Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business Working with Aon to Support Diversity in Business
Jan. 18, 2022
New program will educate students on the fundamentals of risk management through guest lectures, internships, and an Aon/Spencer Educational Foundation Course Development Grant that will support students through their academic journey.
Students from Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business will gain access to the expertise of industry leaders at Aon thanks to a new partnership that includes a Spencer Educational Foundation Course Development Grant.
Building on its strength on connecting business students with industry leaders, Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business is working with Aon plc and The Spencer Educational Foundation to develop a series of cutting-edge risk management courses and programs at the undergraduate level to better prepare students for a career in risk management, insurance, finance, and other professions.
Aon, a leading global professional services firm, will provide full course tuition awards for up to 25 students enrolled in these courses with GPAs of 3.00 or higher. To support Brooklyn College’s and Aon’s commitment to diversity, at least 50 percent of the students receiving the tuition awards will come from traditionally underrepresented and diverse backgrounds.
“We anticipate the collaboration between Aon and Koppelman to be a long-lasting relationship, given our shared interest and commitment to supporting the next generation of diverse business leaders,” said Qing Hu, Dean of the Murray Koppelman School of Business. “This collaboration will significantly benefit our students by preparing them to be well-trained and high-quality employees in new and growing fields within the business world.”
The first milestone of this collaboration is a new three-credit course on the fundamentals of risk management and insurance, which is being offered during the 2022 winter intersession. The course introduces students to the concept of risk in the context of what households and commercial businesses face in this highly uncertain environment. Students will study how risk is assessed, measured, managed, absorbed, distributed, and transferred.
“We are in the beginning stages of working with Brooklyn College and plan to continue to build upon our work together over time,” said Aaron Olson, Executive Vice President for Aon United Solutions at Aon and executive sponsor for the initiative. “We are focused on strengthening the curriculum leveraging Aon’s expertise in helping organizations navigate risk and volatility; creating links between the school and our industry; and supporting talented students through the tuition awards and future employment opportunities. We’ve already made progress on these fronts. As we strive to continue to build a resilient workforce, helping develop future talent is a key part of that effort.”
Students will also examine the value of specific household and business decisions regarding the use of insurance to protect income, wealth, and property value from losses that result from certain events. Aon risk management professionals and executives will serve as guest lecturers to bring real-world problems to the classroom. Students who complete this course with distinction will be invited to apply for internship positions at Aon. The collaboration with Brooklyn College is part of Aon’s broader efforts to further its commitment to inclusion and diversity and expand access to diverse talent, alongside other initiatives such as the Aon Apprenticeship Program.
“At Aon, inclusion and diversity is part of the fabric of our culture and we are committed to developing and advancing diverse talent within our firm and our industry,” Lambros Lambrou, CEO of Commercial Risk Solutions at Aon, said. “We are proud to work with Brooklyn College to bring forth a curriculum that introduces students to risk management and provides opportunities to gain industry experience through our various internship and early career development programs. We look forward to evolving our relationship over time, with the aim to support the development of a risk management major or minor for Brooklyn College students in the future. I am energized by the impact this new talent will have in our industry.”
Given this dynamic business and economic environment, the faculty of the Koppelman School know that risk management is one of the essential elements of a contemporary business education, and a well-educated business graduate should have a fundamental understanding of risk management principles, analytic models, risk control tools, and management practices. Faculty have infused risk management concepts, models, and case studies in their accounting, finance, economics, operations, and management courses.
“This is just the first step in phasing in more forward-thinking business curriculum and courses that will be offered at Koppelman,” Hu said. “We plan to develop a set of new courses with Aon to provide students with a better understanding of the various types of risks that households and businesses face, while also getting a broad understanding of the types of careers that are available within the insurance industry and risk management profession. We are extremely proud to work with Aon and The Spencer Educational Foundation in this endeavor.”
Hu added that this program sets a great example of college-industry collaboration in developing and offering cutting-edge and high-in-demand academic programs the Koppelman School is actively pursuing. He called for more businesses in New York City and around the country to join this strategic initiative and explore exciting opportunities that greatly benefit the students and society and significantly enhance the diversity, equity, and inclusion in the professional workforce.
About the Murray Koppelman School of Business
The Murray Koppelman School of Business at Brooklyn College is the only business program in Brooklyn accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, representing the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. The Koppelman School delivers a distinctive business education experience through world-class faculty at a location that provides exceptional access to the world's financial and marketing capital, and a supportive network of high-achieving alumni as well as corporate and organizational partners. The Koppelman School offers undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting, business management, economics, and finance, as well as internship and networking opportunities with business leaders in and around New York City.
