From a renewed vision for business education to hands-on learning that prepares students to lead in a complex world, 2025 was a year when bold ideas translated into bold action at Ivey. Guided by Bold Ambition, the School’s strategy to reimagine experiential business learning for the world, Ivey introduced new programs, deepened global impact, and advanced research and innovation. Across classrooms, partnerships, and communities, the focus was clear: creating meaningful opportunities for students and leaders to learn, grow, and make an impact. Here are some of the highlights that shaped the year.
A vision for the future of learning: Bold Ambition
Ivey’s Bold Ambition strategy set the tone for 2025, outlining a refreshed model for experiential learning that is global, immersive, and deeply connected to real-world challenges. It shows early momentum across programs and partnerships as the School builds the foundation for a new era of business education.
A new pathway to the MBA: Launching the Graduate Diploma in Management
This fall, Ivey launched the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) – a program for non-business professionals who want to develop core management skills or pursue an MBA. The GDM created a new entry point for learners from a range of academic and career backgrounds, reinforcing Ivey’s focus on accessible and flexible programs.
Global reach in action: Growth of the 39 Country Initiative
The 39 Country Initiative announced an ambitious new goal in 2025, aiming to train thousands of educators and reach millions of students worldwide in the next five years. With expanded case libraries and new academic partnerships, the initiative has strengthened business education in developing regions.
Bringing cases to life: VR introduced into the classroom
This year marked a step forward for experiential learning with the debut of virtual reality (VR) in the classroom. VR offers students a way to move beyond reading a case and instead step directly into the environments and decisions they’re studying. Students viewed decisions from multiple perspectives, gaining a level of context and immediacy that enriches case discussions and extends Ivey’s tradition of learning by doing.
Learning directly from the C-suite: Introducing Navigating Change
Ivey launched Navigating Change, a new course that brings CEOs and senior executives – each an Ivey or Western alum – into the classroom for live case discussions. The leaders shared lessons on strategy, decision points, and navigating uncertainty. The course is one example of how Bold Ambition is reshaping the learning experience.
Research with global impact: Ivey ranks 25th worldwide
In November, Ivey placed 25th in the world and number one in Canada for high-impact business research, recognizing the School’s strength in producing scholarship that engages directly with business practice. The ranking reflects the work of faculty whose insights influence leaders, policy-makers, and organizations around the world.
Fifteen years of leader character: A milestone for the Leadership Institute
The Character Leader Conference marked 15 years of the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership’s work in shaping leaders with character. The event brought academics and practitioners together to explore the role of character in leadership and highlighted the growing global influence of Ivey’s research and teaching in this area.
Celebrating 30 years of experiential learning: The BCG Case Competition
The HBA1 BCG Case Competition celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025. Over three decades, it has become one of Ivey’s signature experiential learning experiences, giving students the chance to work under pressure, sharpen their analysis, and present to senior leaders. Watch the 30th anniversary video.
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