Industry Synergy

The start of a new semester brings many constants to the C. T. Bauer College Business. As always, students are bustling across Melcher Hall headed to their classrooms. Student organizations are around campus encouraging new members to join. And a select few spend the evenings at one of the college’s best-kept secrets — the CBB fifth floor Quiet Room. 

However, no matter how much stays the same, as a business school in the heart of Houston, if there’s one thing guaranteed, it’s change. Amongst the ever-evolving academic environment, this fall Bauer students are welcomed by the college’s new dean, Xianjun Geng. 

Making the drive across Interstate 10, Geng is no stranger to the Gulf Coast, coming to Bauer from Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business. Moving from one bayou to another, Geng looks forward to the endless opportunities Houston has to offer. 

“I knew about Bauer College pretty well long before I came here,” Geng said. “Academia is a small world. There's a lot of great people at Bauer College; it always starts with people.  Many of the faculty over here are world-renowned researchers, and some of the programs are also world-renowned.” 

The University of Houston is a growth engine for the region, Geng says, and it’s important for Bauer not to lose sight of the traditional strengths of the area. That means he’s laser-focused on four of Houston’s leading sectors: energy, health care, supply chain and high technology.  

For Houston’s established energy and health care industries, Geng says the work starts with listening. From there, it’s about bringing the college’s business perspective and expertise, ultimately sharing the knowledge created with industry practitioners in relevant ways. This includes observing previous business successes and failures and seeing what the common causes are. 

While preserving tradition, it’s important for Geng that Bauer has an open mind and is forward-looking. This is particularly relevant in times of change, including the current state of global supply chain. 

“We're living at the time of very big change on how commerce is being done, with whom and in what fashion,” he said. “This is one demand that Bauer College, with our very strong working operations in supply chain, can do a lot of work to contribute to this new world in terms of commerce.” 

With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, Geng has been identifying the college’s strengths to see how they can be coupled with new technology. The process has included meeting internally with Bauer faculty and having conversations with Houston industry leaders about Bauer’s AI plans. 

This fall, Geng plans to take faculty members to visit Houston Methodist to see firsthand how AI is making health care more accessible, affordable and efficient. From the business perspective of AI, Geng says it’s important to understand how the processes are impacted by the new technology.  

“For me, the constant theme is how does new technology makes business more efficient and better, that is an angle that I don't think has changed too much,” Geng said. “It's just the technology subject matter changed from like social network and internet now to another thing called AI.” 

Bauer College researchers have organized some of their AI educational efforts into the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute. Approaching AI from the business point of view, the institute focuses research on how AI impacts companies, people and society. The institute also hosts educational programs and teaches about the topic. 

“We are one of the first in the country of these AI human-centered institutes,” Endowed C. T. Bauer Chair of AI Meng Li said. “We have two things that are very fundamental. We are doing top notch research; we keep publishing top tier journals. Also, we are working with companies, for example we have a grant from HP and Shell to support our post docs. That's very unique, at least in business settings.” 

Considering AI and the current geopolitical and economic environment, Geng believes the only thing that doesn’t change in today’s business world, is change itself. As innovation drives the external business environment to change, he says it’s imperative for all business schools, including Bauer, to adapt to the new times. 

“It's our ultimate responsibility as educators to make sure that we teach our students not for the industry of yesterday but teach our students for the industry of tomorrow,” Geng said. “That's why we cannot stop innovating the program. That being said, managing a large portfolio of programs is always going to be a problem. For me, it's both about keep innovating new programs, but at the same time reviewing and reflecting on existing programs so that we don't stretch ourselves too thin.” 

Strategically, the city is at the forefront of Geng’s mind when planning for Bauer’s future. As one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, Geng says the speed of innovation is faster here compared to many other places across the globe. That makes it a priority for Bauer to keep up with the pace, as well as stay aligned with the city’s vision for modernization. Partnership between the college and industry leaders will be a focus to see what realms the Houston area wants to see development in. 

“For those of us who are in this so-called ivory tower, it’s important we make sure we do not innovate because we think that's the direction to go,” he said. “That's a common mistake people will make. It's very important for us to hear the vibe, hear the breath of the city, the collective, the business leaders, what they think and using that as a guidance on what we invest, our resources and energy in.” 

Throughout his first academic year as dean, Geng’s top priorities come down to culture and resources. He hopes to continue to safeguard Bauer’s culture of students first, collegiality and executing initiatives. When it comes to resources, he wants to ensure necessary resources are secured, and that they are invested responsibly into student success.