The Graduate Business Forum (GBF) is a United States-based non-profit foundation best known for its annual global Graduate Business Conference, which brings together top business leaders, political leaders and selected student government presidents and vicepresidents from the top 55 MBA Business Schools in the world to exchange best practices on student government, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and community service and to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world from a responsible leadership perspective. The Forum also organizes a series of regional meetings throughout the year.
The Graduate Business Forum was founded in 1983 by Jim Deveau, a then MBA student and President of the student government at Columbia Business School. Beyond conferences, the Forum produces articles on ethical and responsible leadership of the MBA community and engages its members in business school or community initiatives.
The Forum is headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. It is impartial and not-for-profit and is not tied to any political, partisan or national interest. Its highest governance body is the Board of Directors consisting of business, academic and previous student government leaders.
The GBF is a community where leadership is put into action, where best practices are shared and where globalism is embraced by all it members.
Individual GBF Membership is restricted to elected Student Leaders of the Student Government Bodies of the top 55 MBA Business Schools in the world. Student Leaders are invited upon election to participate in the global activities, events and network of the Graduate Business Forum.
Business schools that have participated in the GBF and GBC:
Australian Graduate School of Management, SydneyCarnegie Mellon University, TepperCase Western University, WeatherheadChina Europe International Business School (CEIBS)Chinese University of Hong KongColumbia Business SchoolCornell University, JohnsonCopenhagen Business SchoolDartmouth College, TuckDuke University, FuquaEmory University, GoizuetaESADE Business SchoolGeorgetown, McDonoughHarvard Business SchoolHEC MontrealHEC ParisHong Kong University of Science and TechnologyIE Business SchoolIESE Business SchoolIMD Business SchoolIndian Institute of Management - AhmedabadIndian School of BusinessIndiana University, KelleyINSEADInternational University of JapanLondon Business SchoolLondon School of EconomicsManchester Business SchoolMIT Sloan School of ManagementMcGill UniversityMelbourne Business SchoolMichigan State University, BroadNanyang Technological UniversityNational Chengchi UniversityNational University of SingaporeNew York University, SternNorthwestern University, KelloggNorwegian School of EconomicsNotre Dame University, MendozaPurdue University, KrannertQueens School of BusinessRSM Erasmus UniversityStanford Graduate School of BusinessStockholm School of EconomicsTsinghua UniversityUniversity of California–Berkeley, HaasUniversity of California–Los Angeles, AndersonUniversity of CambridgeUniversity of Chicago, BoothUniversity of CologneUniversity of Economics, PragueUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Maryland, SmithUniversity of Michigan, RossUniversity of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Kenan-FlaglerUniversity of OxfordUniversity of Pennsylvania, WhartonUniversity of Rochester, SimonUniversity of Southern California, MarshallUniversity of Texas at Austin, McCombsUniversity of Virginia, DardenUniversity of Washington, The Michael G. Foster School of BusinessUniversity of Western Ontario, IveyUniversity St. GallenWashington University in St. Louis, Olin Business SchoolWits (Johannesburg)Yale University, SOMYork University, SchulichThe Graduate Business Forum's best known activity is the annual global Graduate Business Conference, which brings together business and political leaders with selected student government leaders from the top 50 MBA Business Schools in the world to exchange best practices, network, and debate the most pressing issues facing education and the economy from a responsible leadership perspective. The Forum also organizes a series of regional meetings throughout the year.
The Graduate Business Conference has been held since 1983:
YEAR, HOST UNIVERSITY, GBC THEME
2016, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, Giving Back: The Responsibility of Future Leaders2015, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, The New Normal: China and the World2014, No conference held2013, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad2012, William E. Simon Graduate School of Business - Rochester, New York, Size Matters2011, ESADE, Responsible Leadership2010, University of Maryland (Smith), Post Crisis: Business Leadership in the New Global Economy2009, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Accessing the Market of Greater China2008, UC Berkeley (Haas), The Global Leader and the Leader Within2007, National University of Singapore, The Silk Route2006, Copenhagen Business School, Discovering Potential2005, Indiana University (Kelley), Creating Value through Leadership2004, University of Michigan (Ross), Leading in Dynamic Times2003, University of Virginia (Darden), Innovate!2002, Emory University (Goizueta), Getting to the Future First2001, Cornell University (Johnson), Leading on the Edge2000, UCLA (Anderson), The Net Effect1999, University of Texas (McCombs), Driving Technological Change1998, Washington University (Olin), Business in the Community1997, Vanderbilt University (Owen), Managing Quality: Quality Managing1996, UC Berkeley (Haas) , Entrepreneurship1995, University of Western Ontario (Ivey), Global Competitiveness: What Does it Take?1994, Case Western University (Weatherhead), The Changing Face of American Industry1993, New York University (Stern) , Corporate Social Responsibility1992, Indiana University (Kelley) , Business and the Environment1991, University of Michigan (Ross) , 1992 and the EEC1990, University of Washington (Foster), Pacific Rim Countries1989, University of Virginia (Darden) , Business Ethics and Ideals1988, Northwestern University (Kellogg), The Services Industry1987, University of Texas (McCombs) , Innovation for Entrepreneurial Success1986, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), The Increasingly International Nature of Business1985, Duke University (Fuqua) , MBA's in the Information Age1984, UCLA (Anderson) , The Bottom Line of Leadership1983, Columbia University , The MBA - A Student PerspectiveThe Student Leadership Award was inaugurated in 1991 by the board of directors of the Graduate Business Forum (GBF) to recognize leadership, innovation and a commitment to the greater community at the graduate business level. In the past influential leaders, such as CEOs, prime ministers, presidents and royalty have bestowed this award upon a student or team during a commemorative banquet at the annual Graduate Business Conference.
Dave Chonowski and Chris Petersen, 2009 awardees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, turned their winning idea into the MBA Veterans Network, a global community of military veteran students and alumni of the world's leading business schools. Their organization has generated significant interest from the business media and has since been featured in both BusinessWeek and the Wall Street Journal.
Member schools may execute up to two nominations for their institution.
