approaches, learn from them and adapt continuously while maintaining academic standards.”
Beyond AI, the deans describe a shift from a “flat world” to a “rugged world,” where trade disputes, political fragmentation and restrictions on mobility are making security and resilience central to management education.
Schools in Europe are also moving beyond reliance on a single flagship MBA. Specialized master’s degrees, executive education and interdisciplinary programs are taking on greater strategic importance, while several deans caution that stackable programs and micro-credentials remain difficult to deliver profitably.
The findings mark a significant change from GMAC’s 2022 report, when technology was discussed mainly in relation to online and hybrid teaching. Four years later, the focus has shifted from where students learn to how schools can establish that students are still doing the thinking.
The report from GMAC can be downloaded on GMAC.com.
About GMAC
GMAC is a global nonprofit association of leading graduate business schools committed to connecting future business leaders with educational opportunities and advancing graduate management education worldwide. Through assessments, research, events, and recruitment solutions, we provide the tools and information necessary for schools and candidates to discover and evaluate each other. With teams in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, GMAC serves millions of visitors each year across its digital platforms.
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