The Business of business
In some ways, Universities are no different to
any other large business enterprise, in that they are
impacted by market trends and the fluctuations of
the global economy. However, institutes of higher
education also have to adapt to the changes in our
society, and to the changing demands of each new
generation of students, while at the same time
attempting to maintain the history and traditions
on which they were founded, and which they have
operated from for many years.
While, adapt or die, isn’t necessarily the mantra
here, adapt or become irrelevant, may well be. If
Bangkok University (BU) wants to remain competitive,
and to provide relevant and effective
services to its clients, it will need to find new ways
of doing business: new ways which will bring
change with them. However, no-one really needs to
be afraid of change, it is a fact of life and I always
see it as an opportunity for something better, rather
than an opportunity for something worse! Anyway,
as the Roman philosopher Heraclitus said over 2,500
years ago, “nothing endures but change.”
The goal is to improve BU’s internal processes,
create a more business-focused and effective
operational model for the University, and to still
keep the spirit and traditions of the University alive.
If BU can achieve this outcome then it will maintain
both its position as the pre-eminent private
University in Thailand, as well as ensure its position
as a leader in business excellence: and in doing so
it will become a role model for others to follow.
And the key to achieving just such an outcome
can be summed up in two words: knowledge
management.