Amazon Web Services and Esade join forces to prepare future leaders for digital transformation and AI
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Esade have signed a collaboration agreement to promote education, research and innovation initiatives and strengthen the readiness of professionals, executives, students, faculty and researchers for digital transformation and the advance of artificial intelligence (AI). This strategic alliance is structured around five areas: digital transformation and cloud technologies; research and knowledge transfer; data strategy and advanced analytics; AI and innovation; and executive education and professional development.
“Artificial intelligence is redefining how organisations compete, innovate and create value,” said Suzana Curic, General Manager of AWS for Iberia. “But technology alone is not enough: the true differentiator lies in the people who lead it and in their ability to make strategic decisions with sound judgement and a sense of responsibility. This alliance with Esade reflects that conviction. Together, we want to help executives, professionals and students in Spain acquire the skills, frameworks and practical experience they need to turn AI into a genuine driver of transformation.”
“At Esade, we want technology to make a tangible contribution to transforming education and generating relevant knowledge,” said Daniel Traça, Director General of Esade. “Our commitment is to integrate AI across all areas of academic activity through an educational model that combines technological capabilities, critical thinking and human judgement. This agreement will enable us to incorporate new tools and learning into our research and educational offering, helping our students and participants understand both the possibilities and the limitations of AI and use it strategically and responsibly.”
AI CEO Circle: AI as a leadership challenge
Under the agreement, Amazon Web Services and Esade will explore the joint development of the AI CEO Circle, an invitation-only community for senior business leaders facing the challenge of turning artificial intelligence into a strategic driver for their organisations. The initiative will provide a peer-to-peer forum for sharing experiences, testing decisions and addressing issues such as organisational culture, leadership and talent, the application of AI to business, and the mechanisms required for its governance and oversight. Esade will contribute its academic rigour and executive education expertise, while AWS will provide technological knowledge, business cases, innovation methodologies and access to specialists.
New learning and research experiences
Artificial intelligence is integrated across the Esade learning experience so that students and participants understand how technology is transforming business models, organisations and leadership. Programmes such as the Full-Time MBA and the Executive MBA explore its strategic implications through courses, bootcamps, laboratories and hands-on experiences. These are complemented by specialised degrees such as the Bachelor in Business and Artificial Intelligence and the Double Degree - Bachelor of Business Administration & Business and Artificial Intelligence, as well as Esade Executive Education programmes such as Rethinking Business with AI. This transformation also extends to the school's faculty and teaching methodologies. Through its Teaching and Learning Centre of Excellence, Esade promotes training, responsible-use guidelines and classroom pilot projects.
Building on this foundation, the collaboration with AWS will expand these opportunities by providing access to technologies, specialists, business cases and experimentation environments, as well as learning resources and professional certifications. The agreement also includes practical activities, hackathons, mentoring and employability initiatives related to cloud technologies and AI. Both organisations will also explore AI applications designed to enhance the student experience, including conversational assistants, personalised recommendation systems, virtual tutors and new tools to support learning and assessment.
In the field of research, AWS will facilitate access to advanced cloud technologies to support academic projects. The two organisations will also promote publications, use cases and outreach content, and explore the creation of the Esade-AWS Tech Lab, a space for experimenting with cloud technologies and AI, supporting entrepreneurial projects and developing prototypes applicable to a range of social and professional contexts.