Business schools rarely struggle to name the challenges ahead. Agreeing on what to do about them is the harder part. That is exactly what the European Business Education & Future Skills Summit 2026 set out to tackle. On 15 and 16 October 2026, academic leaders, faculty, quality assurance professionals, employers, students and alumni came together at CBS International Business School's Cologne campus.
The summit was powered by IACBE. Over two days, participants worked through one central question: what do artificial intelligence, shifting labour market expectations and global talent mobility mean for the way business schools teach? And what has to change as a result?
What is the European Business Education & Future Skills Summit?
The European Business Education & Future Skills Summit is an international conference on the future of business education. In 2026, CBS International Business School hosted it in Cologne together with IACBE. The central question was how business schools can prepare their graduates for a world of work that is changing quickly through AI and new expectations.
The summit's theme was Educating Talent for a Changing World. Four topics framed the discussions:
- AI: how artificial intelligence is changing learning, teaching and assessment
- Future Skills: which competences graduates will need
- Global Talent: how institutions attract and develop international talent
- Industry Collaboration: what skills employers are looking for in future graduates
IACBE (International Accreditation Council for Business Education) accredits business programmes worldwide. This partnership shaped the character of the event. With IACBE President Dr Emmett P. Tracy in Cologne, the organisation set the tone from the very start.
The aim went beyond discussion. Every participant was meant to leave with practical ideas, new connections and concrete recommendations for their own institution.
Day one: understanding the change
Day one ran under the motto "Understand the Change". After a welcome from CBS and IACBE, Dr Emmett P. Tracy gave the IACBE Presidential Address on quality, relevance and impact in business education. The programme also included:
- the opening keynote "AI is Rewriting Higher Education: Are We Ready?" on how AI is changing learning, teaching and assessment
- a fireside chat on the future of business schools in Europe
- the industry perspective "What Employers Really Expect from Graduates in 2030", focusing on adaptability, digital literacy and problem-solving
- a roundtable with students and faculty on business projects as a core element of the curriculum at CBS, followed by alumni reflections on their career entry
- an innovation showcase with short presentations from participating institutions
The voices of students and alumni showed what applied learning achieves in practice. At CBS, business projects with companies are a firm part of every degree.
A special moment for our international guests: Mayor Derya Karadag welcomed participants to Cologne's historic Town Hall.
Day two: creating the response
On day two, participants worked in three Future Labs to develop practical recommendations for business schools. The topics: teaching and assessment in the age of AI, embedding employability and future skills into the curriculum as well as internationalisation and employer engagement.
Day two ran under the motto "Create the Response". Instead of talks, it was built around co-creation sessions in which everyone in the room contributed.
The summit closed with a presentation and discussion of the Lab outcomes. Which priorities are emerging? Where can new partnerships grow? And what are the next steps for participating institutions?
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What are CBS's key takeaways from the summit?
The most important insight: the labour market is changing faster than degree programmes are traditionally revised. No single institution can close that gap on its own. It needs employers in the room, students in the room, and peers willing to share what has not worked yet.
For CBS, this is both a confirmation and a mandate. Three points stand out:
- Practice in the curriculum: our teaching concepts combine theory with real-world business experience integrated into the curriculum.
- Career focus from day one: the CBS Career Service supports students on their way into the job market.
- Open exchange: formats like the summit bring universities, employers and students together to develop teaching jointly.
What happens after the summit?
The outcomes of the Future Labs will not stay in Cologne. Together with IACBE, CBS will publish the European Business Education & Future Skills Summit Insights Report 2026. It brings together insights, recommendations, and examples of good practice, and will be shared digitally with all participants and participating institutions.
CBS and IACBE share a long-standing partnership. In 2018, CBS became the first German university to receive IACBE accreditation, and in 2025 its programmes were reaccredited by IACBE.
Conclusion: answers are built together
The European Business Education & Future Skills Summit 2026 showed that the future of business education is shaped through exchange. When universities, employers, students and alumni work on solutions together, trends turn into concrete recommendations.
Our thanks go to IACBE, to every speaker, facilitator and participant, and to the CBS organising team that made these two days possible.
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