Impact Series courses at the Alberta School of Business: Shaping future leaders | YouAlberta

Impact Series courses at the Alberta School of Business: Shaping future leaders

Ishan sits down with Leo Wong to learn more about exciting initiatives at the ASB.

April 03, 2025 By Ishan Arora

Image: BUS 101, Ferguson Impact Series Launch Event in October 2024.

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Ishan (he/him) is a fourth-year Finance student at the University of Alberta. He originates from Bhopal, a beautiful city in India known as the city of lakes. He has studied at eight schools and has lived in ten cities. Ishan loves travelling, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. He is big on sports and enjoys playing soccer, squash, basketball, swimming and running half-marathons. His creative side includes writing poems and playing guitar when missing home. Ishan enjoys public speaking and strives to become a visiting lecturer to teach at all of the world's best universities, including Oxford, U of A, London School of Business and the Kyoto University in Japan.

What does it take to become a catalyst for change at one of Canada's top business schools? How does defining a vision for the future and making strategic decisions shape that journey? It sounds both exciting and challenging - and I was eager to learn more!

To explore further, I had an insightful conversation with Leo Wong, Associate Dean of Education at the Alberta School of Business (ASB), about the school's recent initiatives. Most notably, we discussed the "Impact Series" of courses designed to prepare future leaders at the U of A.

Leo shared countless insights about recent developments at ASB, and below, I've highlighted some of the most fascinating aspects of our conversation.

What's your role at the ASB and your vision for the future of the business school?

In my role as the Associate Dean of Education at the ASB, I help support teaching, learning and the student experience. This involves assisting professors and instructors in their teaching while ensuring students receive a high-quality learning experience through the Office of Education.

We also have our Careers Work and Integrated Learning (CWIL) office, which provides a variety of opportunities to business students. These include career treks, employer information sessions, networking events, case competitions, student group support and a cooperative education program that supports students in securing invaluable work experience. These activities ultimately help students gain real-world insights during their academic journey.

To be honest, I am very proud of our school's active involvement in experiential learning activities, like case competitions, while maintaining a strong research reputation. Over the past few years, especially post-COVID, we've led campus efforts to pioneer better ways of engaging students. We're not perfect, but we're never afraid to try new things.

My vision for the school aligns with its strategic plan: to uplift and support one another. We aim to develop critical thinkers and leaders who will continue to lead after graduation. We want to identify high-potential students and translate that potential into high performance. That's an exciting prospect!

Introducing the Impact Series

The Impact Series is an incredible opportunity for every student to engage in experiential learning activities throughout their four-year undergraduate journey. Starting with BUS 101 in their first year, students learn the fundamentals of the case study method and develop skills in business case analysis and presentation. In their second year, BUS 222 focuses on practical skills like project management, communication and professionalism. BUS 303, in the third year, addresses global challenges and broadens students' perspectives by tackling real-world business problems. Finally, the capstone course, BUS 404, challenges students to solve a specific issue with one of our business or community partners.

To my knowledge, no other business school in Canada is delivering this kind of immersive experiential learning experience for 100% of their students over four years. It's something truly special that we offer.

Building partnerships for the future

At this stage, corporate partnerships remain an annual conversation, but each year, it becomes easier to maintain and expand these relationships. The City of Edmonton and several donors have stepped up to support this initiative, and we're beginning to see interest from beyond the local community. We're already planning two to three years ahead to involve our partners more deeply.

The capstone course in BUS 404, which we'll pilot in Fall 2025, will be the pinnacle from a student perspective. With input from various community partners, teams of students will apply the skills they've developed over three years to tackle new challenges. Everyone's excited to see what they'll achieve.

Challenges & insights

Delivering these courses is far more complex than a traditional, single-instructor model. The Impact Series requires collaboration among multiple instructors, teaching assistants and support staff. Designing and executing these courses takes time and effort, both from instructors and teaching staff, but we believe it's all worth it in the end. Every student gets the chance to tackle real-world challenges and discover their strengths during their BCom journey.

One of the most rewarding outcomes is hearing from students years later about how these experiences shaped their careers. While the full value of the learning may take time to recognize, it's clear that these courses leave a lasting impact, and I love that.

Shaping future leaders

I think there's a lot of pressure and challenge in society right now, and these problems won't be solved with textbook answers. Creativity, critical thinking and collaboration are essential. Collaboration, in particular, is key. Crossing boundaries and working with people outside your comfort zone is often the path to innovation.

We need leaders who are willing to step outside their comfort zones, complement others' strengths and drive change. By equipping our students with these skills, we're preparing them to tackle society's biggest challenges.

Even amidst Edmonton's cold winters, the energy and warmth within the U of A business community are undeniable. The Impact Series isn't just a set of courses - it's a transformative journey that empowers students to become leaders who will make a difference in the world. With initiatives like these, the ASB continues to set a benchmark for innovation and excellence in business education.