Benn Konsynski
Professor Benn Konsynski says the future of education lies in combining technical training with connections to innovation. FILE PHOTO

Business and industry aren’t the only players in a rapidly-changing global environment. Education must also adapt to an increasingly digital and entrepreneurial world says Benn Konsynski, George S. Craft Distinguished University Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management.

Konsynski spoke recently with “Learn it Live” about the landscape of social media and changes he expects to take place. In the process, blogger Sahil Goswami became an “S.O.B.” or “Student of Benn.”

Konsynski (Twitter) arrived at Goizueta following six years on the faculty at the Harvard Business School where he taught in the MBA program and several executive programs. Prior to arriving at HBS, he was a professor at the University of Arizona where he was a co-founder of a multi-million dollar group decision support laboratory.

He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University.

Known for his foresight into emerging technology and social media, Konsynski said higher education at the end of the 21st century will likely “little resemble” the status quo of today.

“Education helps when it trains [students] to change and adapt to change,” Konsynski told “Learn it Live,” adding the need to morph infrastructure to relate technical training with the entrepreneurial environment.

In particular, according to Konsynski, lies a need to combine understanding of the volatility, pace and work ethic exhibited in the world with the creativity, certification and training in education.

In the business environment, he sees problems with looking to even the recent past.

“I think business and enterprise is rapidly chasing yesterday’s operating structure,” Konsynski said.  “Most of them are moving into the social media market with an understanding of what that market was and is today and not, necessarily, what it will be tomorrow.

“The enterprise is not going to win by being ‘old cool.”

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