CEO Magazine: Volume 8 by CEO Magazine

It’sAll AllAbout About Access Access It’s It’s TheFordham FordhamUniversity UniversityGraduate GraduateSchool SchoolofofBusiness BusinessAdministration’s Administration’s The The Fordham University Graduate School of Business Administration’s

EXECUTIVEMBA MBAPROGRAM PROGRAM EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM EXECUTIVE •Offered OfferedatatFordham’s Fordham’sLincoln LincolnCenter Centerand andWestchester WestchesterCampuses Campuses • •Offered at Fordham’s Lincoln Center and Westchester Campuses •Meets MeetsOne OneWeekend WeekendaaMonth: Month:Friday, Friday,Saturday Saturdayand andSunday Sunday • •Meets One Weekend a Month: Friday, Saturday and Sunday •Professionally ProfessionallyDiverse DiverseStudent StudentGroups Groupsand andWorld-Renowned World-RenownedFaculty Faculty • •Professionally Diverse Student Groups and World-Renowned Faculty •International InternationalCapstone CapstoneTrip TripCombines CombinesPractical PracticalBusiness BusinessSkills Skillswith with • •International Capstone Trip Combines Practical Business Skills with Cross-CulturalExperiences Experiences Cross-Cultural Cross-Cultural Experiences •Focus Focuson onCura CuraPersonalis Personalis(Care (Carefor forthe theWhole WholePerson) Person)— —by byEducating EducatingMind, Mind, • •Focus on Cura Personalis (Care for the Whole Person) — by Educating Mind, Bodyand andSpirit. Spirit. Body Body and Spirit.

GraduateSchool SchoolofofBusiness BusinessAdministration Administration Graduate Graduate School New of Business Administration Lincoln Center, York, N.Y. +1(212) (212)636-6167 636-6167 Lincoln Center, New York, N.Y. +1 Lincoln Center, New York, N.Y. +1 (212) 636-6167 Westchester,West WestHarrison, Harrison,N.Y. N.Y.+1 +1( (914) 914)367-3274 367-3274 Westchester, Westchester, West Harrison, N.Y. +1 ( 914) 367-3274 www.fordham.edu/emba www.fordham.edu/emba www.fordham.edu/emba eeo/aa eeo/aa eeo/aa

Contents

When the Startup is You Bill Magill

10 Global MBA Rankings CEO Magazine

16 Assuring Smart Human Capital Investment: How Accredited Degrees Enhance Value

AACSB

19 Maximizing Your EMBA Experience Francis Petit

22 Staying Ahead of the Investor Relations Curve Kathleen Kennon and Francis Petit

24 First-Class Education, First-Class Facilities Laurie Walker, Bob Krampf and Michael Mayo

24 1

Contents

28 International, Innovative and Inspiring

Joyce Elam, Angel Burgos, Anna Pietraszek, Barry Shiflett and Monique Catoggio

36 Transforming Knowledge in the River City

Dr Don Capener, Dr Richard Cebula, Dr Matrecia James and Dr Hassan Pordeli

42 The Value of MBA Accreditation – A Key to Quality AMBA

45 Making Managers Fit for the Future

Patrick Harris and Dr Rebecca Nash

48 Read All About It: An Innovative Approach to Promoting MBA Students

Jorge Farinha

52 This Means Business

Désirée van Gorp Education

55 From Application to Graduation – The Nyenrode Experience

Shaoqing Wang, Sarien Koppelman, Loes van Kempen, Rogier Peters, Yoony Kim and Heleen van Hall

Quality leadership starts with a quality business education. Succeeding Succeeding in in business business is is about about being being the the best. best. And And preparing preparing for a career in business is about choosing the best for a career in business is about choosing the best business business school—a school with top faculty, driven students, innovative school—a school with top faculty, driven students, innovative curriculum, curriculum, and and the the highest highest standards standards of of quality. quality. But But how how do do you you truly measure quality management education? truly measure quality management education? Since Since 1916, 1916, AACSB AACSB International International has has set set the the benchmark benchmark for for business business education. education. Earned Earned by by only only five five percent percent of of business business schools schools worldwide, worldwide, AACSB AACSB Accreditation Accreditation ensures ensures that that aa school school is committed to delivering the best management education is committed to delivering the best management education in in the world—preparing graduates to excel from day one of their the world—preparing graduates to excel from day one of their careers. careers. Learn Learn more: more: visit visit www.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited. www.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited.

AACSB AACSB Accreditation—The Accreditation—The Benchmark Benchmark of of Excellence Excellence in in Management Management Education Education

Contents

57 The Nyenrode International MBA: Student Perspectives Georgi Todorov and May Sau

60 Meet the Dean: Perspectives on the MBA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Past, Present and Future Georges Nurdin

67 MBA: Master of Brilliant Adaptation Bert Wolfs

70 Global Innovation Index 2012: Stronger Innovation Linkages for Global Growth

Soumitra Dutta

72 Taking a Long-Term Approach to Business Ralf Schellhase

72 60

Setting the global standard: accredited

programmes at 198 business schools in more than 70 countries.

Creating a global network: linking MBAs, business

schools and employers in more than 110 countries.

The Association ensures that MBA courses maintain high standards and that students are assisted in their course selection by our mark of quality.

Search for an accredited MBA at www.ambaguide.com For information on accreditation go to www.mbaworld.com

45 years of INSPIRING GLOBAL EXCELLENCE

Contents

77 USP: Uniquely Specialised Programmes

Steef Peters

81 Ringing in the Changes Raymond Ouellet

84 Maximising Potential, Creativity and Experience Zuzanna Kalisiak

90 Fusing Innovation with Tradition Malcolm Richards, Rob Bateman and Narjess Boubakri

96 American University of Sharjah: Student and Alumnus Perspectives Lina Osman and Abdallah Shunnar

98 The Key to Success: Quality, Expertise and Employability Aymen Kayal

104 List of Contributors 90

INSEAD Knowledge

When The Startup is YOU Bill Magill » CEO

Victor J. Callender

Group Editor-in-Chief

Alexandra Skinner

Sales Director

Mark J. Phillips

Art Director

Will Dobson

Financial Controller

Robert Exner

Head of Production

Steven Whitaker

Head of New Media

Silvio Ferrero

For further information on annual subscription rates and benefits visit: www.graduate-forum.com Price per issue, including web access: £10.00 | €12.00 | $15.00

Being an entrepreneur isn’t all about creating something new. Sometimes the hard work is inside: fi ne-tuning yourself for the journey within.

have been teaching an 8-week workshop on technology commercialisation this Fall, and in the course of developing its modules I had a pair of realisations. One, I myself am a startup. As I pass

through this mid-life phase of re-invention I weigh certain considerations that any emerging company must resolve: defining purpose

Published by the International Graduate Forum:

and worth and how to make it happen. Two, outlining my personal

Head Office: Communications House, 26 York Street, London W1U 6PZ (UK)

students are expected to create – is incredibly beneficial. There is a

Telephone: Fax: Email: Web:

+44 (0) 870 067 2077 (UK) +44 (0) 870 067 2078 (UK) a.skinner@graduate-forum.com www.graduate-forum.com

ambitions through the lens of a business plan – the likes of which my process to developing great ideas that matter, then making the leap from concept to market. Working through that process and setting the emergent strategy is equally beneficial for applied personal development; what I call intérpreneurship. If you also feel the startup within, then a framework is needed for constructing your personal plan. A tour of the self-help aisle at your local bookstore will reveal dozens of options. But, why not exploit a system that is logical, proven and applied daily by aspiring entrepreneurs in the course of building the next Google or Apple? A robust intérpreneurial effort needs answers to these fundamental entrepreneurial

© 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed approval of the copyright owner. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the Publisher accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions. The Publisher disclaims responsibility for the views and opinions expressed herein by the contributors. Furthermore, the Publisher does not give any warranty regarding the accuracy thereof.

startup questions:

Questions to ask yourself  What is my intellectual property (IP)? Startups are built on invention and imagination, on a base of core intelligence that defines their promise and bounds the possibilities until additional intelligence is developed or acquired. What is your personal IP? It is your base of core strengths and assimilated talents and knowledge. On this foundation you imagine what is possible. And, just as shrewd startups continue to build on their IP to sustain competitive position, you too should build on your base of intellect and skills to expand the possibilities. What are you good at? What do you want to be good at?

INSEAD Knowledge

 What is my product definition? A startup’s IP foundation enables many possibilities in product form and features, but the finished offering must align tightly with unmet market needs to be successful. Not so for you. Your personal product, that life passion you are committed to realising, need only satisfy your unmet needs for the principal litmus test of suitability. And this realisation is liberating. Study the art of lutherie and open a guitar repair boutique? What if the market is small? Who cares? When explaining your mission to a friend do you feel an electric surge of purpose? Okay, now you know you’re on to something. The success of intérpreneurial endeavours is measured firstly by the satisfaction they induce inside. How will you define success: personal gratification and respect, absolutely; profit and fame, maybe. The time to question and explore your personal passions, ambitions, and objectives is now, during this product definition stage. These taken together will help define your mission and formulate an execution plan.

We’re not as robust post-50 as we were pre-30 and attention to diet and fitness is critical. Since crossing the 50 barrier I have pursued the holy health trinity of mind, body, and soul and it helps considerably.  What is my go-to-market strategy?

attention to diet and fitness is critical. Since crossing the 50 barrier

The most exciting idea in the world has zero value when it is just that, an idea. How do you become relevant? The same way a startup becomes relevant; by executing effectively on the dream and exploiting its greatest value for the customer. In the case of intérpreneurship, the product may target many, may target a few, or may target one. Regardless, an execution plan is essential. Sketch an arc starting at time zero (today) and ending with your achievement point; 2, 5, perhaps 10 years out. Break the arc into key milestones and those milestones into smaller markers of progress. Getting the arc right takes time, but provides an excellent system for thinking through and setting structure to your strategy. You know your IP and product at this point, the arc will provide the passion plan; your go-to-market strategy.

I have pursued the holy health trinity of mind, body, and soul and it helps considerably. Meditation and a work-out emphasising balance and flexibility through yoga work for me in the mind and body department, and the simple avoidance of processed foods and enjoying the kitchen are doing wonders for my soul.

 How do I give back? Corporate philanthropy / community involvement is not universal and clearly not a requisite for a company’s success and long-term prosperity. Still, the most admired companies develop programmes around corporate responsibility, and most of us want to be admired for being a net positive force on the world around us. Whether you choose to include this type of activity in your mission is solely a personal deci-

 How do I last?

sion, but one worth considering. 

Faber-Castell was a startup 250 years ago. How do they remain so relevant for so long? Corporate longevity is not by accident, but accomplished through a deliberate sustainability strategy. Intérpreneurs want to achieve something of real passion. This takes real time and real energy. We’re not as robust post-50 as we were pre-30 and

Bill Magill is Associate Director of Science Entrepreneurship at the INSEAD Maag International Centre for Entrepreneurship. Intérpreneurship: When the Startup Is You is adapted from Start You Up, published by Bill on October 26, 2011 at his blog Postcards from a Runaway.

nyenrode business universiteit # 1 worldwide in career progress* One of the world’s most innovative MBAs** The Best Masters in the Netherlands*** *Financial Times EMBA ranking 2011 | **Finalist in AMBA’s Innovation Award 2011 | ***Keuzegids Masters 2012

www.nyenrode.nl t +31 346 291 211 e info@nyenrode.nl

LEMNISCAAT SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Lemniscaat School of Management offers executive MBA and DBA programs to experienced managers and professionals. Lemniscaat is fully accredited by the NVAO, the Dutch accreditation organisation. Programs are specially designed for speciďŹ c market segments but, at the same time, follow the AMBA standards. Programs use professors from different institutes in order to offer the best knowledge available. Our mission is to bring science into practice. Consequently, all of our business cases come from speciďŹ c market segments. Currently, we offer four programs: Cross Media, Health Management, Service Management and Strategic Human Resource Management.

Lemniscaat is a core business of Conclusion. Conclusion is an independent private company with 1,400 employees. It is the most versatile provider of business services in the Netherlands in four disciplines: Human Capital, Communication, Organisation and Technology. Conclusion provides consultancy and managed services and outsources professionals.

MBA Review

MBA rankings are an integral component in the decision

making process for high-potential and future managers, providing an important, independent benchmark of performance. In order to better assist potential students with the identification and selection of MBA programmes worthy of consideration, and in the pursuit of greater transparency, the International Graduate Forum has changed the way in which it assesses, rates and ranks business schools. »

• Faculty: • Faculty with PhDs

KEY CHANGES ✓ Key performance indicators (KPIs) ✓ Weighting of categories and KPIs ✓ Greater emphasis on faculty ✓ Regional and national rankings ✓ Fewer schools, greater quality 10

• Faculty with a Business Background • Student-to-Faculty Ratio • Programme Portfolio • Work Experience • International Diversity • Male-to-Female Ratio • Pricing • Accreditation • Class Sizes

MBA Review

Example:

IE Business School, Madrid, Spain

KPIs criteria weighting Male-to-Female Ratio

% 40

Teacher-toStudent Ratio

12%

12/14 12/12

8/12

2/6

12%

10%

9/12

5/10

Faculty with PhDs

Faculty with Business Background

Teacher-to-Student -to-Student Ratio

chools selected for inclusion into the European, North American, Gulf and Online MBA Rankings have demonstrated a high level of innovation and thought leadership; typically, class sizes are moderate, highly qualified faculty are used, and the make-up of students is diverse.

Average verage Experience in Cohort

Average Experience in Cohort

Class Size

0 Price

Class Size

8/8

Faculty with PhDs

10%

Study Abroad Option

12%

International Diversity

4/4

6/8

Study Abroad Option

32/38

Faculty with Business Backgrounds

Accreditation

Range of Programmes

14%

10/10

Accreditation

2/4

Male-to-Female Ratio

Price

TOTAL

Faculty

100

International national Diversity

Faculty

78/100

38%

Range of Programmes

Schools which have achieved ‘Top 100’ status – European and North American MBA Rankings – are also considered to be worthy of ‘Top 10’ status nationally (Europe) or regionally (North America).

NORTH AMERICA MBA RANKINGS School

Region

School

Region

Arizona State University (Carey)

Southwest

Harvard Business School

Northeast

Babson College

Northeast

Hofstra University (Zarb)

Northeast

Baylor University (Hankamer)

Southwest

Illinois State University

Midwest

Bentley University

Northeast

Indiana University (Kelley)

Midwest

Boston College (Carroll)

Northeast

Jacksonville University (Davis)

South

Brigham Young University (Marriott)

West

Kansas State University

Midwest

Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)

Mid-Atlantic

Kennesaw State University

South

Case Western Reserve University (Weatherhead)

Midwest

Kent State University

Midwest

Clemson University

South

Loyola Marymount University

West

College of William & Mary (Mason)

Mid-Atlantic

Loyola University Maryland (Sellinger)

Mid-Atlantic

Colorado State University

Southwest

Marquette University

Midwest

Cornell University (Dyson)

Northeast

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)

Northeast

DePaul University

Midwest

Mercer University (Stetson)

South

Elon University (Love)

South

Miami University (Farmer)

Midwest

Emory University (Goizueta)

South

Michigan State University (Broad)

Midwest

Florida International University (Chapman)

South

New York University (Stern)

Northeast

Florida State University

South

North Carolina State University (Poole)

South

Fordham University (Gabelli)

Northeast

Northeastern University

Northeast

George Washington University

Mid-Atlantic

Northwestern University (Kellogg)

Midwest

Georgetown University (McDonough)

Mid-Atlantic

Ohio State University (Fisher)

Midwest

Georgia Southern University

South

Oklahoma State University (Spears)

South

Georgia State University (Robinson)

South

Pennsylvania State University University Park (Smeal)

Mid-Atlantic

Gonzaga University

Southwest

Purdue University (Krannert)

Midwest

MBA Review

NORTH AMERICA MBA RANKINGS

(continued)

EUROPEAN MBA RANKINGS

School

Region

School

Region

Queens University of Charlotte (McColl)

South

Aalto University

Finland

Rutgers University

Mid-Atlantic

Aarhus School of Business

Denmark

Salisbury University (Perdue)

Mid-Atlantic

Antwerp Management School

Belgium

Samford University (Brock)

South

Ashridge

San Diego State University

West

Aston Business School

San Francisco State University

West

Audencia Nantes

France

Seattle University (Albers)

West

Southern Methodist University (Cox)

Southwest

Bem Bordeaux Management School

France

St. Louis University (Cook)

Midwest

BI Norwegian Business School

Norway

Syracuse University (Whitman)

Northeast

Birmingham Business School

Texas A&M University (Mays)

Southwest

Bradford University School of Management

Tulane University (Freeman)

South

Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics

Portugal

University of Arizona (Eller)

Southwest

CEU Business School

Hungary

University of Arkansas Fayetteville (Walton)

South

City University: Cass

University of California Berkeley (Haas)

West

Copenhagen Business School

Denmark

University of California Riverside (Anderson)

West

Cranfield School of Management

UK Germany

University of Cincinnati (Lindner)

Midwest

Darmstadt - University of Applied Sciences

University of Colorado Boulder (Leeds)

Southwest

Durham Business School

University of Connecticut

Northeast

EADA

Spain

University of Denver (Daniels)

Southwest

EAE Business School

Spain

University of Florida (Warrington)

South

Edhec Business School

France

University of Georgia (Terry)

South

EMLyon Business School

France

University of Houston (Bauer)

Southwest

ENPC School of International Management

France

University of Illinois Chicago

Midwest

EOI Escuela de Organización Industrial

Spain

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Midwest

Esade Business School

Spain

University of Iowa (Tippie)

Midwest

ESC Clermont

France

University of Kansas Lawrence

Midwest

ESC Toulouse

France

University of Kentucky (Gatton)

South

ESC Tours-Poitiers (ESCEM)

France

University of Louisville

South

University of Maryland (Smith)

Mid-Atlantic

ESCP Europe

France

University of Massachusetts Amherst (Isenberg)

Northeast

ESMT European School of Management and Technology

Germany

University of Miami

South

Essec Business School

France

University of Michigan Ann Arbor (Ross)

Midwest

Euromed Management

France

University of Minnesota (Carlson)

Midwest

Grenoble Graduate School of Business

France

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Midwest

HEC Paris

France

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)

South

HEC Lausanne

Switzerland

University of North Florida (Coggin)

South

University of Notre Dame (Mendoza)

Midwest

Henley Business School

University of Oklahoma (Price)

South

HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Germany

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)

Mid-Atlantic

IAE Aix-en-Provence, Aix-Marseille University GSM

France

University of Pittsburgh (Katz)

Mid-Atlantic

IAG-Louvain School of Management

Belgium

University of Portland (Pamplin)

West

ICN Business School

France

University of Richmond (Robins)

Mid-Atlantic

IE Business School

Spain

University of South Carolina (Moore)

South

IESE Business School

Spain

University of Southern California (Marshall)

West

International University of Monaco

Monaco

University of Texas Austin (McCombs)

Southwest

IMD

Switzerland

University of Virginia (McIntire)

Mid-Atlantic

Imperial College Business School

West

INSEAD

France

University of West Georgia (Richards)

South

Institute for Management

Austria

University of Wisconsin Madison

Midwest

ISCTE

Portugal

Villanova University

Mid-Atlantic

ISEG

Portugal

Wake Forest University

South

Koç University Graduate School of Business

Turkey

Yale School of Management

Northeast

Kozminski University

Poland

Washington University St. Louis (Olin)

Midwest

Lancaster University Management School

University of Washington (Foster)

MBA Review

GULF MARKETS MBA RANKINGS School

Region

School

Region

Lemniscaat School of Management

Netherlands

American University in Dubai

UAE

London Business School

American University in the Emirates

UAE

London School of Economics and Political Science

American University of Sharjah

UAE

Lorange Institute of Business Zurich

Switzerland

INSEAD Abu Dhabi Campus

UAE

KFUPM

Saudi Arabia

University of Dubai

UAE

Maastricht University School of Business and Economics

Netherlands

Manchester Business School

Mannheim Business School

Germany

MODUL University Vienna

Austria

Nebrija Business School

Spain

NHH

Norway

School

Region

NORDAKADEMIE

Germany

Colorado Technical University

USA

Nottingham University Business School

George Washington University

USA

Nova School of Business and Economics

Portugal

Imperial College Business School

Nyenrode Business Universiteit

Netherlands

Indiana University (Kelley)

USA

Oxford Brookes University Business School

SBS Swiss Business School

Switzerland

Paris School of Business

France

Temple University (Fox)

USA

Pforzheim University

Germany

ThunderbirdSchool of Global Management

USA

Polish Open University

Poland

University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

USA

University of Liverpool

Politecnico di Milano School of Management

Italy

Warwick Business School

Porto Business School

Portugal

Reims Management School

France

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Netherlands

Rouen Business School

France

RWTH Aachen University

Germany

SBS Swiss Business School

Switzerland

SDA Bocconi Skema Business School

ONLINE MBA RANKINGS

EUROPEAN MASTERS IN MANAGEMENT RANKINGS School

Region

Aston Business School

Audencia Nantes

France

Italy

BI Norwegian Business School

Norway

France

Bradford University School of Management

Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management

Belgium

Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics

Portugal

Southampton Solent Business School

City University (Cass)

Copenhagen Business School

Denmark

Stockholm School of Economics

Sweden

Corvinus University of Budapest

Hungary

Tilburg University, TiasNimbas

Netherlands

Durham Business School

University College Dublin (Smurfit)

Ireland

EADA

Spain

University of Bath School of Management

Edhec Business School

France

University of Cambridge (Judge)

EMLyon Business School

France

University of Cologne, Faculty of Management

Germany

Esade Business School

Spain

university of Dublin (Trinity)

Ireland

ESC Toulouse

France

University of Economics, Prague

Czech Republic

ESCP Europe

University of Edinburgh Business School

France, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy

University of Oxford (Saïd)

Essec Business School

France

University of St Gallen

Switzerland

HEC Lausanne

Switzerland

University of Strathclyde Business School

HEC Paris

France

University of Sussex

HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Germany

IE Business School

Spain

University of Zurich

Switzerland

Imperial College Business School

Vlerick Business School

Belgium

Lancaster University Management School

Warsaw School of Economics

Poland

Leeds University Business School

Warwick Business School

London School of Economics and Political Science

Westminster Business School

Manchester Business School

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management

Germany

Mannheim Business School

Germany

WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business)

Austria

Nyenrode Business Universiteit

Netherlands

MSc Review

EUROPEAN MASTERS IN MANAGEMENT RANKINGS (continued)

BEST OF THE BEST MSc PROGRAMMES School

Programme

Country

School

Region

Carnegie Mellon University

MS in Management Information Systems

Politecnico di Milano School of Management

Italy

Columbia University

MS in Financial Engineering

Reims Management School

France

Columbia University

MS in Marketing

Cornell University

MS in Food Industry Management

ESADE

MSc in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Spain

Fordham University

MS in Investor Relations

Henley Business School

MSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Netherlands

Rouen Business School

France

Stockholm School of Economics

Sweden

Tilburg University, TiasNimbas

Netherlands

Università Bocconi

Italy

Johns Hopkins (Carey)

MS in Marketing

University College Dublin: Smurfit

Ireland

London School of Economics

MSc in Accounting and Finance

University of Bath School of Management

MIT

MS in Management Information Systems

University of Edinburgh Business School

MIT

MS in Mechanical Engineering

University of St Gallen

France

MIT (Sloan)

MS in Management Studies

Warsaw School of Economics

Poland

Warwick Business School

Northwestern University

MS in Integrated Marketing Communications

Princeton University

MS in Mechanical Engineering

Stanford

MS in Mechanical Engineering

Stanford

MS in Management

University of Manchester

MSc in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship

University of Oxford (Saïd)

MSc in Financial Economics

Warwick Business School

MSc in Finance

Yale

MS in Public Health

SBS – Swiss Education for a Global Community

Full-Time, Part-Time, Online Programs Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Master of Business Administration (MBA) Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) SBS Swiss Business School Balz Zimmermannstrasse 38 - CH-8302 Kloten-Zürich Tel: +41 44 880 00 88 - Email: info@sbs.edu

www.sbs.edu

School

Programme

Country

Carnegie Mellon University

MS in Management Information Systems

Columbia University

MS in Financial Engineering

Columbia University

MS in Marketing

Cornell University

MS in Food Industry Management

ESADE

MSc in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Spain

Fordham University

MS in Investor Relations

Henley Business School

MSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking

Johns Hopkins (Carey)

MS in Marketing

London School of Economics

MSc in Accounting and Finance

MIT

MS in Management Information Systems

MIT

MS in Mechanical Engineering

MIT (Sloan)

MS in Management Studies

Northwestern University

MS in Integrated Marketing Communications

Princeton University

MS in Mechanical Engineering

Stanford

MS in Mechanical Engineering

Stanford

MS in Management

University of Manchester

MSc in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship

University of Oxford (Sa誰d)

MSc in Financial Economics

Warwick Business School

MSc in Finance

Yale

MS in Public Health

North American MBA Review

Assuring Smart Human Capital Investment: How Accredited Degrees Enhance Value Becker argued that those who are able to invest more in themselves should ultimately have greater earnings than those who do not. this day. Businesses have the opportunity to invest more in their employees by promoting higher education, consequently enhancing their value in the work place. Investing in human capital through education is often done in the hiring phase or through tuition

reimbursement

plans

for

existing

employees. In either case, caution should be heeded, as not all business school graduates are the same. Some attend quality programs, some do not. A strong business background is a cornerstone for many positions, even at the entry-level. Ensuring that a degree was earned from a quality program by verifying the school’s accreditation status assures that a prospective employee is equipped with the skills needed to succeed, and will provide a greater return on the businesses’ considerable investment. Known and respected as the leading accrediting body of business schools, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is a global, nonprofit

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business »

tutions, businesses, and other entities devoted to the advancement of management education.

an era where technology abounds,

resource requires consistent oversight and

Established in 1916, AACSB holds its accred-

it still remains that people form

investment in order to ensure its continued

ited schools to stringent standards that ensure

the basis for success in business. In

efficiency, effectiveness, and value to the

that the schools have met internationally rec-

business.

ognized thresholds for performance, quality,

a report entitled, The Human Capital Impera-

membership organization of educational insti-

tive, Nick Schulz, a scholar for the National

Acclaimed economist and Nobel Prize win-

and continuous improvement. AACSB offers

Chamber Foundation, noted that by recent

ner Gary Becker wrote on the importance of

global quality recognition through a rigorous

estimates the stock of human capital has

investment in human capital in a journal article

application process for prospective schools,

eclipsed $750 trillion (Shultz, 2012). Human

in 1962. Becker argued that those who are able

and a continual peer review for those schools

capital itself is rarely challenged as a valued

to invest more in themselves should ultimately

already accredited.

commodity, and you would be hard pressed

have greater earnings than those who do not.

to find a manager who didn’t feel that his or

This fundamental theory has proven to be more

prehensive,

her people were the best in the industry. Still,

than a passing fad developed in the sixties, and

total commitment from an institution. AACSB-

human capital – like any other commercial

has pervaded countless business decisions to

accredited schools are dedicated to delivering

Earning AACSB Accreditation is a comdemanding

process

requiring

AACSB

From middle-management to the CEO, educational investment can be an impactful and valuable strategy for growing overall human capital value. the best business education and preparing

employers exclusively hired graduates with

their graduates to excel from day one of their

AACSB-accredited degrees.

careers. And, it is this assurance of excellence

In a recently published article, Terrel L.

that makes a degree from an AACSB-accred-

Rhodes, vice president for the Office of Quality,

ited school intrinsically valuable to businesses.

Curriculum, and Assessment at the Associa-

AACSB Accreditation is demanding to achieve

tion of American Colleges and Universities

— only 5% of schools worldwide have earned

(AAC&U) commented that too often there are

the distinction of bearing the AACSB Accredi-

“false distinctions between reducing costs and

tation seal. As of October 2012, AACSB has

improving productivity as opposed to examin-

granted business accreditation to 655 schools

ing the quality of the product produced and the

in 44 countries and territories, with each

work completed,” (Rhodes, 2012). While quality

offering unique and diverse approaches to

can be a secondary consideration to productiv-

management education.

ity in certain environments, within the realm

When investing in human capital, making

of education, quality must be the principle

investments in an AACSB-accredited business

consideration. Worldwide surveys were admin-

program provides assurance that the education

istered to AACSB-accredited schools, and 89%

the employee will be receiving will be valuable

reported that AACSB Accreditation helps them

and, potentially, lead to improved performance.

to produce higher caliber, better educated

AACSB Accreditation produces high caliber,

graduates who are more desirable to prospec-

better-educated business graduates prepared

tive employers.

to make an impact in the work place. Companies have studied the differences between

Executive Development

employees who have attended AACSB-accred-

Gary Becker’s theory of human capital invest-

ited business schools and those who have not.

ment was not limited to any particular position

Some companies found that employees who

of an employee within an organization. From

were educated by non-AACSB-accredited busi-

middle-management to the CEO, educational

ness schools had lower levels of performance.

investment can be an impactful and valuable

Because of this, these companies now only

strategy for growing overall human capital

reimburse

AACSB-accredited

value. With new delivery methods making edu-

business schools. Moreover, in a study con-

cation more convenient for those with limited

ducted by Clarion Research in 2010, 18% of

time to devote to higher education, there have

accredited schools noted that some of their

been increases in enrollment at both the MBA

tuition

from

North American MBA Review

and EMBA levels. Using a controlled set of all

Changing International Structures, Adaptive

for the betterment of their programs, creating

member schools that completed AACSB’s 2011-

Strategies, and the Impact on Institutions, a

more dynamic and impactful program offerings.

2012 Business School Questionnaire (BSQ) and

report published by AACSB’s Globalization of

comparing that data to 2007-2008 results, there

Management Education Task Force. The varied

Savvy Investing in Education

has been more than 7% growth in enrollment at

complexities of an increasingly interconnected

When investing in human capital by way of

the MBA level, and 8% growth in enrollment at

world are found throughout businesses, and

education, getting the most out of a degree

the EMBA level.

an accrediting body like AACSB bridges the

should be at the forefront. AACSB Accredi-

interpretive gaps with respect to educational

tation, through its assurance of learning,

classroom for a very good reason: according to

assessment.

value-added

a large-scale study of CEO performance con-

particularly by the stringent standards that

recognized thresholds provides a considerable

ducted by the Harvard Business Review, CEOs

AACSB-accredited institutions are held to, and

amount of safety net when investing in human

with an MBA outperformed those without.

the continuous review that each institution

capital, be it self-developmental or otherwise.

The study analyzed 2,000 CEOs worldwide,

undergoes. These internationally-recognized

And, while the value of human capital itself is

and found that on average CEOs with an MBA

thresholds assure multinational companies

hardly questioned, more emphasis should be

ranked 40 places higher than CEOs without

that candidates from diverse regions are knowl-

placed on questioning the value of particular

an MBA (Hansen, 2010). Now, more than

edgeable, capable, and job-ready.

human capital investments, like degrees with-

Business professionals are returning to the

ever, AACSB-accredited programs are offering

organizations

benefit

services,

and

internationally

out an accredited backing. Making a savvy

flexible MBA opportunities with executive for-

Beyond the Seal

matting and online/distance considerations to

AACSB International does more than accredit

degree is the right choice for those looking to

fit the scheduling demands of business leaders.

schools. It produces value-added services for

enhance their personal value, or grow the value

AACSB’s student-facing website (www.bestbi-

its stakeholders. AACSB focuses its efforts

of their firm’s human capital.

zschools.com) offers search tools for identifying

on thought leadership through its Committee

the best schools based upon a variety of differ-

on Issues of Management Education (CIME).

ent options, including program type. This tool

AACSB shares its research through online

Works Cited:

narrows down the undeniably extensive array

resources centers (found at www.aacsb.edu/

of schooling options for an individual seeking a

resources), data services, seminars, confer-

flexible MBA education.

ences, events, and other activities. AACSB

» Hansen, H. I. (2010, January 20). Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 10 05, 2012, from HBR Blog Network: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/01/ does_an_mba_make_you_a_better.html

hosts one of the largest internet databases

Global Impact

Global

of business school information and provides

Investments in accredited degrees are par-

schools with useful benchmarking tools to

ticularly important for organizations with

remain on the cutting edge for performance.

international

These value-added services directly augment

now one of the most significant forces of

the value of accreditation, and consequently,

change in business, as discussed at length

the value of an AACSB-accredited degree.

in Globalization of Management Education:

Schools are able to leverage these resources

ventures.

Globalization

investment in the acquisition of an accredited

» Rhodes, T. L. (2012). Show Me the Learning: Value, Accreditation, and the Quality of the Degree. Planning for Higher Education, p36-42. » Shultz, N. (2012). The Human Capital Imperative: Bringing More Minds To Ameirca. Washington D.C.: National Chamber Foundation.

Maximizing Your EMBA EXPERIENCE

Francis Petit, Fordham University Graduate School of Business »

So you are considering an Executive MBA. Perhaps, by lacking this credential, you have been passed up on too many promotions, or you have witnessed, first-hand, the impact of a program on a colleague or friend. Either way, it is always positive to explore your options when it comes to advancing your career, and an Executive MBA Program may be that right move. With this as a background, my goal, within this piece, is to discuss the important items prospective students must consider when pursuing such programs in order to fully maximize the EMBA EXPERIENCE. Selecting an Executive MBA Program My charge, which I take very seriously, as an Associate Dean of an Executive MBA Program, is to recruit a class that is not only dynamic and professionally diverse, but also has a wonderful spirit. Executive MBA Programs, in general, are cohort programs in which Executive MBA students travel the “academic journey” together. By virtue of the cohort structure, Executive MBA students will learn more from their classmates than they will from the faculty. It is just the way it is.

It is therefore imperative that each Executive MBA class I recruit has many industries and functions represented, as well as having a soul. Hearing best practices from other industries in a collegial and collaborative environment can make or break a student experience. Hence, the importance of the recruitment function. Yet there are many prospective students who “look good on paper” but may not be the right fit for a particular program. With this environment in place, it is thus critical for all prospective Executive MBA students to explore all program options thoroughly. Attend as many information sessions you can. Sit in and sample some Executive MBA courses from the programs you are considering. When you sit in, please realize that the faculty will be first rate at any program so your primary goal should be to taste the environment and culture to see if this school is the right place for you.

North American MBA Review

of sponsorship is the allowance of time away from the office to attend all class sessions. It is essential that all prospective students obtain this form of sponsorship, and securing it in writing is a smart move. As a student in an Executive MBA Program, you never want to be put in a position where your manager approaches you about the potential of missing an upcoming class due to a work priority and/or crisis. For if this were to occur, Executive MBA students, in this employers’ market, will potentially succumb to this pressure because they feel they have no leverage. Ideally, you should strive to secure

Overall, since Executive MBA students are financing an increased percentage of the education themselves, they are looking for, and rightly so, a high-impact experience. Therefore it is crucial that prospective students understand each program well, and even get to know the Directors and Associate Deans who oversee them. Please also communicate to these professionals if their specific program is your top choice. The bottom line is that it does not serve you, your classmates and even the Business School any good if you enrol in the wrong program. My charge, as the Associate Dean for Executive MBA Programs, is to not only make sure you are the right fit for our EMBA Community but, most importantly, that our EMBA Community is the right fit for you.

Securing Sponsorship(s) Prospective Executive MBA students should pursue two forms of sponsorship, and the first one is required by most, if not all, Business Schools. More specifically, this form

My message is clear: Executive MBA studies can be a true discovery-driven process, so long as students work hard and have an open mind to new theories and perspectives. a situation where the academic schedule “is what it is”, and it is not negotiable to miss any sessions for work related reasons. In addition, the mobility of management can often at times allow an organization to review their graduate school policy. Hence the importance of securing this form of sponsorship in writing. The second form of sponsorship is the financial support from your organization to pursue such a program. Overall, what I tell prospective students is to first find out what your company’s policy towards Executive MBA Programs is. If there is a policy in place, Human Resources will then gladly inform you. If there is no formal policy in place, your human resource representative may play the avoidance game with you for a period of time. Either way, you must find out. After this step, I advise prospective Executive MBA students to go directly to their line manger to see if he or she is willing to offer support beyond the corporate policy. If this is the case, Human Resources will usually back off and let it be.

BIOGRAPHY ★ Dr. Francis Petit is the Associate Dean for Executive MBA Programs at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business Administration. In his overall work with executive students, Dr. Petit has established executive programs in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and has also presented to organizations such as the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA), Kaplan, the Executive MBA Council and UNICON. He holds a Doctorate in Economics and Education from Columbia University. In addition, Dr. Petit has completed Executive Certificates in Pricing from Columbia Business School and Strategy and Innovation from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Dr. Petit was also the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Faculty Excellence as voted by the Fordham 2009 MBA Graduates.

If there exists a subsequent balance after these steps, I connect our prospective students with our institution’s financing area where these individuals can learn more about federal loan options, graduate assistantships and our University payment plan. As one can see, financing these programs can encompass a one to two to three pronged attack. In addition, I tell prospective students that if their organization’s support is disappointing to them they are not alone. According to the Executive MBA Council, the official international governing body for Executive MBA Programs, only 27% of students enrolled in

EMBA Programs in 2011 were fully financially sponsored by their organizations. This percentage is down from 34% in 2007 and 44% in 2001. Companies are precipitously dropping their financial support for such programs. In addition, I also mention to the prospective Executive MBA students that the self-sponsored segment is growing as the Executive MBA Council reports that 37% of Executive MBA students enrolled in 2011 were self financially sponsored up from 33% in 2007. The brutal reality is that companies are becoming tighter than ever to support these types of programs. However, the interest, from prospective students, still remains very strong.

Your Classmates… Your Lifeline As stated previously, you will learn more from your classmates than from the faculty within the Executive MBA cohort structure. As such, you must view your classmates as a precious resource. As a new Executive MBA student, it is human nature to align yourself with like individuals. These like individuals and/or classmates may be students who work in the same industry as you, have your same political ideology or have studied at the same schools. Grouping yourself in this manner allows you to remain in your comfort zone and it can happen quite often. Such action will no doubt limit your Executive MBA Experience. With this said, I advise all new Executive MBA students at Orientation and beyond to not fall prey to this behaviour, but to rather make it a point to go beyond your comfort zone. I continually mention to our students and faculty to not only mix your class groups, but to also be eager to meet Executive MBA students from

other cohorts within our Business School at the lunches or other group events. The bottom line is that there is unlimited intellectual and professional capital within the cohort and beyond. Executive MBA students must be continually reminded and must be pushed to take advantage of all that is available.

Forget About Grades It is very easy, within an Executive MBA Program, to become overly preoccupied by grades. Executive MBA students, with their results-oriented approach, can sometimes place too much emphasis on their academic performance (i.e. course grades) as opposed to simply learning the pedagogy. There are often times where Executive MBA students, with their efficiency, will complete the required course assignments simply for the grade and to get it out of the way, and will then move on to the next academic task. Overall, this approach can be negative, as it has the potential to constrain the learning process. With this in mind, I passionately tell Executive MBA students at their orientation to not look at their academic performance (i.e. transcripts) until they complete the program. I further notify them to enter the program with the attitude that “I am going to learn as much as possible within this twenty two month period”. Additionally, I mention to them to do all the required and optional readings and to pursue topics of interest and research with our faculty. My message is clear: Executive MBA studies can be a true discovery-driven process, so long as students work hard and have an open mind to new theories and perspectives. If Executive MBA students are enthusiastic about their studies and learning, and put in the required time commitment, the grades, in essence, will

not be an issue. In hindsight, only a handful of our students have taken my advice. However the ones that have indicated that they thoroughly enjoyed their academic experience because the selfimposed pressure of grades was eliminated from the equation. In addition, these students, coincidently, also graduated with academic distinction. A perfect formula indeed!

Balance and Perspective In addition to the academic content, another key takeaway within an Executive MBA Program is learning how to survive the process, and even to excel in it. Executive MBA Programs, as you know, are intense, as students are not only enrolled in these time-efficient academic programs, but also have high-pressured and demanding jobs. Therefore, it is very easy for Executive MBA students to lose sight of the big picture given these multiple demands. With this as a backdrop, one of my charges, as the Associate Dean of our program, is making sure our students “stay sane” throughout this process. As part of this responsibility, we have spearheaded, within the Executive MBA Program that I direct, a Wellness Initiative, for this exact purpose. Within this initiative, we have partnered with a major research hospital in New York City, to provide Lunch and Learn Lectures for our students on topics ranging from managing stress, nutrition, the importance of sleep and heart health awareness. We are also in the process of offering our Executive MBA students free and optional cholesterol and blood pressure tests, plus other proactive screenings. In addition, we have overhauled the snacks and meal options we provide for our students with a goal of offering a healthy alternative. Lastly, we

Therefore, a required element and skill that all Executive MBA students and executives as a whole must have is the ability to find balance and perspective in everything they do. introduce to our students yoga, meditation and centering exercises in order for them to discover methods in achieving balance and harmony within their lives. Overall, I strongly believe that the obesity pandemic, for example, at least within the United States, is a direct result of a lack of education, planning and proactive living. Obesity, as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can lead to a whole host of other medical issues including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, bile duct disease, depression, stigmatization and self-esteem issues. The bottom line is that Executive MBA students are not only extremely busy and stressed, but also have many stakeholders (i.e. colleagues, family, and friends) depending on them more than ever. Therefore, a required element and skill that all Executive MBA students and executives as a whole must have is the ability to find balance and perspective in everything they do. They will not only become healthier, but will also become better leaders in addressing these issues within their organizations.

Conclusion Executive MBA Programs are a big investment in time, resources and money. The right EMBA EXPERIENCE can not only ignite your career, but also transform the way you think about creating, delivering and sustaining value in the marketplace. Prospective Executive MBA students are in a unique position, and are certainly in the driver’s seat in maximizing this academic experience. 

North American MBA Review

There is widespread acknowledgement that investor relations is rapidly becoming a more central and strategic function of corporations.

Staying Ahead Of The Investor Relations Curve Alexandra Skinner speaks to Kathleen Kennon and Francis Petit »

At the Fordham Graduate School of Business Administration you aim to

distinguish yourselves through various

You recently launched a Master’s of Science in Investor Relations (MIR) as a

response to ‘the demands of the contemporary

commitments. Please can you expand

business market’. This will without doubt be

upon these?

a popular addition. Please could you tell us

Fordham University is the Jesuit University of New York. Therefore, our Graduate School of Business Administration has a unique positioning within graduate management education. We are located in New York City, which is a global financial centre and media hub. Our purpose, as a Graduate School of Business Administration, is to not only prepare leaders with the tools to effectively navigate the convulsive changes in information technology, but to also understand and illuminate the role of the financial institution in all aspects of business practices. In addition, increased globalisation has produced more uncertainty and complexity for a manager than ever before, and our emphasis on the political economy illustrates the importance of how business and countries all over the world interact and influence each other. Lastly, as a Jesuit institution, we inspire our students to think critically about the societal value of business and the responsibilities that businesses and leaders must have within this new paradigm.

a little more about your decision to include this in your programme offering?

The field of investor relations presents an emerging and rewarding career opportunity. There is widespread acknowledgement that investor relations is rapidly becoming a more central and strategic function of corporations. In fact, many argue that the standard of practice in investor relations should be improved, as it requires individuals to have a variety of skills, an appreciation of strategic context and an ability to be adaptive to the quixotic evolution of the information environment surrounding capital markets. With this environment in place, we believe that Fordham’s Graduate School of Business Administration is distinctively positioned to assemble the intellectual resources, and to tap the resources of the most prominent money centre in the world, New York City, in designing and delivering our Master of Science in Investor Relations (MIR) Programme.

For whom is the programme primarily designed?

The programme is for the student who is interested in the intersection of finance and people, the investor and the sustainability of the company. Sometimes IR is dismissed as specialised public relations, but much more often IR is more than that, with the IR officer being an integral part of the C-Suite. Today’s business climate is more volatile than ever, reacting quickly to 24 hour global news cycles. For example, in a recent panel held at the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) annual conference, three CFOs from Starbucks, Microsoft and Costco all spoke on the importance of IR in helping them follow the market and to address the concerns of their investors. With that as a background, the programme is primarily designed for not only the executive level student seeking mastery of the IR field, but also individuals with some work experience looking to transition into IR, as well as recent college graduates with a firm academic foundation in a functional area of business, such as finance, looking to establish a career path in investor relations.

Fordham MBA

How well has the programme been received thus far, by both students and

the business community?

Judging by the reaction of both prospective and current students, and by the number of internships and job placements we have already been able to procure in this, our very first year, and the programme is exceeding expectations. This interest and excitement goes beyond New York City as we have over 50 per cent international students within our second recruited class from continents such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. In addition, we have been contacted by multiple organisations looking to further collaborate with Fordham’s MIR programme.

Our readers, and potential students, would be interested to know more about

the MIR programme structure in terms of:

The Programme Schedule: A one weekend a month format for only 16 months that accommodates the working executive. Credits and Electives: 39 credits with two electives built in to offer study abroad opportunities. Cohort Composition: 50 per cent working professional and 50 per cent career changer and recent college graduates.

International study tours are offered as an elective. Where can students expect

these to take place?

We recently offered, for both our MIR and EMBA programmes, a new optional elective course, “Doing Business in Europe”, held at the Fordham London Centre in Kensington Square. This three credit elective course took place in March 2012 during spring break, and was the first opportunity that both our MIR and EMBA students were able to collaborate in an academic context. Site visits included Bloomberg London, Microsoft, City of London Marketing Suite, and the University of Cambridge. Dr. Jonathan Story, Visiting Professor at Fordham University and Professor Emeritus at INSEAD, led the course. We look forward to offering additional international study tours for our MIR Programme in multiple locations.

This interest and excitement goes beyond New York City as we have over 50 per cent international students within our second recruited class. technology and corporate and securities law. The professional diversity of the cohort allows for various perspectives from multiple industries and functions, which further lends itself in this area.

of the National Investor Relations Institute. The interview can be seen as a website on the NIRI - NY website. In addition, the Fordham MIR Programme had a presence at the NIRI Annual Conference in Seattle this past June.

IR frequently involves the management of corporate governance and corporate

social responsibility. Do you cover these areas within the MIR programme?

We have a very popular course in corporate governance and we also require two symposiums, both in the Ethics of Investor Relations, taught as part of a cross-disciplinary curriculum by Julian Friedland who has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Sorbonne.

can often be a political one, balancing

for IR in the United States. Do you have a relationship with them, or any other IR

public relations, crisis management and

organisation?

stakeholder expectations. How is this

We very quickly established a relationship with the New York City chapter of the NIRI, hosting a number of events attended by both IR professionals and our current and prospective students. Our last event featured the nationally prominent IR officer Adam Townsend from CBS. He was interviewed in an “Inside the Studio” format by Jeff Morgan, the CEO and President

reflected in the programme?

Because both investors and companies need insightful market analysis from their IROs, our programme begins with a strong foundation in global financial markets and corporate governance, and then expands into a supporting knowledge of media, new media, information

to evolve over the coming years?

The Master of Science in Investor Relations programme is positioned as one of the flagship offerings within the portfolio of Fordham’s Graduate School of Business Administration. As such, we expect the programme momentum to be not only continuous but also accelerating. It is an exciting time to be involved with Fordham’s MIR programme. 

The National Investor Relations Institute is the most distinguished organisation

A role working in investor relations (IR)

How would you expect the programme

BIOGRAPHIES ★ Kathleen Kennon, M.A., is the Program Associate for the MIR Program at Fordham’s Graduate School of Business Administration. ★ Francis Petit, Ed.D., is the Associate Dean for the MIR Program at Fordham’s Graduate School of Business Administration.

North American MBA Review

First-Class Education, First-Class Facilities Alexandra Skinner speaks to Laurie Walker, Bob Krampf and Michael Mayo Âť

Please can you give our readers an overview of the Kent State University

suite of MBA programmes in terms of the value proposition, and the target group that each services?

LW: Our Executive MBA (EMBA) programmes provide added value from several different sources. Our quality faculty bring excellent academic backgrounds, as well as professional experience to our programmes. In turn, our students contribute significant business application insights based on their wealth of work experience. The international component included in the EMBA programmes provides meaningful global perspectives gained from international trip experiences. We feel that the combination of a high quality programme with an affordable cost gives us one of the highest value ratings among EMBA programmes in the US. The target market for our corporate programme centres on those individuals who have five or more years of professional work experience with an established record

of advancement. This attracts students from a diverse set of businesses and, subsequently, broadens the type of work experience that is shared as part of classroom learning. By way of contrast, our Health Care Executive MBA programme focuses on attracting students with work experience specifically in the field of healthcare. This allows students to delve more deeply into the many business issues that are unique to the healthcare industry. This year signaled the launch of the first

represent the collective experience of many lead nations helping to set planning and practice worldwide in the healthcare industry. This information proved invaluable to our EMBAs by providing a larger context to examine both the operational and strategic issues facing their professions and home institutions. The cost of the trip is built into the programme fees.

The EMBA also includes an International Study Trip, and this year

you visited Chile and Brazil. Please can you

International Study Trip for the Health Care

expand upon this further?

EMBA, with students visiting Geneva

LW: Some of our students have business connections in Brazil that provided us with unique opportunities to visit facilities there. The emergence of Brazil as a major economic force was certainly a wonderful theme to explore in Rio de Janiero. The technical challenges surrounding the development of Brazilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s substantial deep water oil reserves reinforce their emphasis on attaining a better educated workforce. The process of upgrading

and Paris.

(a) Why were these particular destinations chosen, and what did the

trip involve?

MM: Our Health Care EMBA cohort just returned from this trip in mid-September. Both cities have a number of core institutions dedicated to developing policy and practice recommendations for healthcare. As such, they

Kent State University MBA

infrastructure in order to support increased oil production was clearly demonstrated through our visit to the Port Authority. We found that Chile had invested heavily in technological upgrades at Codelco, the largest underground copper mine in the world. During the students’ mine tour we saw extensive use of technologically advanced mining equipment. This was followed by a visit to the University of the Andes’ EMBA programme. The visit provided tremendous insights into Chile during a lunch with their EMBA students, and also through a presentation by a leading expert in perspectives on Latin American business. We have a great group of students who made the most of each learning opportunity. This led to comments describing our trip as a “fantastic” international experience.

When we last spoke plans were

in Kent, creating a synergistic atmosphere that reflects innovation, progress and excellence. In addition to these developments, our continued focus on serving as a leader in healthcare education was evidenced by the acquisition of the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine on July 1, 2012. This institution was established in 1916 and is one of only nine accredited Schools of Podiatry in the US. The newly created KSU College of Podiatry has the potential to provide unique collaborative opportunities with our Executive MBA for Health Care Professionals.

The renovation projects have allowed us to enhance available technology in order to maximize the learning experience.

being made to launch the ‘MBA

Plus’, bringing students from your programmes and other business schools to KSU for specialised courses. How is this progressing?

RK: The ‘MBA Plus’ plan moved forward significantly over the past year. Enterprise Thinking and Leadership modules were developed by faculty. Each module consists of four two credit hour courses. The curriculum for these two modules has been developed and we are now in the marketing research stage. This includes a pilot test of some of the courses. The module in Enterprise Thinking is related to a larger initiative within the College of Business, which has signed a contract with SAP for use of its software and sent five professors to SAP training. SAP content will also be integrated into undergraduate courses. The next step for the Leadership and Enterprise Thinking modules involves establishing a Board of Advisors in each discipline. We plan to continue market research by testing to refine course content and delivery. An Enterprise Thinking course is currently being piloted in the EMBA programme.

subject of professional competitiveness at the ‘Beginning Residency’. It is followed by a second session before the international trip and third and final session sometime after students return. The updated format allows students to explore their individual development in greater depth because it provides more time and opportunity for self examination. The individual coaching sessions have also contributed significantly to professional development. The sessions position students to make career moves either within or outside their organisations.

Campus Innovations

The KSU campus has undergone many renovations recently, including several

The Kent State University Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg was

officially opened on the 12th September

at the college of business. What benefits do

2012, born out of an increasing interest in

these bring to KSU students?

higher education within the region. Please

LW: As our University President Lester Lefton has said, “The truth is, you can’t have a first-class education unless you have first-class facilities.” The renovations at our College of Business are no exception. In addition to building maintenance, the renovation projects have allowed us to enhance available technology in order to maximize the learning experience. In addition, new buildings and grounds projects throughout KSU have provided a more welcoming and attractive campus community for our students. Furthermore, campus expansion and renovation is being coupled with community development

can you tell us a little more about whom the center is designed to service, and the facilities and courses on offer?

LW: The Twinsburg Regional Academic Center is designed to serve a wide range of students. This includes both undergraduate and graduate level students. Several of the classrooms are designed with EMBA students in mind, as we had discussions about the needs of this type of student within the Academic Center during the design stage. We had originally considered moving our core EMBA programme to the Twinsburg

EMBA STUDY TRIP CHILE CODELCO COPPER MINE

You offer various leadership and coaching initiatives. What do these

involve, and how popular are they?

RK: We began this initiative several years ago at the end of our Executive MBA programme. Although it was a non-credit module, it was well attended. Its success was perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that the next cohort requested that the module be included at the end of their programme. LW: In subsequent cohorts, we spread the module into three separate sessions spaced throughout the programme. The three-part module now includes a brief introduction to the

North American MBA Review

Our K34 cohort will take their international trip to Shanghai, China and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

SHANGHAI URBAN CITY SKYLINE

facility from the Kent State University main campus. However, when we surveyed our current EMBA students and alumni, we found that the main Kent State University campus was their preferred location. We expect that the broad array of campus development projects will further increase student-draw to the Kent campus. RK: At present, the ‘MBA Plus’ programme is being considered for the Twinsburg location. It would be ideal for those who may be traveling during a weekday from their place of work for individual courses, rather than an entire EMBA degree. Our ‘MBA Plus’ faculty have visited the Academic Center as part of their planning process and are quite pleased with the facility.

The Wider MBA Landscape

An MBA graduate that performs well can anticipate certain opportunities.

However, what can graduates typically expect from your MBA programmes in terms of ROI?

LW: Feedback from our alumni indicates that many have been promoted within their organisations or have moved to advanced positions with new organisations. We have alumni located throughout the world. The input from students is very strong in this regard: “My life has changed because of my MBA, and the investment I made in my education paid for itself in less than a year. I now work as a senior consultant and would have never had this opportunity if I hadn’t decided to pursue an advanced degree.” Brad Kenney, Ernest and Young Senior Consultant. In the future we plan to collect ROI data on a quantitative basis. This includes collection during the EMBA programme and after graduation. In addition, we will continue to seek qualitative feedback from our students and alumni.

Improving one’s knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) is certainly a motivating

factor for MBA candidates. However, in your opinion, is KSA acquisition second to career progression?

LW: These two areas go “hand in hand”, as ultimately career progression should evolve from improvement in knowledge, skills and abilities. We have worked with our faculty to develop a list of key competencies that are measured as part of an assurance of learning process; these competencies are regularly reviewed and revised by faculty. Competencies are measured at the beginning and end of our programmes to assure that learning takes place. This is part of the Assurance of Learning component of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. We work diligently to earn accreditation from AACSB which has a reputation as “the longest standing, most recognised form of specialised/ professional accreditation an institution and its business programmes can earn.”

The KSU Application Process

Application processes vary from school

students. First, our information sessions include both faculty and alumni. During these sessions our faculty provide a course content overview and our alumni share their perspectives on the programme. Together these perspectives provide a broad picture of the total programme experience. In addition, we offer potential applicants the opportunity to visit a class session, which familiarises them with an array of interactions among students and faculty.

Looking Ahead

KSU is undergoing an exciting period of evolvement. What can you tell us about

the next 12-18 months?

LW: Dr. Bob Krampf officially retired at the end of September 2012. He has contributed significantly to programme advancements and will be missed. Dr. Cathy DuBois, Interim Associate Dean, will take his place. She is excited about contributing ideas to the programme, such as integrating sustainability into our courses; an area of growing strategic importance to organisations and a core area of her expertise. Our K34 cohort will take their international trip to Shanghai, China and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The purpose of the experience will be to compare and contrast the stages of economic development. We have not included Vietnam in our past international business experience trips and are looking forward to the learning opportunities it will provide. 

to school. Please can you give an

overview of the KSU application process?

RK: Once we verify that a candidate has the required professional experience, the application process involves the submission of a resume, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, GMAT scores as required and an essay on programme goals and objectives. In addition, a personal interview is required. We have developed a rubric for our application process that is currently being tested.

Does KSU offer the opportunity for potential applicants to meet with staff

and students prior to application?

LW: Yes, we offer several levels of opportunity for potential applicants to meet with staff and

BIOGRAPHIES ★ Laurie Walker is Program Director of the Kent State University Executive MBA Programs. ★ Dr. Bob Krampf has recently retired from his position as Academic Director, which he held for eight years. Bob had a career of over 30 years at Kent State University. ★ Michael Mayo is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Kent State University.

Your market Your market is changing. is changing. Your competition Your market is changing. Your competition is changing. is changing. Your organization Your competition is changing. Your organization is changing. is changing. And you? Your organization What are you changing? And you? is changing. What are you changing? And you? The Columbia School Executive MBA Program What are youBusiness changing? The decision to pursue an MBA is a defining moment in the life of highMBA potential The Columbia Business School Executive Program executives looking to enhance their expertise without interrupting their careers. Learn how theto Columbia Business Executive MBA program’s innovative The decision pursue an MBA isSchool a defining moment in the life of high potential curriculum, collaborative learning environment and outstanding faculty will careers. give executives looking to enhance their expertise without interrupting their The Columbia Business School Executive MBA Program you cutting-edge ideas and practices and take your career the next level. Learn how the Columbia Business School Executive MBAtoprogram’s innovative The decisioncollaborative to pursue an MBA is a environment defining moment the life of high potential curriculum, learning andin outstanding faculty will give Visit us www.gsb.columbia.edu/emba or call us at 212.854.1711 executives looking ideas to enhance their expertise without their careers. you cutting-edge and practices and take yourinterrupting career to the next level. Learn how the Columbia Business School Executive MBA program’s innovative curriculum, collaborative learning environment and faculty will give Visit us www.gsb.columbia.edu/emba or call usoutstanding at 212.854.1711 you cutting-edge ideas and practices and take your career to the next level. Visit us www.gsb.columbia.edu/emba or call us at 212.854.1711

North American MBA Review

INTERNATIONAL, INNOVATIVE AND

INSPIRING

One of our biggest advantages is the incredible city in which we are located. Miami is just a magnet to bring in people from all over the world.

Florida International University

Karen Straney speaks to Joyce Elam »

How did your role as Dean evolve with the evolution of the business

environment?

When I first became Dean of the school, 15 years ago, we were basically an undergraduate business school and we had very little in terms of programmes at a graduate level. When I was brought in as Dean, the President gave me the charge to build a graduate school, and to build upon our great undergraduate programme.

students have a state-of-the-art facility where they can learn, study, and access all the tools they need to be successful. The second goal I established was to really emphasise an international focus in our curriculum. One of our biggest advantages is the incredible city in which we are located. Miami is a magnet for people from all over the world. When we originally started, we thought that most of our students would come from

International business lies at the core of most of our work. We have a strong internationally focused faculty and we will build on their expertise. We began to develop the infrastructure that the college as a whole needed to put us at the level of top-tier business schools. I came from the University of Texas at Austin. I taught at the Wharton School of Business and I spent a year at Harvard, so I had the picture of where we needed to get to. Over the course of 15 years, I was able to implement that vision, to the point that that our business school is on par with any of the other well-regarded public universities.

What would you say are the most important aspects of the Dean’s role?

The Dean has to be the visionary, the innovator. That’s the person who sees the future and where those opportunities are. The Dean has to articulate those opportunities in a way that gets everybody to embrace the mission, and to work toward implementing them. The International MBA programme was one of the first projects I took on as Dean. One of the first things I did was to look at what we had: part-time graduate programmes. You really can’t have a complete graduate school if you don’t have a full-time MBA programme. However, I knew that we had a lot of competition in that space. For part-time programmes, you can draw on your local market. Once you offer a full-time MBA, your market becomes very broad and you’re competing with all the wellknown business schools. I knew that we had to differentiate our programme. We decided to have a one year programme and launched our accelerated IMBA. Our IMBA was very new in the market and very innovative. Many students could no longer afford to be out of the market and the workplace for a full two years, and I felt that there was an emerging market that would really value the opportunity to go full-forward for just one year. We were able to realise that vision. Today, our full-time

Latin America, but we are also pulling a lot of students from Europe and now Asia. So we started the differentiation with a one year, fulltime MBA with an international focus. If there’s one thing that describes our business school, it is that we are innovators. We are looking to the future and designing programmes that we believe are going to meet emerging needs.

How were you able to establish, develop and then maintain

relationships with students and alumni?

Even though we are a very large business school, we operate as if we are very small. Each of our graduate business students knows that they have an advocate who can deal with whatever issue they have, in terms of both academic and non-academic issues, across the university. This teamwork of faculty and staff focuses on the student and works for the student on all levels. I think that has been a winning strategy for us and our students. When I became Dean, we had no infrastructure to support the work of our students and alumni. Over time, we saw we needed to put resources into helping our students learn the skills they need to find jobs, connect with fellow alumni and keep them connected to us. We now have an extensive alumni association that grows each year and conducts its own innovative programmes to benefit our students, as well as extensive career management services.

How is the college perceived by the local business leadership and alumni in

the community?

We now have excellent relationships with our business community. Fifteen years ago, when I became Dean, we were perceived as

North American MBA Review

delivering a great education, but we really weren’t connected. So I set about establishing a number of advisory groups. I started to get the C-level executives in the community to come together and advise me on overall strategy. This group, the Dean’s Council, is an important asset to the school. We then went down a level and worked to identify a group of our successful alums. This group, the Alumni Circle, has also been essential to helping us enhance the business school. We also have a business partners programme and a database of 400 business partners. This enables us to tap into any company in any industry where our students want to pursue a career. Our partners have been incredibly receptive as we continually promote our students and encourage companies to come and interview on campus. The executive director of our career management services helps guide students as they secure internships or permanent positions; we’re very proactive in this area. We are proud to say we have great talent and we want to help companies access it.

Welcoming The New Dean KAREN STRANEY SPEAKS WITH DAVID KLOCK:

As the new Dean of FIU’s College of Business, what are your key strategies

for achieving excellence going forward?

The college has identified three strategic areas in which we excel, and are poised for leadership and exceptional growth: International Business, Healthcare Management, and Entrepreneurship. International business lies at the core of most of our work. We have a strong internationally focused faculty and we will build on their expertise. Our students are global in both their origin and their orientation, and we encourage that perspective through both our coursework and our programming. Healthcare is a natural strength. Miami is an international centre of innovation in the healthcare space, and our faculty members possess keen insights into its management and development. We have access to some of the leading healthcare information technology providers who work closely with our students in our new, innovative healthcare management information systems programme, which has received a strong response from the business community. Finally, entrepreneurship has been a core value of the university, and an area in which I have extensive experience, having built a business from startup to over $360 million in revenue. Our college will continue to serve the university, as well as our local and global entrepreneurial communities, with a growing array of classroom and hands-on

learning opportunities. Not only do we give students the tools they need to succeed as entrepreneurs, but we will impart the entrepreneurial mindset to those who choose corporate careers as well.

Kindly discuss the faculty at the college.

A college rests on the strength of its faculty. I am proud to say that our faculty members are outstanding scholars and mentors to our students. They distinguish themselves through well-regarded, cutting edge research, as well as their commitment to excellence in teaching. They bring outstanding diversity in thought and background to their work. Most importantly, they believe in FIU and the students, and they demonstrate that commitment daily. They are also active participants in the life of the school, including on-campus events and alumni relations. In fact, many bring in alumni as guest speakers while others serve alongside our alumni at community events.

What is the college’s strategy in order to keep FIU evolving and moving

forward in line with changes in the world of business?

We are always looking to create specialty programmes, as well as executive education opportunities, that give students and community members updated insights into the changing realities of the workplace. As the business world increasingly turns to specialisation, our Masters-level programmes in areas such as real estate, healthcare management and specialised information technologies have helped address those needs. In addition to maintaining relevant degree programming, we provide students with a comprehensive career development series that gives them an awareness of what it means to be a professional, how to lead, how to be an effective team member and how to present yourself. This goes hand-in-hand with individualised attention at our career management services centre. When our students graduate, they are prepared to articulate and pursue their goals in the business world.

Florida International University

To what extent does the college beneﬁt from its relationship with

external business?

When I arrived at FIU in October 2012, one of my first tasks as Dean was to reach out to the business community, as I share Dean Elam’s conviction that they are essential connections for our college. We depend on these external relations for advocacy and advice, as well as placement and internship support. Our business community has been extremely generous in their support of the college, as they see how a strong FIU College of Business will contribute to both local and global economic prosperity. As I continue to develop our network, I see how broad an impact our globally-focused, entrepreneurial university can have. I will be reaching out to more potential partners.

A Closer Look At The International MBA KAREN STRANEY SPEAKS TO ANGEL BURGOS:

Tell me about the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business.

We are the educational hub for a diverse group of students who want to take the next step in their professional careers. While the majority of our students are from Miami, we also draw a significant portion from throughout the global community. Our programmes are geared toward a multi-national student body that truly wants to share insights into our differences and commonalities in the business world. The growth of the Chapman School attests to the success of our vision and mission.

The technology platform is huge here and we use it to enhance every part of the student experience.

globally-focused city, and later, in an experience that reﬂects the larger themes of the global business world.

The FIU IMBA is consistently one of the highest ranked one year IMBAs in the

U.S. How do you continue to innovate and remain one step ahead of the competition?

We regularly revisit and re-evaluate our curriculum with an eye toward how we can improve it. In the IMBA programme we focus on the practical elements of business, so that everything that’s taught in the classroom has some applicability to the real world. We try to incorporate real-life, contemporary cases, and we’re constantly re-evaluating which cases and which methodologies to use. The three international pieces - the study abroad option, the China track option and the internship options - are examples of how we stay relevant to the needs of the global business environment. We’re also constantly seeking new opportunities for students to gain real-world experience within our programme. We’re currently looking at a master’s project course where students would do research for corporations here in Miami. We’re also exploring international project courses in Argentina, Switzerland and China. We understand that business education must change and innovate as quickly as global business.

Your International MBA (IMBA) is an intense 12 month programme based on

your Miami Campus. The cohort is largely international, with two thirds of the class coming from outside of the U.S. How does this enrich students’ learning experience?

When I compare Miami to other cities I’m familiar with, there is no other city that really understands or appreciates diversity and being international as much as Miami does. It’s a Mecca of cultures and backgrounds, which really makes for an exceptional educational environment. I think it’s one of the primary reasons why people come here to study. As a university and as a college of business, FIU understands that the best way to learn about the global business world is to be in a classroom with people who are from different parts of the world. The Chapman School’s 12-month IMBA programme offers an immersive experience that builds on the scholarship of an outstanding international faculty as it gives students the opportunity to put their knowledge to use in a

SOUTH BEACH MIAMI

North American MBA Review

One of the features of the IMBA is the language classes. How important

do you feel it is for students who want to

The third semester gives students the opportunity to choose between an

elective course, internship or study abroad

progress within business to learn a second

option. Can you give our readers an overview

language?

of each?

It is essential. I meet with many corporate leaders, and they tell me what they’re looking for three things: communication skills, language skills and managerial skills. The IMBA programme provides all of these. Anyone who speaks more than two languages already has an “up” in the marketplace. For students in business it’s quite essential. When you think about Chinese being spoken by 1.4 billion people and Arabic spoken by 400 million and Spanish another 400 million, English is no longer the universal language of business just as the dollar is no longer the only reserve currency. For our students to be competitive in this market, a language component makes them stand out when looking for a job and succeed once they get the job.

The elective portion of the IMBA gives students the time to take a course in a field they may want to be exposed to, giving them the opportunity to gain additional expertise in their area of focus. The second piece is study abroad – which relates directly back to our international focus. To be truly successful, you have to step outside of the environment that you are accustomed to. Study abroad gives students that opportunity to immerse in another culture and to use that experience as a way of marketing themselves in the corporate marketplace. The third is an internship. For students who have taken some time off from work, an internship gives them practical experience that can lead them to a new professional door. Some of our younger students really benefit from doing an internship and in many instances an internship leads to permanent employment.

Another highlight is the optional China track. Please tell us a little more

about this.

There’s no doubt that China is a world force; it is the second largest economy in the world and it has experienced 10 per cent growth for the last four of five years, although it has slowed down dramatically this year. All of that has an effect on the dollar and how our companies succeed. Our China track was developed to help students understand the Chinese marketplace, to be able to function in it and have the language skills to do so. For the first three semesters they take intensive Chinese Mandarin courses. For the fourth, they get immersed in the Chinese culture, spending a semester abroad with a partner university. This helps students put their skills to work, and makes them attractive to corporations.

The Master of International Business (MIB) online is a relatively new

programme. How has this progressed?

The online MIB is making waves. The growth of online programmes at FIU is tremendous – because online education operates 24-7 just like business does. We started offering online programmes in 1998 and we have developed a whole series of technologies to optimise the learning experience. There’s a lot of opportunity for interaction and discussion boards, and it’s very innovative in its approach. We have coaches in our online MBA programme to help students along in addition to the faculty instructors. Our MIB programme did much better than we hoped, with 22 new students this fall from all over the world. What’s really

great about this programme is that students get the same faculty, the same curriculum, the same deliverables, and the same rigor as our traditional MIB. The essential educational experience is preserved; the only difference is how they take courses.

Application And Admissions KAREN STRANEY SPEAKS TO ANNA PIETRASZEK:

How do students qualify for the IMBA?

The minimum requirements for entrance into the IMBA are 500 on the GMAT and a 3.0 GPA in the upper division credits. However, we take a look at the complete file to make a final determination. While test scores are important, we understand that achievement is multidimensional, and we try to assess applications in that context. Once the application is complete, the file is evaluated by the admissions committee. We seek a diverse student body with a wide variety of educational backgrounds to complete our classes.

Do you recommend an on-site visit prior to admission?

We encourage students to come and visit us. We want them to understand what FIU is about, and whether our programme is a good fit for their aspirations. FIU is a really well-kept secret; we have incredible facilities and we are one of the best schools for international business in the

Florida International University

region. We have highly accomplished faculty members who care about the teaching process, and we want potential students to come and see what we have to offer. However, a personal interview is not required for admission to the programme. If students can’t come to the campus, we can also arrange to speak via Skype. In addition, faculty members and staff often travel, and we try to meet with potential students that way. If we cannot meet an applicant in person, we can arrange to have alumni in the region meet with them. We will work toward establishing a connection to the school so the student has access to the information they need to make a decision.

Career Services KAREN STRANEY SPEAKS TO BARRY SHIFLETT:

How important do you think it is for universities and business schools to

provide students with career services in today’s economic climate?

With an increasingly competitive employment climate, career services play an essential role. A student with a new MBA may not be sure of what they want to do with their career. They need someone to help them self-assess various career options based on their interests, skills and lifestyle preferences. We’re providing resources to help these students at a very important time, whether they are a new MBA with relatively

limited experience or an Executive MBA with many years in the corporate world. The mission of Career Services is to partner with, and provide extensive services to, students and alumni, so that they become active participants in their own continuing development, evaluation and implementation of personal career plans. By assisting students in managing their own expectations, students become their own success stories.

What are some of the special services you provide to students?

All students take part in a professional development seminar. This covers the five stages of the career development model: self-assessment, career exploration, focused goal setting, career management, and self-marketing, which includes resume prep, networking and interviewing skills. The old school way of thinking was, I’m getting a degree, and I want to move right into getting

A college rests on the strength of its faculty. I am proud to say that our faculty members are outstanding scholars and mentors to our students. We offer the same services to all of our students, whether the student is one year out of undergraduate school coming into an MBA programme, or in our Professional MBA programme with nine or more years of professional work experience. What varies are the goals and the level of discussion. We also seek to build relationships and partner with employers so when they do have employment opportunities, internships and permanent positions, we are the college they come to first. We are constantly expanding our relationships with employers, and we know their profiles and what they’re looking for. We can give this information to the student to help them prepare more effectively.

a job. Now, employers ask themselves three questions about every candidate: Is he or she passionate about this job, this company and this industry? Can he or she do the job and add value to the company? Does he or she fit the culture? It often comes down to this: Does this candidate “wow” me? If the answer is no to any one of those questions, that student won’t get the job. A big part of what we do is help the student understand how to answer these questions the right way. When we work with international students, we help educate them on what’s required of them to work in the United States, if that is their goal. We give them additional tools and resources that will help them understand what the hiring culture in the United States is all about.

North American MBA Review

How do you maintain and develop your relationships with national companies?

In the past few years, our national presence has grown considerably. Part of our ongoing mission is to strengthen, develop and nourish relationships with national and global companies who seek job candidates with strong international business skills. In addition to a strong expertise in global business, we have a critical mass of diversity in our student body. If an organisation wants to increase the diversity of their workforce on a professional level, we have a superb group of graduates they can choose from. Of our nearly 2000 graduate students, over 50 per cent are Hispanic. We are also affiliated with important national organisations that bring together groups of employers looking to hire students for internships and permanent positions. In recent years, we have made an effort to step up these activities with multinational companies, bringing our students to an even wider array of employers, who see the value of their diversity and global perspective.

Alumni Relations KAREN STRANEY SPEAKS TO MONIQUE CATOGGIO:

How important are the FIU alumni, from a support and networking

perspective?

What I really love about FIU alumni is that they want to be a part of something big. We have really tapped into that energy and we work together to develop our services and to make things happen. We call on our alumni groups to be our role models for current and prospective

students. They are a voice for us and many of them have both an undergraduate and graduate degree from FIU, and so are able to talk about programmes at both levels. We also call on our alumni to attend our recruiting events so that they can share their personal experience in the programme, and to make themselves available to prospective students that want to get a recommendation on one of our programmes.

What services does FIU provide for alumni?

We have found that we are a great resource for alumni. We help them meet each other, promote each other and help find jobs for each other. They want to build their network and a great way to do it is through FIU. The majority of our business school alumni remain in South Florida, and even those who don’t remain connected through networking and personal connections. We have a lot of stories about how the alumni network has helped people grow their business, helped them become experts at what they’re doing, and helped them reach out beyond their own industries. We want our alumni to connect back with us, to be leaders for us and in their communities, not only in

BIOGRAPHIES ★★ Dr. Joyce J. Elam is Dean Emeritus and James L. Knight Professor of Management Information Systems in the College of Business at Florida International University. ★★ Dr. David R. Klock is Dean and Ryder Eminent Scholar Chair in Business at the College of Business at Florida International University. ★★ Angel Burgos is Executive Director of MBA Programmes at the Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University. ★★ Anna Pietraszek is Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment at the Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University. ★★ Barry Shiflett is Director of Career Management Services in the College of Business at Florida International University. ★★ Monique Catoggio is an FIU MBA Alumnus and Director of College Relations in the College of Business at Florida International University. ★★Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida.

their respective positions in their companies. If we are not taking advantage of building those relationships, of providing excellent customer service to our students and our alumni and providing them opportunities to engage with us and re-engage with us, then we are not doing our job. The College of Business has several alumni groups. Each group caters to the specific needs of their target alumni and provides special events for networking and professional development, and creates individual service opportunities. For example, our Alumni Circle created the college’s Mentoring Program, which helps our students become business-ready.

Can you talk to us about networking opportunities and events that alumni

can participate in?

We coordinate events designed to help our alumni network. The college has several signature events that it does every year. One of them is the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Each year, we induct distinguished alumni who are founders of successful ventures throughout the world. These are FIU graduates who are recognised success stories in their fields, and have made important contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Other popular events include Speed Networking, Leadership Breakfasts featuring accomplished business professionals, and community service activities. We also work closely with other FIU alumni groups to present events which allow alumni from various sectors to engage and do business together.

Are alumni able to receive on-going support in terms of career services?

Networking is one of the best ways for alumni to stay in touch and find resources as they advance their careers, but they can also enroll at the career management office which offers FIU alumni free services. If alumni need to come in and get some coaching, for example, after experiencing setbacks in the struggling economy, or they’ve found they need to reinvent themselves and don’t know how to proceed, they can come to a session and have that conversation with an expert in our career management office. 

AD.pdf

9/25/12

9:08 AM

ceo ceo

North American MBA Review

Transforming Knowledge In The River City Alexandra Skinner talks to Dr Don Capener, Dr Richard Cebula, Dr Matrecia James and Dr Hassan Pordeli »

Introduction

indly define your MBA value proposition.

The Davis College of Business positively impacts the aspirations and career plans of any candidate. We connect students with ideas, business analytical tools, and Jacksonville University (JU) alumni that will transform their knowledge into actionable opportunities or decisions. Whether they recently finished college, or became an owner or CEO, the career altering experiences have paid off for over 1000 successful MBA graduates in the last 30 years. We offer the Accelerated MBA; a full-time programme that can be completed in just one year, the FLEX MBA which is earned at night and online for working professionals in Northeast Florida, and the Executive MBA which can be completed through residency two weekends per month.

Who is the Accelerated MBA programme aimed at, and what

advantages does it bring to the student?

The JU Accelerated MBA can be earned in just 12 months of continuous study. For candidates

who recently graduated from another AACSB accredited university, you do not need to take the GMAT if you maintained a 3.3GPA. The programme builds a foundation of core business knowledge in finance, accounting, and business analytics, while making development of leadership skills a priority. Students are mentored by some of JU’s leading business professionals and gain additional hands-on work experience as an intern. Davis graduates leave the programme with solid business expertise and an e-portfolio of demonstrated leadership knowledge and skills. In our cohort-based programme, your colleagues come from many nations around the globe. Teamwork is a way of life in getting things done. Students develop advanced problem-solving techniques, decision-making and communications. With just 43 or 46 credit hours required to graduate (depending on whether a concentration is taken) and 12 months of continuous study, the Davis Accelerated MBA is the ideal solution for younger candidates and those making career changes with unique programmes like our MBA/Certified Management Accounting (CMA) preparation.

You offer two part-time programmes. Please can you expand upon these for

our readers?

The FLEX MBA Programme places the experienced professional at the leading-edge of graduate business education. The curriculum consists of as little as 35 credit hours for a General MBA and 38 credit hours for an MBA with an Accounting/Finance or Management Concentration. Much of the coursework can be completed online or at home. Additional foundation course credit hours may be required depending upon background. The programme draws upon: • Cutting-edge coursework delivered in 8-week long modules; • A strong commitment to developing leadership knowledge and skills; • Dedicated faculty who are teacher/scholars with the highest academic qualifications; • Modern classrooms and technologies in an inspiring facility on the JU campus; • A clear focus on practical, hands-on business concepts that will immediately impact your success in your career and prepare you for a lifetime of promotions.

Jacksonville University MBA

MAIN STREET BRIDGE, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

Students gain both depth and breadth in the topics they will need. Faculty members are highly skilled teachers/scholars who make learners their highest priority by bringing their knowledge into the classroom in practical, hands-on ways. They have created companies, traveled extensively and trained at some of the world’s best schools. The Davis EMBA is designed for those preparing to join an executive leadership team or launching a significant new venture. Developing a leader’s strategic mindset, business expertise and creative instincts - all grounded in an ethical and professional foundation - are essential. These are the competencies acquired in this intensive 18-month programme. The EMBA offers immersion into advanced business analytics and technology to solve business problems. These tools that have evolved since many of our candidates first graduated. Candidates engage in the give-andtake of distinct viewpoints offered by faculty and peers in the programme, which include CEO’s, C-level VP’s, MD’s, entrepreneurs and general managers. The EMBA is a degree with immediate payback. It is a focused 18-month programme in an interactive environment in a state-of-theart facility, containing integrated cutting-edge theory with best practices ready to employ at work and an emphasis on the practice of business in a dynamic global environment. Students will develop strategic leadership skills with the ability to create and work through

effective leadership teams, deepen functional business expertise through practical application and build leadership presence and style.

Your suite of programmes also includes two Joint Programmes. What was the

strategic thinking behind the introduction of these?

The Davis College at JU and Florida Coastal School of Law have created a joint degree programme through which qualified students may pursue a Juris Doctor (JD) and a MBA from both schools simultaneously. Graduates with a joint JD/MBA degree can develop the skills needed to pursue careers in the business and legal professions, especially where those areas overlap such as investment and commercial banking, management consulting, government regulation, and business policy analysis. In addition to concurrently participating in the academic and social life of both schools, students will be able to obtain both diplomas in four years, as compared to the five years required to earn both degrees when pursued separately. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) prepares students for leadership roles in nursing. The goal of the MSN programme is to educate nurses who can synthesise knowledge and demonstrate behaviors of advanced preparation. Each graduate will demonstrate critical thinking and decision-making skills in evaluating health and illness in selected populations. Graduates will operationalise a conceptual framework related to practice.

Davis graduates leave the programme with solid business expertise and an e-portfolio of demonstrated leadership knowledge and skills.

North American MBA Review

There is a growing shortage of talented leaders in the world and yet few business schools invest deeply in developing students as leaders. JU offers a joint-degree programme in which qualified students may obtain both a MSN and a MBA degree. This innovative programme allows cross-crediting of coursework and is designed for nurses interested in executive-level management careers. JU’s programme offers broad exposure to advanced-level nursing knowledge in managing and planning health care services. Students enrolled in the joint MSN/MBA programme complete graduate level core courses in nursing and business.

Learning and Support at Davis College

Your cohorts remain small and benefit from modern classrooms and

technologies. Please could you further expand upon the learning environment that you have created for students?

The Davis College resides in a modern building with classrooms and technologies comparable to the best business schools. Information technologies make learning as easy and efficient as possible. Students are the center of the learning experience: Not us. You. Faculty and staff are here in the Davis College because they want to know the learners, what they want to accomplish, and help in making that happen. All of us know that the one thing that unites us is our love of teaching and learning through relationships with students. Faculty are talented, highly educated professionals who love bringing out the best in students. Our smaller size not only means smaller class sizes, but the opportunity to get to know faculty and develop learning relationships impossible at larger schools. Many students work with faculty on research

projects, some even helping to write and present work with faculty at professional meetings, and even to publish it. This is not uncommon. Graduates may leave JU and Davis, but they will always remember the one or two, even three or four, faculty who made a big difference in their lives, and they stay in touch. We create cutting-edge knowledge that is kept current. The myth is that only large research schools create advanced knowledge. This is absolutely not true. Davis College faculty are notable because so many have started or led businesses, consult to top companies, and publish award-winning scholarship. They have real world experience and create cutting edge knowledge that shows in their classrooms. We continuously examine our programmes to make sure what we are teaching is as current as the issues you read about in today’s newspaper. We encourage you to compare our programmes with those of any top ranked business programme.

The development and nurturing of leadership skills continues to be

important to both potential applicants, and businesses that employ MBAs. How much emphasis do you place on this dynamic?

There is a growing shortage of talented leaders in the world and yet few business schools invest deeply in developing students as leaders. We do. It just isn’t about a leadership course or two. The competencies and skills required of leaders are embedded across programmes and experiences in the Davis College. Leadership development is central to our vision and mission, and we work at it continuously and thoughtfully. We believe in learning through doing. A good portion of what students will learn won’t come from books, but from

the learning experiences we create for them inside and outside the classroom, for credit and otherwise. Whether team simulations, group projects, field trips to companies, semester study abroad, student organisations, internships, or professional mentoring with senior professionals, those experiences offer opportunities for personal growth. It is an exceedingly intense and active education.

Davis College and the Business World

To what extent do you liaise with local and national businesses in order

to understand the ROI expectations of employers?

Much of what we do in the Davis College would be impossible without the close collaboration and partnering with individuals and organisations in the greater JU community. Indeed, these relationships are so strong and active that AACSB International, our accrediting body, just recognised this as a “best practice” for us to share with other schools around the world. What does collaborating and partnering with Davis mean? At its simplest, it means that companies recognise that there is mutual value to be realised by engaging with each other. Our fundamental belief is that a sustainable relationship is one in which we help each other grow and accomplish mutual goals. In practice, collaboration and partnering takes many forms: • Attending Davis and JU programmes and events to build awareness and aligned thinking about key issues; • Supporting employees in obtaining professional development and degrees, then making the best of their new knowledge; • Hiring our graduates to build knowledge capital and skills; • Providing financial and executive support for programmes, even helping govern the college through its advisory committees; • Drawing upon the considerable expertise of our faculty and centers to address issues and challenges within your organisation; • Collaborating in the creative design and delivery of part or all of a new programme for the larger community, such as the Mayo Clinic and Florida Coastal School of Law are doing.

All of these forms of collaboration and partnering can be found right now in Davis. As JU’s popular 2009 media campaign noted, “JU is Jacksonville’s University.” Our alumni hold

Jacksonville University MBA

What are the minimum requirements that a student must achieve in order

to be considered for each of your MBA programmes? FLEX and Accelerated:

many of the C-suite positions or own many of this region’s most successful companies, and our EMBA programme is the oldest in Florida and one of the oldest in the US. Join with us in any of the above ways. You will find us energetic, competent, and reliable – the critical measures of a great, lasting relationship.

With the MBA market becoming increasingly competitive, how do you

continue to differentiate your programme offerings to stay one step ahead of the competition?

As Wayne Gretsky (Canadian former professional ice hockey player and head coach) said eloquently, “I don’t skate after the puck; I skate to where the puck is going to be”. You may need the next credential to get promoted, but most MBA programmes are simply skating to where the puck is today. Through any course of study at the Davis College, you will have a “backstage pass” to new leadership opportunities, an innovative small class environment, internships, and even discover career paths unknown to all of us today. My goal as Dean is to lead our faculty and staff in creating VIP-like access to the best of these opportunities. As a result of our value-add approach to business education, we do more than other programmes in preparing every graduate for a lifetime of promotions. That is why so many JU grads occupy the C-level suites in the Southeast’s leading corporations and start-ups. As Dean, I promise JU’s business programme will be compelling and stimulating intellectually, socially (rewarding from the networking perspective), and provide a substantial return on your educational investment. By substantial, I mean you should expect a payback or ROI that is ten to twenty times more than your original investment if your do more than just occupy a seat. To earn those rewards, you must actively pursue excellence, compete for the best internships, network with our alumni, and participate in extra-curricular activities with faculty and classmates. When you contribute and work hard at the Davis College, you will be prepared to soar higher than you have ever before.

Programme Selection and Application

Location is often a part of the decision making process for those considering an

MBA. What can potential students expect to enjoy from living and/or studying in Florida?

JU is located in a beautiful riverfront setting in suburban Jacksonville, Florida across the St. Johns River from downtown and just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. The campus includes a half-mile of riverfront, oak-lined paths and a mix of historic and new campus buildings. With more than 70,000 college students in the area, Jacksonville really is a college town that offers many entertainment options, including professional sports, live music and theatre. Jacksonville ranked in the top 20 in 2009 of mid-sized cities that are considered the best college towns (according to the American Institute of Economic Research). Our campus is also close to miles of un-crowded white, sandy beaches that feature beautiful oceanfront hotels, great dining, shopping, golf courses, family entertainment, festivals, concerts and much more. The average temperature in the area is 71 degrees and it’s sunny nearly 270 days of the year. Whether you’re into the beach or the city, JU is in a convenient spot where it’s easy to enjoy either end of the spectrum.

To be admitted as a degree candidate, all students must have an undergraduate degree from a regionally-accredited university. In order to apply, all students must submit an online application, transcripts of all undergraduate work, an official GMAT Score or GRE Score, a résumé of professional work experience, two letters of recommendation and a statement of Intent/Purpose letter Students graduating from an AACSB accredited undergraduate institution with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher are exempt from taking the GMAT or GRE. Students not meeting these criteria are required to take the GMAT or GRE. For the Accelerated MBA they must also have three years of business experience in order to be exempt. EMBA:

Application materials that must be submitted are a completed application online, three letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to your intellectual and professional abilities, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, and a $50 non-refundable application fee. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit a score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). After all application materials are received, an interview will be scheduled with the Director.

The Next Step

What can we expect from the Davis College of Business over the next

twelve to eighteen months?

BIOGRAPHIES ★★Dr. Don Capener is the Dean of the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. ★★Richard J. Cebula is the Walker/ Wachovia Bank Professor of Finance in the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. ★★Dr Matrecia S.L. James is currently an Associate Professor of Management in the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. ★★Dr Pordeli has published extensively in the field of applied economics.

The DBA programme will enhance the prestige and reputation of the Davis College as one of the best practical or “applied” business programmes in the United States because of our successful 30 year history with the EMBA. It will also differentiate JU from other public graduate business programmes. The DBA programme offers immersion into business analytics that demand in-depth inquiry, research, and virtual high-stakes decisions. Based on the premise that a research-oriented perspective adds strong rationale and evidence to any business recommendation, candidates engage in the giveand-take of distinct viewpoints offered by their peers in the programme, which will include current CEOs, C-level VP’s, GMs, Presidents, and MDs from leading companies around the Southeast region. 

North American MBA Review

JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY:

Stakeholder Perspectives “I

am proud to be a 2007 MBA graduate of the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. I can honestly say that the business tools I learned to use in the MBA programme served me well as the Chief Administrative Officer of The Mayo Clinic in Florida. The business tools may have changed in the years since I left my undergraduate studies in Minnesota, but the skills I received at JU were relevant to the operational challenges I face in healthcare. The leadership coaching and analytical skills I gained in the MBA programme helped me to make better business decisions and improve my ability to lead by example”.

“T

he support of the Davis faculty, with a virtual “opendoor” policy that many professors in Davis have as well as the tailored advice for individual students based on what our goals and interests are, has greatly contributed to my success. They show students what it takes to get where they want to be in college and in life.” Jason D. Byrd, JR.’12.

“O

Bob Brigham, JU MBA 2007.

“H

elping students to see all the applications of economics in their daily lives makes teaching rewarding. It’s great to see the “I get it now” moment when we add real world examples to class discussions.”

The students of the Davis College bring a valuable different perspective to our deliberations when considering an investment opportunity.

Dr. Carol Dole, Associate Professor of Economics, Ph.D., Economics, University of Florida, 1992, MBA, University of Cincinnati, 1983, BS in Journalism, University of Florida, 1982.

ver the past six years, the collaborative partnership between Springboard Capital and the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University has proven to be a true winwin experience. The involvement of Davis College students in Springboard’s evaluation of business ventures provides them with a uniquely comprehensive view of a commercial business enterprise. The students of the Davis College bring a valuable different perspective to our deliberations when considering an investment opportunity. As the Springboard – Davis College partnership continues to expand and strengthen in the years to come; it will clearly serve as a model for other investment funds and business schools. “

Al Rossiter, President, Springboard Capital Management, LLC.

“M

y first year here at JU when English was still a barrier, I received a lot of attention from the professors. They made sure I was on track and really made me feel welcome. Coming from Vietnam, where I spent 12 years studying Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, I realised that I have missed out on what was going on with our world. I am so glad my gap of knowledge was filled by the outstanding professors at JU.” Anh Vuong ’10, Assistant Tax Advisor at Ernst & Young.

“I

have a sincere appreciation for Jacksonville University and the preparation for the business world I received there. I have used my education as a foundation for a challenging and fulfilling career in sales management and business.”

C. Mitchell Fields ’70, Global VP of Apparel Sales, Columbia Sportswear.

European MBA Review

The Value of MBA Accreditation – A Key To Quality Postgraduate Business Education Association of MBAs »

here are many factors to consider when choosing an MBA. With an increasing number of MBA courses on offer world-

wide the choice can be overwhelming. Quality assurance is an important guiding factor, and an international stamp of quality from an impartial authority in the form of accreditation can help refine the choice for MBA seekers. Selecting an MBA programme with an internationally recognised accreditation, such as from the Association of MBAs (AMBA), is a guarantee for both the student and the prospective employer that the MBA studies have met rigorous standards of management training, and that the faculty, students and curriculum are of the highest quality. AMBA’s

Global

AMBAssador,

Gretchen

Arangies from the University of Stellenbosch Business School In South Africa, agrees that an accredited MBA is unique as it offers value for students, business schools and employers. “The value of an accredited MBA for students is a programme of a very high quality and global recognition. Students can join worldwide networks and graduates can apply for jobs in any country,” Arangies says. “Accreditation also helps business schools to direct their programmes, enhance performance and benchmark programmes against international MBA standards. For employers, it means recruiting top talent as accreditation serves as a form of quality assurance. In addition, international accreditation opens doors for global students and visiting academia.” AMBA’s commitment to postgraduate business education is reflected in its criteria. Its accreditation ensures that an MBA programme is of the highest quality, relevant to the changing world of business and that the programme reflects the latest trends and innovation in postgraduate management education. AMBA’s detailed assessment process is conducted by an independent panel of senior business school academics. A key differentiator of the Association’s accredited business schools is that students must have three years professional experience. A great deal of the value offered by an MBA is the element of learning from peers, therefore prior management experience and bringing real-life examples to class to debate with fellow MBAs is invaluable.

AMBA

GRETCHEN ARANGIES

One of the strengths of AMBA accreditation is the international aspect of the MBA cohort, which means that students are not only from different sectors but are from different countries and cultures. So they have to think in terms of a global environment from day one, as they are learning about the international context of business management and leadership.

Accreditation offers the student assurance that their part-time or distance-learning course will still offer them the best learning opportunities.

This international element also adds to the networking on an MBA. Students at an accredited business school are immediately plugged into a global network of future influential business leaders. British citizen and AMBA Global AMBAssador Bruce Cooper studied for his MBA at EM Lyon Busi-

ness School in France. He says he gained excellent value from “the

by the business schools that have been

worldwide network established within the class and the experi-

announced as finalists for the 2012 MBA

ence shared through working with my cohort of students from

Innovation Award. These schools have

across the world.”

introduced new ideas and concepts to

Options for the mode of study for MBA programmes are a

their MBA programmes which include,

big factor to consider when deciding on the type of MBA course

INSEAD’s Sci-Tech Commercializer MBA,

- whether full-time, part-time or distance- learning. With the chang-

IEDC-Bled School of Management’s Arts

ing economic times, many MBA students are choosing to remain in

and Leadership MBA, An MBA in Sus-

work while they study, and while full-time MBAs remain the most

tainable Energy Management at Arthur

popular worldwide, according to AMBA’s 2012 research, there is

Lok Jack Graduate School of Business in

a growth in part-time and in particular distance-learning MBAs.

Trinidad and Tobago, and the Executive

Accreditation offers the student assurance that their part-time

MBA at Wuhan University Economics

or distance-learning course will still offer them the best learning

and Management School in China which

opportunities. For example, AMBA ensures its accredited distancelearning programmes are delivered in such a way that students

NIDHI SINGH

integrates humanistic tradition, economics and management.

receive an equivalent learning experience to that of students stud-

Using accreditation as part of a potential student’s choice strat-

ying on a face-to-face basis, as its accreditation criteria ensures the

egy gives an immediate shortlist of quality tested business schools

business school meets a minimum of 120 contact hours.

across the world. There are more than 700 MBA programmes at

As an impartial authority on postgraduate business education,

198 business schools across the world with AMBA.

the AMBA’s remit is to ensure that MBA programmes continue to

The strength of AMBA’s accreditation is its direct focus on the

improve and evolve. The Association’s partnerships and research

MBA and its value added services for its members. The Asso-

help inform its accreditation criteria, which then ensure that

ciation’s membership connects MBA students and graduates,

accredited schools are including the latest social, environmental

accredited business schools and MBA employers in more than

and cultural management requirements in their courses.

110 countries across the world. Its members are entitled to market

For example, the Association of MBAs Post Downturn MBA

trend reports, networking and information exchange, events with

research 2009 and its partner-

high profile keynote speakers, webinars and continued profes-

ship with the United Nations

sional development.

PRME initiative helped inform and

Global AMBAssador, Nidhi Singh who is a full-time MBA stu-

update the most recent accredita-

dent at Bristol Business School sums up the value of her MBA:

tion criteria to include specific

“Having an accredited MBA gives me the confidence that I’m in

requirements for business schools

the right hands and that I have invested in the right place, and

to demonstrate learning outcomes

that I’m part of AMBA’s global MBA network of members and

and a curriculum focus on ethics,

business schools.” 

sustainability, management

responsible and

risk

governance,

environmental, and social impact. Evidence of the innovative MBA programmes on offer at business BRUCE COOPER

schools

accreditation

with

AMBA

demonstrated

Mark Stoddard, Accreditation Projects Manager. Mark oversees AMBA’s accreditation service and takes part in assessments at business schools across the world. He works with the Association’s International Accreditation Advisory Board and Faculty of Assessors to ensure quality in the MBA programmes assessment criteria. 43

EFMD

Making Managers

Fit for the Future Patrick Harris and Dr Rebecca Nash, EFMD »

A capacity to scan the horizon provides insights into emerging weak signals, as well as a solid understanding of factors that will influence the future..

is easy to suggest that, given the

Why Futures for leadership?

there are others that possess a higher degree of

uncertainty in the world today, having

The two primary reasons for enabling leaders

uncertainty and it is in these areas where lead-

a future-focused leader at the helm is

with Futures skills are the need, as Gaston

ers need to build in not finite plans but agility,

more important than ever. However, while it

Berger, the widely respected French Futures

preparedness and adaptability.

is tempting to assert this, it is wrong to do so.

pioneer, put it, to “disturb the present” and to

Leaders, however certain their agendas

The fact is that we have always required

lead while dealing appropriately with a context

may appear today, must deal with uncertainty

of uncertainty.

in the longer-term. How else will an organi-

leaders who study and try to understand how the future might unfold. Today, the need

sation respond appropriately to changing

nificant shifts in areas such as global energy

Disturbing – and acting in – the present

supply and security, climate change, a macro-

Futures activities can run into difficulty when

oped with planning tools, medium term with

economic shift in power and a fall in the trust

there has been no intrinsic effort made to link

strategic evaluation. But for incorporating a

afforded to institutions.

an exploration of the future to an organisation’s

longer-term perspective, where uncertainty is

strategic and decision-making processes.

the norm, the language and tools of Strategic

is simply more apparent when we see sig-

But what does it mean to have a future-fac-

circumstances? Nearer-term responses can usually be devel-

ing leader? More importantly, how can we equip

For solid strategic linkage, leaders must

Foresight become indispensable. For clarity,

our emerging leaders with these critical skills

fully embrace a Futures mindset and thereafter

the uncertainty we refer to here is the likeli-

before they are exposed to the cut and thrust of

promote the ability to act upon the ramifications

hood of a particular event or outcome occurring

leading significant areas of organisations? One

and opportunities that possessing a longer-

within the timeframe under consideration, or

sure-fire way to build success in this area is by

term perspective brings. This combination of

the degree with which the event may or may

incorporating Futures, or Strategic Foresight,

Futures study and taking action today is a pow-

not occur at all.

within leadership development programmes.

erful means of making decisions more robust

A working definition of what we mean by the term “Futures” is that it is the means by

over the long term

Enabling leaders with longer time frames and different sources

which an individual or organisation maintains

Leading in a context of uncertainty

a mindful brief on the medium to long-term

Along with the aim to make better, more

future, identifies opportunities within uncer-

informed decisions sits an equally straight-

tainty, prepares for possible future events, and

forward reason for developing future-facing

The above quote by the gifted science fiction

embeds its future-focused thinking into strate-

leaders – dealing appropriately with uncer-

writer William Gibson is an oft-used expression

gic and decision-making processes.

tainty. While some events can be planned for,

in Futures work. His meaning for our context is

“The future is already here, it is just unevenly distributed.” – William Gibson

European MBA Review

• Consider internal skills – developing

that if leaders are to understand tomorrow they

Futures – each describing a coherent and logi-

should begin by looking closely at weak signals

cally consistent description of a future world

Futures skills across the organisation is

around them today.

– it becomes easier for leaders to select or to

important to help leaders in their capacity

create a preferred future for the organisation.

to “see more” and to respond better when

Scanning as the first step Gibson’s quote is also helpful for identifying

Choosing preferred Futures can be defining for leaders – both emerging and established.

horizon scanning as the initial building block

First, the ability to use strengthened aware-

of future-facing leaders. Consider the future-

ness to identify and convincingly articulate

probing examples below.

a preferred future is not only a hallmark of

A person driving a car not so many years ago would have perched a map on his or her lap;

respected leadership skills but it is also a good way to identify potential emerging leaders.

now they might rely instead on Global Position-

Second, established leaders who are able to

ing Systems. Was the awkwardly positioned

align an organisation behind goals to help cre-

“lap map” a weak signal of drivers needing to

ate a preferred future are demonstrating sound

see both the road and navigation aids at the

visioning capabilities and are building significant

same time?

strategic momentum as they progress – an all-

Or consider that central locking is standard on cars today but we still tend to use keys to

important ingredient of achieving strategic aims.

• Stimulate organisational awareness – a programme that develops leaders in Strategic Foresight – and one that lives afterward in the work of leaders – will transfer organisational awareness, help to identify key events and triggers that indicate future shifts, improve the organisation’s ability to respond and provide greater propensity to adapt to new models and new sources of competitive advantage when identified. • Emphasise the importance of inclusivity –

a future state that we can expect to see once

Constructing a programme for future-facing leaders

the appropriate technologies and behaviours

We have discussed the importance of future-

fall into place? What triggers might be neces-

facing leadership and the basic recipe required

sary for this to happen?

in any Futures activity. But what can we say

enter our homes. Is central locking of the home

facing situations of uncertainty.

leaders need to engage the organisation in order to have the greatest success. • Futures as a tool – ensure that leaders know that Futures is just one tool in their tool box. It is an important one but is no magic bullet.

...the ability to use strengthened awareness to identify and convincingly articulate a preferred future is not only a hallmark of respected leadership skills but it is also a good way to identify potential emerging leaders.

• Know when to start – leaders should appreciate that Futures is a preparatory activity and is best begun before the organisation is feeling a particular strategic pinch • Ensure cultural fit – ensure that futurefocused thinking employed in the leaders and organisation has an appropriate cultural fit • Futures is about decision making – above

The language of Futures

about the transfer of Futures knowledge in lead-

all, remember to connect Futures thinking

A capacity to scan the horizon provides insights

ership development programmes? What tips are

to strategy formation and decision making.

into emerging weak signals, as well as a solid

available to ensure that leaders emerge capable

Futures is not the end product but a key

understanding of factors that will influence the

of dealing with and responding to uncertainty?

necessary step to improve decisions taken

future. It is these drivers of change that lead-

Below is a list of principles to bear in mind when

in the organisation.

ers, working with others, can build into key

incorporating Futures in leadership programmes.

trends that have the greatest relevance for their organisation. Often a future-facing programme of work will develop further by using key trends to construct scenarios – descriptions of future worlds, each as plausible (or implausible) as the other – which leaders can use to paint a picture of the future and which decision makers can use to test future strategies. These Futures components – insights, drivers, trends and scenarios – can show leaders how to steer their organisations into new product areas, invest in R&D or to build adaptable strategies that can respond to the key triggers identified. Leaders can serve a Futures agenda well by accessing multidisciplinary information, by ensuring that the organisation maintains a mindful brief on cues and signals and by being sensitive to alternative points of view. Importantly, by maintaining a set of plausible

• Work with individuals – recognise that while the vast majority of Futures studies are conducted with cross-sections of an organisation, it is people that bring Futures to life and who will ultimately make decisions afterwards. The need to establish personal attachment to Strategic Foresight should be emphasised when developing existing or emerging leaders. • Build a shared language – the Futures space is still a nascent one and can be populated with differing views, methods and applications. Make sure that your leaders have a shared understanding of the language employed. • Establish familiarity with methods – knowing and sharing a language is a first step; knowing what approach to apply, when it is best deployed and how to apply it is just as critical.

These principles are a helpful reminder of the characteristics of Futures work that leadership programme designers should bear in mind as they work to construct development platforms. The principles also form a checklist that leaders should firmly grasp if they hope positively to influence the decision-making, preparedness, agility and long-term success of their organisation. 

BIOGRAPHIES ★ Patrick Harris is the founder of the consultancy thoughtengine. ★ Dr Rebecca Nash is a senior member of The Futures Company’s Trends and Futures team.

Executive MBA University of Zurich: Cutting-edge. Practice-related. Comprehensive.

„The part-time Executive MBA Program for Executives at the best German-speaking Faculty of Economics and Business Administration“ (Social Science Research Network 2012)

The Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich offers upper level executives cuttingedge, advanced interdisciplinary management training. It particularly focuses on a modern and comprehensive view of management problems and on intercultural management topics.

The Program _For working professionals _Internationally focused _Located in Zurich, Switzerland – a center of business and finance _Courses in German and English _Duration of 18 months _Start every August Study Visits _Yale University, School of Management in New Haven (USA) _Fudan University, School of Management in Shanghai (China) _Hyderabad (Indien)

Visit our website or order our course brochure: T +41 (0)44 634 29 87 | info@emba.uzh.ch | www.emba.uzh.ch

European MBA Review

Read All About It: An Innovative Approach To Promoting MBA Students Alexandra Skinner speaks to Jorge Farinha Âť Porto Business School

You have recently changed your name from EGP-University of Porto Business

Portugal is an increasingly competitive destination within the MBA market.

How do you continue to stay one step ahead

School (EGP-UPBS) to Porto Business School

of the competition?

(PBS). What were the reasons behind the

Porto Business School is still a relatively small management school, and we have a particular corporate governance structure that allows us to be free from many of the more

decision to make this change after 24 years?

The older name of EGP-UPBS was a transitory name that stood for historical reasons as the school merged its postgraduate management programmes with other existing courses at the University of Porto. The new name of Porto Business School is now perfectly aligned with the internationalisation strategy of our institution, and it provides a simpler and more marketing-oriented designation, while taking advantage of the growing international strength of the City of Porto brand image.

negative institutional interferences that exist in more traditional schools. This gives us the flexibility that we need to have creativity and fast responses to new needs or trends in the management education area. At the same time, the strong presence of corporate associates (25 in total) in the running of the business schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affairs, typically not seen in other institutions,

Portugal, and Porto in particular, is an increasingly attractive destination for international students; the cost of living is very affordable and the city is a very vibrant and pleasant place to spend a year studying for an MBA.

Porto Business School MBA

ensures that we have a strong and unique focus on real business needs at all times. Together this undoubtedly gives us a strong edge over our most direct competitors. In addition Portugal, and Porto in particular, is an increasingly attractive destination for international students; the cost of living is very affordable and the city is a very vibrant and pleasant place to spend a year studying for an MBA. As well as being a World Heritage site, Porto was recently ranked as the number one European touristic destination in 2012 by the European Travellers Choice website. Entrepreneurship is more active within Porto than in other regions, and this certainly translates into our MBA courses.

The Magellan MBA

The Magellan MBA is a 14 month international programme. What are

the key learning outcomes that a potential student can expect to achieve?

In essence, we expect that a student will have enough self-confidence to tackle managerial problems and issues in a professional manner. By the end of the programme a student should be able to use strong strategic reasoning in his/ her management decisions, and to reach these using both quantitative and qualitative tools and data coupled with good and highly ethical judgement. All of this can only be achieved if he/she is also capable of using highly developed personal skills of leadership, communication and negotiation to persuade others to follow up on his/her actions and decisions. We also expect that students will develop a strong entrepreneurial attitude and mind set, regardless of whether they will be working as entrepreneurs or employees, and also to take into full consideration the global and culturally diverse nature of today’s business world. Finally, we seek that students develop creativity skills that, coupled with the networking they have access to in the school, will allow them to “make things happen” immediately after the conclusion of the MBA, even if that means working outside of their usual comfort zone. Although these are very challenging outcomes that we seek for our students, I have no doubt that we have been quite successful in ensuring that they are achieved in practice by the overwhelming majority of our MBA graduates.

during the programme in practice using several methods. For instance, taking advantage of our corporate associates, we offer students the opportunity to join our Followers programme. Here a student is “followed” during the entire year by one of these firms, enabling him/her to redirect course assignments to the needs of these corporations who, in turn, will provide data and access to company resources. Through this programme the student receives hands-on experience that will benefit not just his/her learning process, but also the firm in question.

In the final term of the MBA programme (July to October), students must complete a final project for which they can choose to develop a business plan for an investment idea of their own, or complete an internship within a specific company for whom they will develop a new project. This has taken students to internships either in NGOs located in places such as Mozambique, Haiti or Mali, or with multinational corporations developing projects for profit. Another interesting and innovative feature of our Magellan MBA programme

The overwhelming majority of our faculty possess not just PhDs, but also relevant professional experience as managers or consultants.

The programme has a strong focus on ‘innovative teaching methods’.

Please can you expand further upon this pedagogical approach?

In addition to using the more traditional case study and computer simulation teaching approaches, we seek to ensure that MBA students have the opportunity to apply what they learn

European MBA Review

ILLUSTRATION BY RICARDO FIGUEIRA

is our CoHitec Entrepreneurship course; an international award-winning initiative where our students team up with real scientists developing a new technology, with the aim of presenting a business model and plan to make that technology a real investment opportunity. The results of their analysis are presented to an audience of entrepreneurs and other specialists, and many of these projects actually end up as real companies. The overwhelming majority of our faculty possess not just PhDs, but also relevant professional experience as managers or consultants. This makes the interaction between

(a) What was the thinking behind this innovative approach to marketing

your students?

Social networks are fast becoming one of the most used and effective tools for recruiting firms and recruitment companies. Given that most of our students are international (more than 60 per cent) and that we therefore need to promote them around the world, we felt that we needed to use a promotion strategy that could have a global reach. We also understood that in order to stay ahead of the crowd, we needed to use an innovative way of marketing students that would draw the attention of recruiters.

All of the major TV channels in Portugal were interested in this story, and interviewed students or school staff to learn more about this innovative tool for helping the placement of MBA students. students and teachers an unusually rich one as our MBAs can benefit from the valuable insights of teachers that truly are aware of what is going on in the real world. This is also enhanced by the numerous interactions with corporate managers that take place during the year, both in the form of end-of-day seminars and also informal lunches with students. Finally, I should mention that during the year students are also faced with the opportunity to act as consultants for a number of business incubators. Here they can share first-hand the experience of launching new ventures and help new entrepreneurs to increase their chances of success, while also developing their own consulting skills which will be very important for their future careers, regardless of their chosen field of activity. This year PBS launched a campaign to promote The Magellan MBA students

(b) Please can you tell us a little more about these promotional activities?

We decided to launch the project of developing illustrated biographies with the help of a well-known local artist, Ricardo Figueira, who produced a very appealing set of illustrations for our students. These were then used not just on the annual Magellan MBA promotion yearbook – the “Magellan MBA Talent Book – but were also shared in major social networks such as Facebook. The concept of using illustrated bios was also in-line with the contents of the latest institutional video for Porto Business School, which used animation tools along similar lines to present our school’s history, its most relevant features and core values. There is a strong coherence between the way we promote the school and our MBA students.

through social networks, a ‘Talent Book’

the media thus far?

containing illustrated biographies, and new

Like most innovations, the initial reaction from some of our students was of moderate fear, as

integrative tools such as about.me.

some of them felt that illustrated bios could be seen as too bold in the eyes of the corporate world. However, after their first interactions with the illustrating artist, and particularly after observing the final results, this initial resistance was quickly overcome. This promotional vehicle has been very successful in attracting the attention of potential recruiters, and has drawn a lot of media attention in a quite unexpected way; all of the major TV channels in Portugal were interested in this story, and interviewed students or school staff to learn more about this innovative tool for helping the placement of MBA students. In addition, all major Portuguese business and financial publications printed articles on this initiative for promoting our Magellan MBA graduates.

Study trips are an effective way of introducing international exposure into

MBA programmes. What is involved in the Magellan MBA International Week, and what are the learning objectives?

All major MBA programmes now offer international experience as part of their curriculum. We are no exception to that rule. After a number of years with very successful International Weeks taking place at Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, we decided this year to offer a different experience in a different continent. Our students will thus spend their International Week this year at a top business school in the US; McCombs Business School at the University of Texas, Austin. During this experience students will not only be exposed to complementary topics in management with excellent teachers, but will also have the opportunity to visit a number of outstanding firms in the Austin area and interact with local MBA and executive education students. This will be a great opportunity for students to increase their knowledge of the global corporate world and their network of contacts, which complements the other international features of our programme very well.

Key Values You place significant emphasis on entrepreneurship and social responsibility throughout your programmes.

(a) Why do you feel these elements are so important to today’s executives?

If we look at recent events such as the subprime crisis or the exceedingly large number of corporate scandals over the last few years, we realise that there seems to be a crisis in the way corporations deal with ethics and social responsibility around the world. We thus feel that it is essential to make students aware that there is an outside world that can suffer tremendously from the side effects of a shortage

Porto Business School MBA

PBS and the Future

You are currently undergoing an exciting period of change and

innovation. What can our readers expect from PBS over the next 12 to 18 months and beyond?

DOURO RIVER, PORTO, PORTUGAL

of concern for social responsibility, ethics and sustainability issues. Relatedly, we also share the sense that developing strong entrepreneurship skills in our students, in a socially responsible manner, can make a difference not just in helping them to launch new and successful ventures, but also to any organisation with whom they may collaborate, including, of course, non-for-profit institutions.

proud of the successes of our students in helping such organisations, much in the same way as we fell proud of those achieved by our MBAs in the corporate world.

With many students using an MBA as a platform to move between industries

or to change career paths, how important do you consider the provision of career services to be?

(b) How do you integrate these elements into the classroom?

In addition to offering ethics, managing non-for profit ventures and other related courses as part of the MBA curriculum, we actively encourage students to undertake their final projects in NGOs in less developed countries, or to take consulting assignments with local not-for-profit organisations. These projects aim to help organisations to further develop their activities in a more efficient and, above all, a more sustainable manner. As I mentioned earlier, this has led students to participate in projects such as seeking the development of sustainable tourism or forestry in Mozambique, the efficient management of resources in orphanages in Haiti, or the achievement of better results in the fight against Malaria in Mali. We feel extremely

The provision of good career services is an essential tool for any business school. The market for placing students is extremely competitive, and if the promotion of MBA graduates is not done in a correct way it can have very negative consequences on a student’s prospects after graduation. At the Magellan MBA we feel that we offer very professional career services, and more than 80 per cent of student placements are the direct result of its activities. The placement rate for our students is around 60 per cent by graduation date and this usually reaches 100 per cent a few months after that. I should also stress that for more than 80 per cent of students this means a true and often dramatic change of career path, thus fully meeting the objectives they had at the start of the programme.

This is indeed a very exciting and dynamic period at Porto Business School. We have been actively pursuing an internationalisation strategy for a few years now, and this has already been delivering strong results; namely a double accreditation for our two MBA programmes and the largest percentage of international students in any accredited MBA in Portugal (over 60 per cent). We have also observed the recognition of the quality of our MBAs and Custom Executive education programmes in several international rankings. In addition, our MBA students have recently won international competitions such as the 2011 John Molson International MBA Case Competition (in Montreal, Canada), and the 2010 I2P-Idea to Product Entrepreneurship Competition at the Cockrell School of Engineering, University of Texas, Austin. With that internationalisation strategy in mind, we have just launched our new name Porto Business School - and logo. We recently made an important agreement with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to launch a dual degree programme in 2012/13 whereby students from one of CMU’s Master’s in Engineering will spend one year at PBS to study for a MBA, thus earning two degrees (a Master in Engineering and a MBA) after two years. We are also offering an International Week at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas, Austin to our students for the first time in 2012/13, and an exchange programme with Sasin Business School in Thailand. We are also about to launch international executive programmes in Angola, Cape Verde and Brazil, alongside a growing number of in-company courses being offered for companies in Portugal, Spain and soon also in Africa and Brazil. Last but not least, we have just started to build a new state-of-the art building which should be ready by September 2013, and this will enable us to double the current number of students. This will be great timing, as we will then be able to celebrate in the best possible manner the 25th Anniversary of Porto Business School! 

BIOGRAPHY ★ Jorge Farinha is Vice-Dean and Magellan MBA Director at Porto Business School, Portugal.

European MBA Review

I am always interested to find out why a student decided to come here and what they really experienced. Without exception, our close ties to business are always mentioned. a Harvard case, but we like to look at real-time projects and for our students to learn about what is actually going on in companies. We are very serious about educating our students for future jobs and we feel that you can only do that by being so close to the market.

Shaping the MBA Landscape

Alexandra Skinner speaks to Désirée van Gorp » The Nyenrode Business Universiteit The Nyenrode Business Universiteit was established in 1946 by business leaders from well-known corporations such as KLM, Shell, Unilever, Philips and Akzo with a ‘for business by business’ philosophy.

(a). How important is this ethos to the university?

It is very important to us. These companies wanted to offer the kind of education where people would have a lot of international experience and exposure during their studies so that they could send them anywhere in the world and they would be able to find solutions. This has really continued at the school; it’s maintained in our philosophy, and in the exposure to industry that we have in all of our programmes. If you look at the MBA world there are a lot of competitors, so I am always interested to find out why a student decided to come here and what they really experienced. Without exception, our close ties to business are always mentioned.

(b). How do you bring this philosophy into your pedagogical approach?

It is about more than just having the exposure and a guest lecturer; we really work with firms on company projects during the programmes, much like you would with a consultancy

project. Students have a number of real-time projects, such as those which tie in with the subject of innovation and the information innovation course which was developed with Capgemini. These projects run through the entire programme rather than being isolated as one course. With the Executive MBA (EMBA) students look at their own companies if they are working or we partner them with a firm if not. With the International MBA (IMBA), where students are full-time for 12 months, they go into companies and work on how new technologies are changing business models. This is conducted over the year and is a great way of creating exposure to industry as it relates back to each of the modules in the programme. We also have our Friday programmes which include ‘meet the CEO sessions.’ Again, we don’t just visit companies; students prepare for the sessions, they look at the company and pick out a topic that they would like to discuss with the CEO. We have been to Schiphol, Bavaria, and we had a meeting with the worldwide COO of Microsoft, so we include a variety of companies that are usually international players. It is so important for us to be close to the market, and it is also part of our philosophy to have that personal touch. We don’t like to have hundreds of students in our MBA group - this approach wouldn’t work - and this really adds to the students’ learning experience. It’s nice to have

Your MBA offering includes a number of international modules. Please can you

expand upon this for our readers?

For the International MBA (IMBA), we offer three international modules in Europe (Belgium), Asia (India or China) and the Americas (USA), and for Executive MBA (EMBA) two two-week international modules that include Africa (South Africa) and the Americas (USA). We believe that all of our modules should be integrated into the overall curriculum. So it shouldn’t be that we just go to certain countries because they have good universities, or there is good weather, or we can more easily arrange company visits; we want the visits to be woven into the programme. During these modules students have exchanges with both local partner universities and local businesses. Often students will visit companies to work with them on projects, and these are always around topics that link back to the MBA programme content. This isn’t academic tourism; it’s easy to organise an academic study trip, but for us that isn’t good enough. For the European module that is offered in the IMBA programme, students learn how the EU works as a single market from a range of perspectives, such as from a governmental/political, NGO, business and consumer point of view. With the Asian modules,

Nyenrode Business Universiteit MBA

We believe that it is important that students, who are the leaders of the next generation, should develop themselves as global citizens, using both the direct and indirect experiences that they can acquire during our international modules.

which are also a part of the IMBA, students have a choice between visiting India or china. These locations were picked for obvious reasons; both are strong and emerging players in the global market, especially with India having the youngest population on earth and China having experienced amazing growth in their economy over recent years. For the Americas module, which is offered in both the IMBA and EMBA, we chose to visit the USA. This fits in very well with the Nyenrode three pillars: leadership, entrepreneurship and stewardship. In addition, Nyenrode historically has a strong partnership with University of Oregon, which provides the module around innovation and sustainability. This matches in perfectly with our curriculum. Lastly, for the Africa module we developed a strong relationship with University of Stellenbosch, which excels in cultural diversity management and leadership. With each of the modules students are expected to work on projects before, during and after the trips. Nyenrode has invested a great deal of time and effort in developing these modules with active support from, and cooperation with, partner universities and business networks. We believe that it is important that students, who are the leaders of the next generation, should develop themselves as global citizens, using both the direct and indirect experiences that they can acquire during our international modules. Going to these destinations, visiting companies and talking to people who have worked there for years really makes a difference to a student’s learning experience.

Your EMBA and IMBA were shortlisted for AMBA’s Innovation award. What

does innovation mean at Nyenrode, and how do you bring this dynamic into the classroom?

This goes back to the innovation and information course that we designed with Capgemini, and we were acknowledge for integrating the course fully across the EMBA and IMBA. At the end of the programme we hold an ‘innovate’ session. This allows students to take a helicopter view of all of the projects

NIJENRODE CASTLE

that they have undertaken, form their own vision and translate this into a future role. We sponsor students with a latest tablet PC to facilitate their learning experience and work, and we will be building on that in the future. We are working on a project to look at how we can utilise the latest technology even more in the classroom and the learning experience of students, and as a facilitator between classes. We were also nominated as a result of our innovative approach to marketing and recruitment. At Nyenrode we feel that we have so much to offer to students so, instead of attending fairs, we decided to fly the most promising candidates to Nyenrode for a campus weekend. We also held an online worldwide MBA challenge this year for which the first prize was a full-tuition waiver revolving scholarship for the MBA. These are some of the reasons why we have such a great mix in our classes - we have 32 students and 21 nationalities. We put ourselves out there to a worldwide audience. The campus weekend is designed to show potential students what our philosophy is, what our core values of leadership, entrepreneurship and stewardship really mean to us, how we bring them into the programme, and what we expect from potential students. Entrepreneurship is very obvious, and people see it when they come here, but with leadership and stewardship we like to make it clear to potential students that they aren’t just here for themselves. We want them to think about what their role in society is and what their role in the programme will be.

European MBA Review

In this issue we are focussing on MBA innovations. How do you feel that

business schools can continue to add value within, and outside of, their MBA offerings in an increasingly competitive market?

At Nyenrode, we have found a way to weave innovation into the curriculum, and I think that’s key. The danger is that ‘innovation’ becomes a buzz word and you can tag anything and everything with it. This is why we find experiential learning so important in our programme. We really value the academic rigour, and that’s why we are AMBA and EQUIS accredited and have the national accreditation, NVAO. However, we find it just as important to have exposure to industry and for people to bring that back into the classroom. The majority of our professors have good experience in industry, which is very important. It is equally important to share experiences with group members and to discuss the impact of what is going on in the theory; it’s about the full circle. Someone suggested to me recently that we should offer an MBA on sustainability, but I completely disagree. Sustainability is something that should be offered throughout programmes regardless, so why offer it as a separate programme? The same goes for innovation; you want it to come back in finance, in strategy, in marketing, and it should be woven into the programme. If I look at my own teaching on global sourcing, I talk about responsibility within the global value chain, how it develops,

NIJENRODE CASTLE

interviews where business, alumni and faculty are represented, and if we find that a candidate is very strong, we invite them to one of the campus weekends to see how they interact and behave in a group. The application package includes reference letters and essays, and this is brought to the admissions committee.

Application and Programme Selection

What are the basic pre-requisites for application to the Nyenrode EMBA

and IMBA?

We use GMAT and GRE as well as our own test. For us, strong candidates are those with a GMAT of 600 plus. That’s one side of the coin; however, it’s as important to get to know the full picture of somebody who applies. We have

Nyenrode and the Future

What can we expect to see from Nyenrode over the next 12 to 18 months

Location is often part of the decision

in terms of programme innovations?

making process for those considering

We want to strengthen the information innovation course that we run in the EMBA and IMBA and further develop it; the world doesn’t stand still. If we look at the things that we work on with companies such as Vodafone and KLM, it’s so interesting to see how projects develop. We want to capture that for the next generation of students that will come to Nyenrode this September and next year. We will also further develop blended learning and make it more prominent in our programmes to allow students to be linked to the campus and what we are doing here from wherever they are. This facilitates nationalisation of some of the programmes, as well as group work and the interaction between students when they are off campus. We will continue to innovate our marketing activities; we feel that is it our responsibility to continually upgrade as a university, and not just in the curriculum. 

an MBA, particularly in the case of international students. What can potential students expect to enjoy from living and/or studying in Breukelen?

I think this is a good environment to be outside of your comfort zone and to really pursue new avenues. Nyenrode means ‘new roads’ in

It’s intense here, but it’s a safe environment to try out new things for your personal and career development. This is one of the ways that I think we differentiate. how companies and governments can work together to overcome major challenges such as scarcity of resources, so I don’t see the addedvalue in separating it as a topic. Business schools should constantly be changing the curriculum and way of teaching, and this is what we try to do. For some it is easier to create a new programme than to incorporate changes and constantly update.

as a group and how they want to be known at Nyenrode. Defining that and taking a personal approach requires a level of intensity, and that works really well in this environment.

old-Dutch, and I think that really sums up the atmosphere here. The EMBA students stay for two weeks at a time. We feel that it’s important that they are not just here for weekends; if you arrive on a Friday it is likely that you’re still thinking about work, then on Saturday you only have a day-and-a-half before departing. If you come for two weeks then you really have to get out of your comfort zone and let go of the other work and influences. It’s intense here, but it’s a safe environment to try out new things for your personal and career development. This is one of the ways that I think we differentiate. We have a career and personal development journey throughout the course through which we work with individuals on a one-to-one basis. We start off by asking students where they want to go, and we look at how that can be developed during their MBA studies. We also want to know what values the cohorts want to have

BIOGRAPHY ★ Prof. Dr. Désirée M. van Gorp LL.M is Professor of International Business Strategy and Associate Dean of Degree Programmes at Nyenrode Business Universiteit. She is also Director of the International Center for Business and Diplomacy and Programme Director of the International and Executive MBA programme.

Nyenrode Business Universiteit MBA

From Application to Graduation

– The Nyenrode Experience

Alexandra Skinner speaks to Shaoqing Wang, Sarien Koppelman, Loes van Kempen, Rogier Peters, Yoony Kim and Heleen van Hall » Recruitment

e use several activities to get people interested in our programmes, covering both online

and offline marketing. We hold Campus Weekends, which are really our core strategy with the MBAs; we want to to get people

Nyenrode focuses on being connected and on having interactions in some form or another, and so the Campus Weekend provides an in-depth interaction.

on campus so that they can really feel the atmosphere that we have at Nyenrode and experience a little bit of what the MBA is about. The Campus Weekend is primarily designed for the International MBA (IMBA) and prospective international students considering the EMBA, as the nature of these programmes mean that potential students come from around the world. Nyenrode focuses on being connected and on having interactions in some form or another, and so the Campus Weekend provides an in-depth interaction.

We also use another big pillar in the form of an online interaction challenge. Here individuals apply for the challenge by completing several online tasks. We then invite 100 finalists to take part in a five minute online interview

on the same day. This involves speaking to three jury members, and each candidate must pitch themselves to win our scholarship. This has proven to be a very successful recruiting tool. We focus on the personal approach with candidates in addition to the traditional marketing activities that other universities use. At each event that we organise we have current students and alumni present, and that’s really important as we want them to be able to share their experiences with potential applicants. This level of personal attention during the recruitment phase continues once they are here. We tend to have smaller classes than most as we want to know who our students are, and this works well with building our alumni network. PRINCE CLAUS BRIDGE, UTRECHT

Programme managers are present at all of these activities, and when we receive an application we are in close contact with the applicant to make sure that we have all of their necessary documents and to schedule an interview. The role is very advisory, and there are always plenty of questions that we can answer. We connect applicants with students or alumni who may share a similar background or circumstances so that they can gain their perspective. We feel it is important to have this close interaction beforehand so that we know who the individuals are prior to receiving their applications. We call it the ‘at the gate’ recruitment policy; we can advise and assess when we meet potential applicants at marketing events as to whether we feel there is a match between the two, and whether we should encourage them to apply. This is also why we see a relatively low number of applications compared to other schools, because if we don’t see a match, we advise them to consider another form of executive education. The MBA is really as good as the cohort; with a better quality cohort, you will get a better MBA.

Application and Admissions For the IMBA we ask for a minimum of three years work experience in any field, however, applicants do need to have a bachelor’s degree, a GMAT of at least 550 and a TOFEL score of 92 or higher. We also accept GRE, providing it is equivalent to a GMAT score of 550 or more. This may seem slightly low when compared to other universities, but we look at the whole package, not just the GMAT. Applicants must also complete an application form, together with four essays, and provide two letters of recommendation. Essay topics tend to focus on the contribution an applicant can make

European MBA Review

At each event that we organise we have current students and alumni present, and that’s really important as we want them to be able to share stories on their experience with potential applicants.

We also believe that talented individuals, regardless of the field they have come from, are capable of raising their level.

BIOGRAPHIES ★ Shaoqing Wang is IMBA and EMBA Programme Manager. ★ Sarien Koppelman is IMBA and EMBA Programme Co-ordinator. ★ Loes van Kempen is IMBA and EMBA Admissions Officer. ★ Rogier Peters is International Marketer. ★ Yoony Kim is International Marketer. ★ Heleen van Hall is Corporate Relations Manager.

to the cohort, and as an alumnus, post-MBA. We may also ask for a success and failure story, covering what the applicant learnt from those experiences and what they would do differently. In relation to work experience, the reason we don’t place significant emphasis on the industry sector an applicant has come from is because we believe in diversity. We also believe that talented individuals, regardless of the field they have come from, are capable of raising their level. We also have a Nyenrode Admissions Test, which is mainly for the local market. This involves an IQ and an EQ test, tailor-made for Dutch applicants. The test has two parts, the first tests intellect and the second deals with the person, their work style, leadership skills, and personality. We have been using this test for the last 20 years, so it provides a great benchmark.

Return on Investment Firstly, students are here to acquire the basic disciplines, strategy, HR, marketing and so on, so that they understand how business is done. Secondly, they are here for personal development and career management, and this is integrated into the entire programme. So students come here not only to gain knowledge about business administration, but to also understand who they are, what they really want to do and how they can take it forward, postMBA. ROI should be measured according to the student’s level of satisfaction - it’s not just about the academic knowledge they gain, but the overall package that Nyenrode provides.

Alumni Network Our alumni are present in 82 countries, and the business school network has about 15,000 alumni of which 20 per cent are overseas. From the moment that the university was founded in 1946, a network was constructed so that people could stay in touch. Once you have been part of this it gets in your blood, and

you become a ‘Nyenrodian’, so wherever you are in the world you can always call upon the Nyenrodians in your network. Once you have become a Nyenrodian, you always want to give back, and this is what we mean when we refer to stewardship. We have Alumni Chapters that are both regional and industry specific, for example, we have a marketing and communications chapter and a procurement chapter, and they will organise their own gatherings with the support of the Alumni Association. We also have the yearly ‘refreshment day’ which takes place at Nyenrode and is open to everybody. The alumni benefit from a standard discount on any follow-up courses they may wish to do at the University – 10 per cent for all alumni and 15 per cent for those that are part of the Alumni Association. We are also building a new social networking platform which links to LinkedIn and Facebook so that, if you make changes to your profile on these sites, it will automatically update your profile on the school’s alumni networking platform. 

Nyenrode Business Universiteit MBA

THE NYENRODE INTERNATIONAL MBA :

Student Perspectives Georgi Todorov IMBA student 2011-2012, Nyenrode Business Universiteit

am originally from Bulgaria and have had quite a lot of education prior to this; two degrees and a Master’s, all in engineering. I decided to take a sabbatical from work and think about what I wanted to do with my career. I was working in R&D but was keen to augment my business skills. I worked in the US for a few years and I was eager to compliment this with a European view. I started to look for English speaking programmes that could be completed in a year as that fitted in with my plans. I found that the best match for me was the IMBA at Nyenrode. Returning to education required some adjusting. When doing presentations at work you are normally the expert. Here I had to do many presentations on topics that I had just learnt about, which was tough, and unsettling. It puts you outside of your comfort zone, which is good to experience. The programme includes three trips; Brussels in March, Asia in June -you can choose between China and India- and Oregon in the U.S. in July. In Brussels we learnt how the EU works through a combination of lectures and simulations, and meeting lobbyists, associations and government representatives. For the trip to Asia I chose China and we visited Shanghai. This was a great way to ease into the Chinese market. We met with 10 companies, including the Dutch Consulate, and took part in interactive presentations. Prior to each trip we had lectures teaching us about business in those particular locations with guest representatives from the country. The alumni network is very tight and this is something that Nyenrode is known for. There is an unwritten agreement that we help each other, so if you graduate from here you become part of that network, and that opens doors for you. The school identifies stewardship as one of their three core values, and this was something that interested me, particularly coming from a North American market. There is a real connection between business, sustainability and social responsibility, and we had quite a few classes that made these connections. For me, this makes for a unique proposition. Financially, in the short-term, I’m not expecting ROI, but I think that in the long-term the IMBA is the best possible investment of my time. It has enhanced my perception of how businesses run, and moving forward I will be able to pursue a different career path and progress within a corporate hierarchy. I have learnt many new and different disciplines, and I now understand things from a wider point of view. I think that the IMBA will have a very positive impact on my future. 

The programme includes three trips; Brussels in March, Asia in June -you can choose between China and India- and Oregon in the U.S. in July.

European MBA Review

May Sau IMBA student 2011-2012, Nyenrode Business Universiteit

I’m

Canadian, born and raised in Toronto. My work background is in marketing. I have an undergraduate degree in marketing and a minor in business law, graduating in 2005. I’m now 30 and I decided to take an MBA to refresh my skills and build on the theory that I had learnt in university. I knew that a lot of the theory had changed and I wanted to be competitive. I came to Nyenrode because international experience is so important and I only had experience in the Canadian market. A lot of companies are very international, therefore,

Nyenrode flew me to one of their Campus Weekends. During this time I was able to interact with programme management, other interested students, and talk to programme professors, and it just blew me away. in order for me to refresh my skills I felt that a good way to do it would be to see how other international companies and schools operate. The people who come here are international and I wanted to have an international network.

The one-year programme was also vital for me. The programme content is excellent, with several international modules, and the class is a great size, with a maximum of 35 people. As part of the application process, Nyenrode flew me to one of their Campus Weekends. During this time I was able to interact with programme management, other interested students, and talk to programme professors, and it just blew me away. The campus was amazing, everyone was so interesting and I felt that if these were the people that I was going to get to interact with for a year, then this was something that I wanted to be a part of. I applied as soon as I got back. Once they received my application package I had an invite to interview. The interview was with two people and lasted for 45 minutes, and they told me that I would hear within a week. I received the email sooner to say that they would love me to join and I accepted! My experience of the application process was very positive; my expectations were set, I was given timeframes, and I was able to find everything that I needed on the web. I live on campus, and I love campus life. I like that Breukelen is a small town and that outside of campus it’s a small community too. I think that it’s conducive to learning. Living on campus has many benefits, aside from the fact that you are so close to class. I knew when I came here that if I was going to live somewhere for a year, I wanted somewhere that matched my lifestyle in Toronto; I love to run and play football, I enjoy walking outside, and they have all of that here. The grounds are beautiful, we’re surrounded by wildlife and, if I wanted to, I could get to Amsterdam in 30 minutes by train. It really offered everything for me. One of the major programme benefits is the ‘Meet the CEO’ sessions that Desiree organises, which is a great opportunity to meet C-level professionals. They will present to us, but we also prepare presentations for them, and sometimes we go off-site to tour the company and network. I have found this to be invaluable. I strongly recommend Nyenrode to anyone considering an MBA. If you are looking to build a close-knit network, a classroom with an intimate setting, networking that isn’t just within the classroom and campus, and a programme where you can pick the brains of experienced professionals from different countries with different sets of knowledge and experiences, then Nyenrode is the place to come. 

Live, Learn, Lead BBA, MBA, M.Sc., DBA, DEGREE PROGRAMS IN ENGLISH AND IN THE HEART OF PARIS! INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED PROGRAMS

Paris School of Business est un établissement de l’ESGCI (enseignement supérieur technique privé reconnu par l’État)

RANKED AMONGST THE LEADING BUSINESS SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD v Specializations including : International Finance, Marketing, Luxury Brand Management, Artistic & Cultural activities management and many more… v Students from more than 90 countries v An International Faculty v Rolling admissions : Fall, Spring and Summer v International Summer Certificates

psbedu.com

35 avenue Philippe Auguste 75011 Paris - FRANCE +33 1 55 25 69 48 admissions@psbedu.com

European MBA Review

Meet The Dean:

Perspectives On The MBA – Past, Present and Future Alexandra Skinner speaks to Georges Nurdin »

How did you come to work in academia, and at Paris School of Business?

I was approached to head up Paris School of Business (PSB) when I returned to France, a few years ago. The approach from PSB was a good idea, because to teach business, it is important to have practiced business; if you are going to teach surgery, it’s a good idea that you should be a surgeon! I had taught in business schools prior to this, but I’m not a pure academic product, and I don’t regard myself as a scholar, rather as a business person. When I designed the programme at PSB, I did so keeping in mind that the content should really ‘speak’ to companies. I designed the MBA for the best possible fit and how it should be shaped around business; not exclusively, but this is where the inspiration was. When I came to PSB it was to lead the international MBA programme. This has subsequently moved from 8th to the 2nd best in France in three years. I was then offered the opportunity to take on PSB as a group internationally. For me, this was a real challenge, but I looked at it from a managerial perspective and I saw that there was room for an international business school in France. The key for me was to design programmes that make sense, for both companies that will hire graduates, and for the graduates, and this was the starting point.

To move from 8th to 2nd in France, I had to change everything; the programmes changed from being taught in French to offering bilingual courses in French and English. I changed the recruitment criteria moving to more experienced graduates that could play on the international scene like ‘real’ MBAs. I’ve expanded the programme so that it is much more comprehensive than before, increasing the work of the students, and I have changed 60 to 70 per cent of the professors, moving to a balanced mix of academic and business people. This is so important. At PSB, the professor of business law who teaches on the MBA is at the bar in the morning, and then in the afternoon he is at PSB telling students about how to settle international disputes, and he’s not talking theoretically. That’s what really counts.

This is a competitive market, and students are very concerned with what their ROI will be. They must get the best possible return on their investment, and so professors must bring the cutting edge in science to the classroom. This is a competitive market, and students are very concerned with what their ROI will be. They must get the best possible return on their investment, and so professors must bring the cutting edge in science to the classroom; not so much in terms of philosophical science, but what is actually working on the market and what isn’t.

DEAN, PARIS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

What makes you so passionate about education?

First of all, there is an age for everything, there is an age to learn, there is an age to do, and there is an age to teach. I have learnt, I have delivered, and so it was the right time to teach. Secondly, I feel that education is the most important thing for society. Education is the future; there is a direct correlation, within countries, between the amount of money invested in education and the GDP growth and

Paris School of Business MBA

GDP per capita. On an individual basis, if you have €100,000, the best investment that you can make that will be resilient to all crises, is not to buy a Porsche, but to invest in yourself, and in your education. I believe that what you do now is the foundation for what will happen in 30 years. On a personal level, it is also a challenge for me. I like disseminating information and I think that it’s fascinating to think that I may contribute in some small way to shaping the

managers of the future. Education is a neverending story; you will always find something new that you want to bring into teaching.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are words commonly used in a school’s MBA

marketing material. What do these dynamics mean at PSB?

Entrepreneurship will become key to giving a ROI on the MBA, in the forms of creating value. This is done through recruitment. With

entrepreneurs, you are looking at a different profile as you need to have people who are able to examine risks. These people are different, and this is why I don’t rely exclusively on the GMAT. Innovation is either market driven, or is a result of trying to pre-empt what will happen on the market. Personally, I sense that we will be experiencing turnaround at all levels; at a country level, company level and subsidiary level. This is something that we need as we cannot continue as we are. Turnaround

GLASS PYRAMID IN THE COURTYARD OF THE LOUVRE MUSEUM, PARIS

European MBA Review

schemes will be something that I will bring even more into the PSB syllabus; if a company is to hire a young MBA, of course development will be involved, but they need to know how to turn a company around positively, and not just through cutting heads. This is something that you need to have training on. I want to train professionals to decide and act. I feel that these are elements that are missing and are in demand. Professionals must learn what to do with data and how to make decisions. This is where they will have to prove themselves and bring value to the company. Some of our students will be entrepreneurs, but lots of them will be at least ‘anthropreneuers’, and this is where we train them in. AT PSB we have developed a lot of in company projects and

consulting. Here people are developing projects that are centred on problems and improvement. Management is a very special science. If you look back at recent history, you can see where the major innovations have come from, and they have all come from corporations or from consulting practices; the diagnosis matrix, the shell matrix, the directional matrix, the business portfolio matrix, these are just a few examples. This shows that 90 per cent of innovation in business, that has an impact, has either come from companies, or consultants. Not that much has come from academia. I think that we have to be honest about that and maintain that balance. The way that we will bring this into PSB is in how we deliver the business courses; the pedagogy. I think that lectures are a thing of the

past and I also have my reservations with online courses. We’re teaching managerial skills, and I don’t see how they can be taught via a computer. MScs could be online as there is a lot of science involved, but managerial courses should be face-to-face and action oriented; you need to move an analyst into an action person. Another development at PSB is coupling our MBA programmes with a professional certification, and we have teamed up with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). All of our accounting courses are based on the CIMA qualification which means that students have waivers and only have to sit the final exam to gain the full CIMA qualification. This example isn’t an MBA specialising in finance; it is an opportunity to combine

I think we are on the eve of ‘species-isation’, as when Homo Habilis developed into Homo Sapiens.

Paris School of Business MBA

PSB CANTEEN

your MBA qualification with an accounting qualification, which increases employability. We are doing the same for project management, so that students can qualify for the project management professional qualification. These certifications really add value to the MBA.

What do you foresee for the future of the MBA landscape?

Firstly, nothing is invincible. Everything that is happening in the Eurozone now, I wrote, to the letter, in an article in 2004. It was a special issue for the ESCP Europe Magazine’s 100th anniversary, and I agreed to contribute on the basis that I would be free to write as I wished, as they know that I can be a bit provocative. In the article I wrote that Europe is going full steam ahead, much like in the army when you walk at 8km an hour instead of 5km an hour, as a normal human being would do. My question was; for what purpose? To where? I identified two major issues; Europe is fundamentally diverse in its DNA and culture is the dividing line. Unless you address that issue, you’re going nowhere. Secondly, the Euro, per se, is creating more problems than it is resolving. The Euro has a history; it existed through the Latin Monetary Union in 1865 with initially with France, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland, and later Greece and Spain. So, what happened? Greece defaulted, and then so did Italy. So, we do have previous experience of a single monetary unit. For the southern Europeans, it’s more of a cultural than an economic issue, but the deficit is still there. It’s their way of surviving while northern countries are more strict and utilitarian. You cannot forget that dimension. So I am sorry about what’s happening, but I’m not surprised. This leads me to the MBA, which I believe will be under a lot of stress in the coming years. I think we are on the eve of ‘species-isation’, as when Homo Habilis developed into Homo Sapiens. There will be a sort of competition, like when species compete, from the MScs. MScs are a good offering; you can start straight after completing your Bachelor’s degree, with no experience and earn a Master’s in management,

or you can specialise in finance, marketing, human resources and so on. If this was your chosen path, then why do an MBA? You can do a Master’s, go out to work, get a good salary and work your way up the corporate ladder. Why come back when you are 30 and already earning €100,000 a year and do an MBA? So, MScs will become greater competition. There will also be competition at the higher end. There are many professionals in their mid to late thirties who have had a good career and want to make another quantum leap. Why would they choose to study an MBA when everyone else is getting one? This combination would lead to a DBA; I have experience, I have a story to tell, I’m 38, I’ve been in a management position for 10 years, I’m making €200,000 a

I identified two major issues; Europe is fundamentally diverse in its DNA and culture is the dividing line. year and I want to move up to the next level. The only way to single yourself out is to get a DBA. Why go backwards? The D BA presents three avenues; you can develop because you have singled yourself out; you are an expert in my field who has done research and contributed to theory, so now you can teach; or you can consult because you understand the science and can add value to companies. So, what is next for the MBA? I think that the MBAs that survive will be those that go back to basics. An MBA is about management and, generally speaking, the management element has not been developed enough. If I put my corporate hat on again, what do I see? I see MBA graduates that are over-developed in financial skills because the market has been about trading. I don’t believe those days

PSB RECEPTION

are over, but they will never be the same again. As a result we have people doing MBAs who want to take a financial route. However, this isn’t the aim of the MBA; it’s to make managers. Management is about leading people, undertaking projects, making things happen and for the individual to have a rewarding career, both personally and financially.

using radio communication, they are given instructions under changing circumstances and they have to observe, make decisions under stress and act. I have 35 years of work experience, and the crucial decisions that I have had to make have always been at the wrong time. The right company that I wanted to buy, the company that I had always dreamt of buying, was up for sale

The MBAs that survive will be those that go back to basics. An MBA is about management and, generally speaking, the management element has not been developed enough. When I was thinking about the future of MBAs, I came back to what I learnt in the army, which is something called OODA; observe, orient, decide and act. Frankly speaking, in most MBAs is we just do the first two; we observe, through market research and surveys, and we orient which is similar to strategy, for example, looking at the supply chain or the value chain or thinking about diversifying. That’s where we stop. This is a real problem, because the next stage is to decide, and making a decision is one of the hardest things to do. For example, do I invest 30 million, or do I divest? If you are the only one to sign this off, then you are the one who has to make the decision. How do you teach that skill? It’s like in the army; do I move now, or do I stay? I am the officer; I need to decide. Decision making is a skill that we need to bring to the classroom, especially if you equate that to what I said about turnaround during the current troubled times. The last thing is to act, to do, and to make things happen. That’s what an MBA is about. At PSB I teamed up with the French Navy, the Green Berets, and we developed a programme to teach students how to make decisions and to act, taking them out of the classroom and onto the field. Here they complete activities

in the very year that I didn’t have the financial resources to purchase it, and it would have been two years down the road until I could. So, what did I do? I decided that I had to run the risk to raise the capital via any means, as the opportunity wouldn’t come again. This is what I want to bring to the classroom. Those MBAs who understand those elements, on top of ‘observe’ and ‘orient’, will be the ones who make a difference in the market. At PSB we are focusing on the International MBA, which is our all-rounder MBA. However, we also recognise that some industry sectors require a more specialised programme, and so we have an MBA in Luxury & Fashion Management, an MBA in Artistic & Cultural Activities Management, and we are developing an MBA in Hospitality and Tourism. What I don’t believe in, and I am very sincere about this, is MBAs with specialisms by function, such as an MBA in Finance. If you want to specialise in finance, you need to be very focussed, and the best routes for this are in engineering schools, as you have to have strong maths skills, or through completing an MSc in Finance where you have an intense year or two focussing solely on finance and you become a pure player.

Paris School of Business MBA

An ‘MBA in Finance’ is a hybrid; it doesn’t make any sense! I think that the MBAs specialising in finance and other functions will be in decline and will be taken over by MScs. If you want to become a director or CEO, you should do a general all-rounder MBA, but if you want to become a CFO or Financial Controller, you should do an MSc. At PSB we have seen an increase in the number of MSc applicants, a drop in the number of MBA applications but an increase in quality, and an increase in DBA applications. I feel that the DBA is the future and offers an opportunity for someone to differentiate themselves from the market The MBA is on the verge of a new frontier and we will see a narrowing in numbers. The focus for professionals will be more on the return on investment from an MBA. If you think about it, you will graduate from an MBA around the age of 30, and the DBA isn’t really appropriate until you are in your 40s, so you have 10 years to see a return on investment for you MBA. If you are considering consulting, the DBA really makes a difference. We have found that companies such as Euronext, Air France, the OECD, are increasingly sending DBA candidates to us, and I would say that 40 per cent of DBA candidates are sent by organisations. This is a real sign of what the market is looking for.

I get a lot of pleasure and reward from my work. It may be against the mainstream, but I think that working is rewarding. large US multinationals in those days, I was sent first to Europe as CFO of Du Pont Iberica in Barcelona, and then to Du Pont do Brazil, then as European Business Analysis Director at Dumont European Headquarters in Geneva, covering the Agrichemicals and Life sciences Division. My journey with Du Pont de Nemours ended in Paris as Deputy CFO. I left to join General Electric (GE) as CFO Europe for the Semiconductor Division. During this period with GE, under the management of the iconic

region, covering Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia. Here I opened up new startups, from scratch. After this, I become a partner of a consulting firm in Stockholm in charge of developing international business. I did this by creating branches in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina. We also published a book, based on our experience, with two of our clients Scania and Toyota. The book was awarded the “Shingo” prize in the USA.

Our readers would be interested to learn more about your personal back ground;

please can you tell us about what you

PSB CLASSROOM

studied, why and where?

I was born in Nouméa, New Caledonia, South Pacific, and my parents moved to Australia when I was four months old, as my father was a banker. I lived there until I was 14 years old, then we moved around the South Pacific. English wasn’t my first language; my mother was French, but it was my instinctive language and it developed further when I studied at Oxford. My youth consisted of a mix of Australian, French and English education. When it came to the point to go to university, the question was either to study in Australia or back in France. My mother wanted me to go to university in Australia, but my father was more traditional and wanted me to graduate from a grandes écoles. The old-school view was that if you didn’t graduate from a grandes écoles then you were practically ‘illiterate’! So I went to France and graduated ESCP Europe, valedictorian of my class. After my studies I began working. I didn’t begin in academia; I went to the US and worked as a business analyst with Du Pont de Nemours in Texas, moving up to Business Analysis Manger at the headquarters in Wilmington, USA, for the petrochemicals department worldwide. Then, as it was the tradition in

Jack Welsh, I performed the GE/RCA mega merger for Europe and ended up doing an immense number of merger and acquisitions as well as divestments, thus acquiring a deep expertise in international M&A operations from targeting, to valuation, engineering the bids, to executing and integration. I left GE to join Valéo as CFO for the security systems which were operating worldwide, and in less than four years turned around a 150 million loss making global division into the best performing division of Valéo. Subsequently the Valéo share soared by three-fold. I then decided I had enough of finance and wanted to move to CEO positions. I was offered a CEO and Chairman of the Board position at Landis & Gyr/Siemens Building technologies UK. The mission was, again to turn around this subsidiary, which I did, and pushed it to become the number three player in the UK from a number nine position, swinging from losses to a sustained profit zone. Once this project was over I relocated to the headquarters, which at the time were in Zurich. I went there in the capacity of a board member, and I was the director of a large and complicated

Following this I went back to Switzerland and joined a famous Swiss company, Ascom which is a large telecommunications and electronics firm. Here I was an executive board member (the director of strategic project development), and I did a lot of work with acquisitions and the reorganisation of the business. I still maintain professional interests outside of PSB, for lots of reasons. I think it’s dangerous to be purely in academia and to not think about other things. I sit on boards, the IACBE is one, I am also director on a board of a foundation for heart surgery, and I serve on the board of the French Institute of Directors. I also consult with some companies. I get a lot of pleasure and reward from my work. It may be against the mainstream, but I think that working is rewarding. 

BIOGRAPHY ★ Georges Nurdin, M.Sc., MBA, Ph.D, FInstD, is the Dean at Paris School of Business, Paris, France.

Achieving Excellence in France!

fast track to excellence in “ Your global business management

“

Matthew Paul Mc CONNELL, Regional Sales Manager, USA - Class of 2012

International MBA - Full-Time >

10 to 16 months - intake in September

> Triple accredited EQUIS, AACSB & AMBA >

International exposure: participants, faculty, partners, study tours

> Customized phase: finance, marketing, management, entrepreneurship,

luxury >

Preparation for CFA ® Level 1 examination

Focus on Leadership and Career Support Services

45 minutes away from PARIS - 27,000 graduates world-wide

www.rms.fr

SBS Swiss Business School

Alexandra Skinner speaks to Bert Wolfs »

Technology allows us to simulate a classroom environment and direct lecturerstudent communication. Nevertheless no handshake can be replaced by email.

Your MBA programmes adopt an experience-based learning philosophy. Please can you expand further upon your

pedagogical approach?

SBS follows the Work-Applied Learning concept introduced by Prof Selva Abraham. Business Schools normally try to offer this philosophy in their MBA curriculum and teaching approach. We optimise it for practicality. The lecturer serves as facilitator to bring real life into the classroom.

As discussed when we last spoke, social media has become an increasingly important form of communication. Please can you

tell our readers more about your efforts to this end?

We are present on all major social networks such as LinkedIn, XING, Facebook, Twitter and so on. Social media not only serves as a communication base for our students and alumni, but also to engage future potential students in the programmes offered by SBS through sharing success stories and anecdotes via these networks.

SBS continues to evolve, and digital marketing, leadership sessions and career coaching are areas that the school has

begun to place more emphasis on. Why do you feel that these areas are so important to the higher-education market?

The MBA can nowadays be translated into “Master of Brilliant Adaptation”. The constant economic growth in Europe is a thing of the past and will not return again in the next few decades. People have to improve their skills, prepare for career changes, adapt new knowledge and become flexible in a world of high transformation, but they also have to plan their future and decide the range of possible employers or businesses. Our prime goal is the success of our alumni in a highly competitive job market and economic environment.

European MBA Review

of the participants high through personalised communication – via emails, Skype sessions or other means of long-distance interactions between students and lecturers.

Potential applicants will be interested to hear about the SBS Action Learning

Project. Please can you give an overview of what is involved?

This is a real life project for our students. For example, say a company discovers a problem in their warehouse or supply chain management; SBS students will work with the company on this issue as consultants, analyse the problem and present the head of business with a strategy and project plan. It doesn’t stop here, as these students will monitor the problem-solving process that they initiated and evaluate the results. The application on this concept is of vital importance, and we receive extraordinarily positive feedback frYom the companies involved.

The popularity of your Online MBA continues to grow.

(a) What factors do you think are at play here?

First of all, aside from their job workloads, the pressure of a person’s private life (family, sport, and hobbies) is increasing. Furthermore the continuing urbanisation and suburbanisation leads to longer time distances for commuters, and thus a decrease in spare time for professionals to travel to a school for continuing (part-time) education. On the bright side, technology allows us to simulate a classroom environment and direct lecturerstudent communication. Nevertheless no handshake can be replaced by email.

Social media not only serves as a communication base for our students and alumni, but also to engage future potential students in the programmes offered by SBS...

(b) Many business schools have tried, with limited success, to launch an

This year you offered the ‘SBS London Olympics Scholarship’ to one BBA and

Online MBA. Why do you feel that yours has

one MBA student. Are scholarships offered

succeeded where many others have failed?

annually and, if so, what are the criteria?

We don’t say that our Online MBA is better than the ones offered by other schools, but maybe we take a different approach insofar as we have succeeded in keeping the motivation

These scholarship raffles are held on a regular basis for important sport events such as the Olympic Games, the FIFA world cup or the UEFA Euro football cup. Participants must fill out the formal online application seriously and deliver the necessary documentation, as well as pay the application fee to be eligible to participate in the raffle. An MBA was once viewed as a ‘golden ticket’ to promotion and a salary increase. However, the job market has become more demanding, and an MBA is no longer a guarantee of success.

(a) What advice would you give to would-be MBAs who are considering

taking this route for the aforementioned reasons?

There is a new knowledge economy growing in the EU and Switzerland. New theories have to lead to practical advantage. Apart from IQ, the EI (Emotional Intelligence), improved knowledge, skills and attitudes are becoming of higher importance for a future career in the business world. Once again I have to point out that MBA nowadays stands for Master of Brilliant Adaptation.

Swiss Business School MBA

(b) Do you feel that these changing demands could be one explanation for

the increase in interest in DBA programmes?

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) has been unknown to the majority of people on the European continent for many years,

The lecturer serves as facilitator to bring real life into the classroom. but the programme has reached the attention of educators and businesses over the past few years. SBS Swiss Business School has been offering its DBA for 12 years, and therefore was one of the pioneer institutions in Europe. Our DBA students know that with this degree they can differ from others associated within their company, or start/expand their own business.

You have experienced an increase in application numbers for your DBA. To

what would you credit this rise?

As mentioned above, the understanding of the purpose and aim of the DBA, as well as its distinction from MBA and EMBA programmes, has reached a wider range of people in the EU and Switzerland. In addition, specific knowledge, innovation and creativity are highly demanded by our participants as well as the economy in general. These are values that the SBS DBA programme conciliates perfectly, according to our alumni and their employers.

SBS and the Future

What can our readers expect from SBS over the next 12 to 18 months

and beyond?

We will try to expand our geographical range through marketing, actual and new partners, and educational networks and associations. Furthermore we are planning a broader digitalisation of our educational material. Last but not least, we are extending our range of educational programmes by introducing Master of Science programmes in International Business, HR Management, and Marketing. These MSc programmes will have their first intake in fall 2013.

BIOGRAPHY â&#x2DC;&#x2026; Bert Wolfs, Ph.D., MBA, (Harvard GSE) is Professor of Entrepreneurship and the Academic Dean of Swiss Business School, Switzerland.

European MBA Review

Global Innovation Index 2012:

Stronger innovation linkages for global growth Report shows Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore most innovative » The 2012 variables were broadened in an effort to find the right mix which captures innovation as it happens today.” A new measurement in this year’s GII includes the Global Innovation Efficiency Index, showing which countries exhibit innovation despite an environment which may be less than supportive. China, India and the Republic of Moldova are the top three in this category; four of the top ten are lower-middle income countries: Malta, Switzerland, Paraguay, Serbia, Estonia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka.

Divides persist Yet despite this new dynamic of innovation arising from emerging countries, the report also

highlights

persistent

divides

among

countries and between regions: a multi-speed Europe, for example, with innovation leaders in Northern and Western Europe; Eastern Europe LIGHT SHOW AT MARINA BAY SANDS, SINGAPORE

witzerland, Sweden and Singapore are the three most innovative countries in the world, according to the Global

Innovation Index (GII) 2012, a ranking of 141 countries co-produced by INSEAD and the World

Intellectual

Property

Europe that lags in performance.

Welco MBA

The GII measures the degree to which countries and economies integrate innovation into their political business and social spheres.

Organization

(WIPO, a specialised agency of the United

The report also points out a need for the

The findings also emphasise the need to

Nations) published in Geneva on July 3, 2012.

BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and

continue investing in innovation despite the

Currently in its fifth year, the GII measures

China) to invest further in innovation to live

economic recession. “The downward pressure

the degree to which countries and economies

up to their potential. Russia advanced this year

on investment in innovation exerted by the cur-

integrate innovation into their political busi-

in the rankings, while Brazil, China and India

rent crisis must be resisted,” WIPO’s Francis

ness and social spheres. Knowledge partners

dropped – with Brazil suffering the largest fall.

Gurry said. “Otherwise we risk durable dam-

for the GII 2012 are Alcatel-Lucent, Booz &

and Baltic countries catching up, and Southern

Company and the Confederation of Indian

Newly innovative countries

Industry (CII).

But despite results showing the leading inno-

This is the second year running that Swit-

vators tend to be those countries which are

zerland, Sweden and Singapore have been in

wealthier and more developed than most, the

the top three positions. The rest of the top ten

report includes a wide range of countries in

this year are: Finland, the United Kingdom, the

the top 20 as well as strong performance by

Netherlands, Denmark, Hong Kong (China),

emerging countries including Latvia, Malaysia,

Ireland and the United States. Canada dropped

Jordan, Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Vietnam

out of the top ten this year, while the U.S.

and Senegal, plus low-income countries Kenya

fell to tenth position from number seven last

and Zimbabwe.

year, changes which the report attributes to

“The GII seeks to update and improve

cutbacks in spending on, and support of, edu-

the way innovation is measured,” Soumitra

cation and research and development.

Dutta, The Roland Berger Chaired Professor in

“The GII is a timely reminder that policies

Business and Technology at INSEAD, and the

to promote innovation are critical to the debate

founder of the GII, said. “Today’s definitions

on spurring sustainable economic growth,”

must capture an environment which is context-

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said.

driven, problem-focused, and interdisciplinary.

General economi port) • BIOGRAPHY package

age to countries’ productive capabilities. This

is the time for forward-looking policies to lay the foundation for future prosperity.”  Courtesy of INSEAD Knowledge

★ Soumitra Dutta is Professor of Information Systems at INSEAD. He is the Roland Berger Chaired Professor in Business and Technology and the founder and Academic Director of eLab, INSEAD’s centre of excellence for teaching and research of the digital economy.

www.m

Welcome to Germany – MBA at Darmstadt University

Welcome to Germany – Welcome to Germany – ome to Germany – General management programme • situated in the MBA at at Darmstadt University MBA Darmstadt Univers

A at Darmstadt economic hub of GermanyUniversity (20 min to Frankfurt air-

port) • all courses taught in English • special service General management programme • situated in the package for international students General management programme • situa economic hub ofprogramme Germany (20 min to Frankfurt l management • situated inairthe

www.mba.h-da.de port) • all courses taught in English (20 • special service economic hub of Germany min to Fran mic www.mba.h-da.de hub of Germany (20 min to Frankfurt airFOR YOUR CAREER package for international students

• all courses taught in English • sp allport) courses taught in English • special service www.mba.h-da.de www.mba.h-da.de FOR YOUR CAREER e for international students package for international students www.mba.h-da.de www.mba.h-da.de

mba.h-da.de www.mba.h-da.de FOR YOUR CAREER FOR YOUR CAREER

European MBA Review

Taking A Long-Term Approach To Business Alexandra Skinner speaks to Ralf Schellhase » The University of Darmstadt Value Proposition

The University of Darmstadt (h_da) is celebrating its 40th Anniversary

in 2012. What would you say have been the university’s biggest contributions to the business landscape, both locally and

Our mission is to develop competent and responsible business leaders who are capable of meeting the challenges of today’s business environment.

internationally, over the last 40 years?

I think, speaking as a business school, it would be the development of our part-time studies, and this is what we are famed for. We have had part-time studies for more than 10 years, across every level; a Bachelors in International Business Administration, we will start our Master’s in International Administration next year, and we have our MBA programme which has been running for five years.

Please can you outline your MBA value proposition, in terms of student profile

and course format?

Our mission is to develop competent and responsible business leaders who are capable of meeting the challenges of today’s business environment. We focus on competence, of course, but also responsibility, ethics and CSR, which are very important in our programme. Our MBA focuses on a long-term perspective,

and I think that this differentiates us from many other MBA programmes. We have small classes of between ten and 18 students, and that’s very important to us. Our student body is very international. Some already live in Germany but are from other parts of the world, and they come to us because our programme is one of the few in Germany that is taught in English. However, we are also getting more and more students who are coming to Germany specifically for our programme. The fact that it is offered in English, combined with being good value for money, means that we have students who have come from Africa, China, Thailand, Russia and India, to name a few. We only have core modules on the programme; we want to offer a very classical general management MBA. We don’t focus too much on finance, although of course we have a finance module, but instead we centre the programme around strategy, marketing and general management. There seem to be new MBA programmes coming out each week, particularly in Germany. Many of these are specialised. In my opinion these are not real MBAs. Our approach was to develop a real MBA which, for me, is a general management MBA. This differentiates us from many other programmes in the area.

The University of Darmstadt MBA

At h_da, one of the key distinctions of your MBA is your internationally-orientated educational approach.

(a). How do you bring an international perspective into the classroom?

Our programme attracts students from all over the world whom have international backgrounds; approximately 50 per cent of our students are non-Germans. The students bring an international perspective into the class. We want to build this up by actively recruiting students from all over the world over the next two years. Secondly, all of the teachers on the programme are working or doing research in an international field, and conducting consulting projects with international firms. This gives us a rich international perspective. 50 per cent of the teaching staff at the university are professors, and 50 per cent are managers working for international firms. In addition, we hold business trips with our students; in March 2013 we are taking them to China for 11 days, and we have been to the US and Brazil too.

(b). Please can you tell our readers more about your pedagogical approach?

We use a mixture of case-studies and lecturing. Most lessons will be a short lecture followed by a case-study, discussion or group work. The programme takes place on Thursday and Friday evenings and all day on Saturdays. Our programme is a part-time programme, but we do have students who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working. This means that, for those students coming from abroad, there is an option to undertake an internship alongside the programme, and we offer a special service package for students who are interested in this. Darmstadt is located in the Rhein-Main area, which is the economic powerhouse of Germany; it is a financial centre and a major business centre for producing industry. There are many big firms in the area, and we have close partnerships with them. This means that we are able to support those students in finding them internships. We also have a language centre at our university, so students can take the opportunity to learn business English or German.

Our programme attracts students from all over the world whom have international backgrounds; approximately 50 per cent of our students are non-Germans.

European MBA Review

The University of Darmstadt MBA

Shaping the MBA Landscape

With the MBA market becoming increasingly competitive, how do you

continue to differentiate your programme offerings to stay one step ahead of the competition?

We focus on a long-term perspective, on strategy and management. We have what I think we can refer to as a ‘German approach’. German companies are very long-term oriented compared to others; they don’t think in terms of three month periods, but in 20 years periods. There are many SMEs and family owned companies, and though this is not what we focus on, this is our background and our way of thinking.

We are located in the Rhine-Main Area, where many national and international companies have their headquarters. We have small classes, so everybody knows each other and there is a very friendly atmosphere. I know all of my students, they know me, there is very close contact, and many students have my mobile number so that they can call me at any time. We are a university of applied sciences; this means that our professors must have completed a PhD and have five years work experience. This differentiates us from many other universities where you sometimes have professors who have never worked in real life. Our professors really understand business. I think that we offer very good value for money. Our programme costs €16000, including course materials.

In trying to produce effective managers and the business leaders of the future,

ethical, social and environmental concerns have been high on the list of many business schools. To what extent has h_da integrated the aforesaid points into its MBA offering and how important is the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit – to today’s high potential managers?

HUNDERTWASSER HOUSE (THE FOREST SPIRAL) IN DARMSTADT

Our programme was reaccredited last year, and we took that opportunity to develop and new module called business law and ethics. Combining the issues of ethics and CSR with business law makes sense; you have to take the law into account when making business decisions, but you also have ethical elements to consider. We like to come back on these topics and link them into each module. For example, in developing a marketing strategy for another country you have to follow the particular laws of that country, but you also have to think about ethical standards. It’s good to get your

The University of Darmstadt MBA

students to think about circumstances in which they may find themselves being challenged to make ethical decisions.

In this issue we are focussing on MBA innovations. How do you feel that

business schools can continue to add value within, and outside of, their MBA offerings?

I think it’s very important to have an applied perspective and real and practical applications, which can be taught as case studies, but which primarily are brought in by the faculty. This is something that we have as a university of applied sciences; in addition to our professors we have lecturers who come from middle and higher management and bring this experience into the classroom. In addition to this, I feel that with an MBA it is important to have small classes. This is why we will never have more than 20 students. We feel that classroom discussion is very important. Business schools need to move away from a short-term perspective to middle and long-term perspectives. The focus, and this is something that we have learnt over the last few years, shouldn’t be too much on finance, but should be on strategy, management and marketing.

WEDDING TOWER AND RUSSIAN CHAPEL IN THE CITY CENTRE OF DARMSTADT

Application and Programme Selection

What are the basic pre-requisites for application to the h_da MBA?

Applicants should have the TOEFL, an above average GPA and, ideally, some prior knowledge of economics. For those without prior knowledge of economics, we have six preparatory courses which they can take alongside their studies. We ask for a minimum of three years’ experience, but there are some special cases that we will consider.

h_da holds open house days each semester. What can potential

applicants expect from these events?

During open house days interested individuals will receive detailed information about the programme and they are able to meet current students. We feel this is an important element for potential students, as there are always questions that we cannot answer that students will be best placed to do so; questions about workload, managing studying alongside work and family life and so on. We also offer them the opportunity to take part in lectures.

Application processes vary from school to school. Please can you give an

overview of the h_da application process?

Students apply to the department of advanced education, and then our admissions board would have a look at the documents and take

BIOGRAPHY ★ Prof. Dr. Ralf Schellhase is the Academic Director of the MBA Programme and Professor of Marketing at The University of Darmstadt, Germany.

a decision from there. Applicants have to complete a form, the TOEFL and supply a CV detailing their experience.

Location is often a part of the decision making process for those considering an

MBA, particularly in the case of international students. What can potential students expect to enjoy from living and/or studying in Darmstadt?

I think that the main points for students who come from abroad are the strong infrastructure and the close connections to Frankfurt airport, which is just 20 minutes away. Darmstadt is also a good business environment. We are located in the Rhine-Main Area, where many national and international companies have their headquarters. The area is very green, offering plenty of activities for students to enjoy in their free time. We are also close to cities such as Heidelberg which are attractive locations to visit. Students at h_da can use all of the public transport in the area for free, they can also visit the theatre for free, we have a lot of sporting activities that they can take part in, and there is the h_da language school nearby.

H_da and the Future

What can we expect to see from h_da over the next 12 to 18 months?

We recently further developed the programme, just over a year ago, so the current MBA is a ‘new’ programme. We will be moving the classes to a new building, the ‘sky scraper’ from next semester. We also want to promote our programme internationally, which is something that we haven’t done, particularly in China, Russia, India and Eastern Europe, and we will take part in some MBA tours and fairs and recruit locally in these countries. We have lots of partner schools in these countries, and we use these partnerships to arrange student excursions. We will continue to work on that. 

The most popular

MBA program in Poland* * according to Warsaw Voice

MBA www.mba.pou.pl/en

Lemniscaat MBA

For an EMBA to be effective you must teach applied knowledge, not just information from theory.

USP:

Uniquely Specialised Programmes

Alexandra Skinner speaks to Steef Peters »

Your focus at Lemniscaat School of Management (LSM) is on offering students a ‘value-added network’. Please could

you further expand upon this?

There are in fact two directions to this. One is that we don’t have professors that are permanent at Lemniscaat. We want to use professors who have an in-depth knowledge of a specialist area in management. Because of this we are constantly expanding our network. Our students really like this, as it means that they are always being taught by someone new who has knowledge in a specific area, and this creates a lot of value. Students maintain contact with the professors post-programme, and some go on to work with them. By having this kind of set-up students are given a link to an academic area that they didn’t have before. The second direction is from the point of view of the professors. Normally professors of different modules wouldn’t ‘sit’ together. In more traditional MBA environments you would have a lecture, complete a project and sit an exam. However, at LSM professors from HR start to talk to those from technology and economics backgrounds. Because we build up the curriculum around the working environment, the professors have to talk to each other, consult on the areas that have been taught, and find out what is new within a particular area or company. They need to know what the other lecturers have covered, how it was received, what was missing, and how this can be improved within their particular module. All stakeholders are upgrading each other, and are benefiting from it. This is why I refer to it as a value-added network.

European MBA Review

As part of your teaching philosophy, lecturers are brought in as required,

depending upon the demands of the students, the specifics of the subjects, and the expertise of the individual. What advantages does this bring to students?

Because we offer an EMBA we have to have some knowledge of what is happening within companies, and how they are changing. This means that the effectiveness of the teaching is much higher, as students are able to apply their knowledge in their working environment, and start changing that environment. For an EMBA to be effective you must teach applied knowledge, not just information from theory. A master’s isn’t about mathematics or physics and formulas; it’s about being able to make a difference in your workplace.

There has been an increase in the number of one-year MBA programmes

being offered in recent years. Whilst this can offer convenience to students/professionals in terms of the timeframe and costs, many argue that they do not offer the same depth of learning. Where do you stand on this?

A one-year programme works when you have participants who are able to take a sabbatical.

When you look at the amount of work that is required to undertake a typical two-year MBA, you would normally spend 10 to 14 hours a week studying, and when you write your thesis this might increase to 30 to 35 hours a week. If you were to put this into a one-year programme, you wouldn’t be able to do it and work at the same time. In China and Asia one-year programmes are very popular; when students complete their degrees they start working and saving money, and then they can take a year off. Until recently, many MBAs were funded by companies, by parents, or, in some cases, by the government, but now students are having to find their own funding. I think that this will result in an increase in the popularity of the one-year MBA, as professionals will want to take a year out, complete an intense programme, and then return to work.

What would you say are the advantages to completing an EMBA over an MBA?

With the HR EMBA I expect that by the end of the programme the students should be ‘executives’. Not all will become leaders, but I would expect them to be able to stand up, make decisions, and to be able to analyse a

Not everyone who completes an EMBA programme will go on to be a CEO, and organisations need these middle groups of executives.

Lemniscaat MBA

situation in a way that you would expect from an executive. Not everyone who completes an EMBA programme will go on to be a CEO, and organisations need these middle groups of executives who can take these types of decisions. I see a real advantage in an EMBA as compared to an MBA. A pure MBA is very much about completing your modules and knowing how to apply the theory. The EMBA takes things one step further, and is about knowing what is happening around you and being able to take your team to the next level. Our lectures are very much geared around this. The exercises that we do are in small groups. One of them involved asking the groups what they would do if they had to design a university from scratch. One of the groups was very socially-oriented and wanted to offer something very cheap that was designed for excluded groups in the UK and Holland. The other group wanted to go to Dubai and offer a top class, global master’s structure, with full support and electronic platforms at a great expense. Here you see that in product/market combinations, students link social, economic and teaching aspects together. They would then follow this with an analysis and discussion about costeffectiveness and the delivery of the projects. With an EMBA the teaching and support, even after completion, is much more linked to an executive environment. EMBAs are designed for those with experience, who are at the stage where they want to become a high-level manager. LSM offers EMBAs in Cross Media, Healthcare Management, Social Capital and HR Strategy on Service.

(a) Who are these programmes designed for and what are the learning

objectives?

These programmes are designed for those individuals who require answers to complex problems, as opposed to problems where the answers are always the same. They have to look at all sides, analyse and make decisions, and these decisions will quite often involve risk. In the HR EMBA I will be talking to students about social capital and marketing. This means that they should know what these things are, what they mean to them, and why they are important. All four of the EMBAs are based upon the idea that the people who take them, broadly speaking, have been trained as a specialist, but now need to broaden their knowledge and attitude. Often departments within companies don’t talk to each other and operate in isolation. This is often the cause of blocks within organisations. You cannot take the view that your role is simply ‘HR’ and so an IT decision is nothing to do with you. If that is the case, then that’s the reason why you are not an executive.

I want to stay ahead of the competition through my reputation, as this is how we get students. LSM has the reputation of being very intensive and very focussed.

(b) Do you feel that an MBA with a specialisation offers more value than a

more traditional ‘classic’ MBA?

Simply put, yes. I strongly believe in the link between practice and theory. If people cannot ‘do it’, then the theory is of no use. You need to have a specialisation with an EMBA; if you have individuals from IT, HR and marketing backgrounds together, it can become difficult for teachers to find cases that are applicable to everyone, and to which students can really apply their knowledge. When we are running group exercises where we are looking for different answers, we will put people from the different classes together. However, the purpose of these exercises is to work together and communicate, and not so much about how to apply theory.

The MBA market is ever-changing. How do you continue to innovate and

add value to students, inside and outside of the classroom, in order to stay ahead of the competition?

We are living in a changing world, and it is not just the MBA market that is being affected. At LSM we are building up more of a digital environment. For example, we have been asked by Heineken to help with their global academy set up. As you can imagine, this isn’t possible

European MBA Review

You can be confident that you are creating professionals that are equipped to deal with not so much the demands of today, but the demands of the economy tomorrow.

on an entirely face-to-face basis, and we have to use a lot of digital means such as e-learning environments and webinars. We aren’t doing this to stay ahead of the competition – I want to stay ahead of the competition through my reputation, as this is how we get students. LSM has the reputation of being very intensive and very focussed on applying specialised knowledge at a high-level. So yes, students will have to work hard and be willing to spend a lot of time on the programme, but, if they do, they will learn a lot and get great returns as a result. The reason that we use digital content is for effectiveness. It means that I can instruct students to do something in the evening, complete an exercise and learn about a topic prior to the lecture. This is a much more effective way to instruct on an individual basis,

BIOGRAPHY ★ Professor Steef Peters is Academic Director at Lemniscaat School of Management, and Managing Consultant at Conclusion Strategy Consulting. He is also a visiting professor at Henley Business School and the Beijing Institute of Technology.

as when you do it in class you are addressing the group, and this takes away from teaching and interaction time. It is a good form of delivery for class preparation work. There are things that need to be delivered face-to-face for, but if there is an article that I need students to read, then I will send them a PDF that they can download and look at in the evening.

What methods do you use to ensure that you are producing individuals that

are fully-equipped to meet the demands of today’s economy?

One of the reasons why we are offering a ‘white label’ programme is that we have very good contacts with organisations. We are working with Heineken, and we are also delivering our HR Strategy on Service EMBA to a university. These organisations are at completely different ends of the commercial spectrum. As a result, we must have good knowledge and understanding of all of the different types of organisations, and this means having very in-depth discussions with the management teams there. Heineken wanted to give us full autonomy to design the programme, but I advised them that the best way would be to consult and design together. I can create the curriculum, but decisions about delivery and understanding the profiles of the people that will take the class should be a co-creation.

In the case of the university, I speak to them after each module to evaluate it with their management. We discuss how the module went, whether we’re achieving our goals and any changes that might be necessary. Deep contact with organisations is required to deliver a good EMBA. When you do this you can be confident that you are creating professionals that are equipped to deal with not so much the demands of today, but the demands of the economy tomorrow.

What can we expect from LSM, in terms of programme innovations, over the

next 12 to 18 months?

We will have a completely new Health Management EMBA. The reason for this is that the government has introduced a market structure in the Netherlands, and everyone is now required to purchase basic health insurance. As a result we have had a lot of requests from health organisations for a health management MBA. We are doing similar things to programme that we are working on with Heineken with other companies. I am seeing more and more that there is a big market for a white label MBA. Companies want us to offer e-learning and support, not just the programme and the teachers. They want the full service behind the MBA, and for it to be delivered internally and under their name. 

Reims Management School MBA

ATRIUM AT THE REIMS CAMPUS

Ringing In The Changes Alexandra Skinner speaks to Raymond Ouellet » Reims Management School – The Story Continues

Please can you give a brief overview of the Reims Management School (RMS)

MBA value proposition for our readers?

RAYMOND OUELLET, MBA PROGRAMME DIRECTOR AT RMS

The value proposition is grounded with the individual applicants, as they will each have their own reasons for choosing the Reims MBA. What we know, is that people are telling us that because we’re triple accredited; AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB and our price is very competitive, our programme is perceived to offer a lot of value. We have established an early bird special for those who apply early and are entered into the programme. We also have an aggressive scholarship programme, and people respond very positively to that. One of the best decisions that we took around scholarships was to tie one to the GMAT; if someone scores 600 or above, they get the equivalent in thousands of Euros towards their fees (e.g. 600 gets €6000). This encourages many to apply to do the GMAT, and even if they don’t qualify for the scholarship they are still interested in applying. It also says something about the seriousness of the school. The value proposition is also about being in Reims rather than in Paris. We have good links to wine, to champagne and luxury. In addition, we try to innovate from year to year. Last year

we added the European study tour which was combined with a consulting project. This year we are adding a leadership seminar with the military. These are things that seem to be attractive. We are a generalist MBA, and we provide a customisation so that candidates accepted into the programme can do a specialisation in consulting, finance or management strategy, for example. Many of our students tell us that this is what attracted them to RMS.

We want to talk about what you need to do to be a successful manager going forward.

Location is often part of the decision making process for those considering an

MBA. What can potential students expect to enjoy from living and/or studying in Reims?

Reims is a small city, and the great thing is that we’re just 45 minutes from Paris by TGV. The city has a lot of other students; there’s the University of Reims, and Science Po have set up a satellite campus here. There are plenty

European MBA Review

MBA Talking Points

The executive education and MBA markets in France are becoming

increasingly competitive. How do you continue to differentiate your programme offerings in order to stay one step ahead of the competition?

GRADUATION DAY

of restaurants, the cost of living is less than in Paris, and there is plentiful accommodation, so students can get housing that is inexpensive compared to Paris. There is a tramway that provides easy access to the downtown area, there is a cathedral and all of the things that you would expect from the historical centre of France. Being in Reims means being away from the distractions that a big city can provide, but still having everything within easy reach.

New Programme Highlights

You have introduced four new highlights to your programme for 2012.

Please can you expand upon each?

1. A study abroad opportunity at the University of Surrey in the UK. There has been a lot of interest for study abroad options in the UK, and we were very excited about the opportunity to do something with the University of Surrey. Their programme is very similar to ours, in terms of the people and the orientation that it has. We wanted to offer an opportunity for students to study in the UK, primarily because this is what they had expressed. Students can go there once they have completed their core modules to take their electives. 2. A European Study Tour with a focus on consulting. Last year we went to The Hague in Holland. This is a great place to visit for our international students who haven’t had the opportunity to study Europe in any great depth. Holland is an interesting place;

With both the EMBA and the full-time MBA, we differentiate ourselves by looking at the demands of the students coming into the programme. With MBA programmes in the past, the idea of getting a job was pretty straightforward, and you were almost guaranteed job offers before you finished the programme. Today, this is no longer the case, and we have made a conscious effort to offer career services, and to focus on leadership development as well as personal development. On the full-time programme we are focussing a little more on entrepreneurship, but from the point of view of a ‘mind-set’. We want to talk about what you need to do to be a successful manager going forward. Taking courses that you might have done in an MBA

We really want to provide graduates with the opportunity to say “I have an EMBA, and here is what I can do. because of its location, the dykes that they built and their outlook to the sea, many of the Dutch they became voyagers. As a result there are a lot of companies that, as they don’t have a large domestic market, have to think about exports. Visiting companies and contacts there, and discovering how you do business in Holland was really an enriching experience last year. The consulting project is an opportunity for some of our students to apply some of the concepts that they have learnt in the MBA. 3. CFA Level 1 preparation with a Study Tour in New York focused on finance. The CFA programme is a very rigorous financial accounting programme. Not only does it add value for students who are interested in finance, but it also indicates how serious RMS is about finance. This has boosted our reputation in terms of how people look at our programme. 4. A Leadership Seminar on a military base. In the past we offered an elective that involved working with the military over a two and a half week period. This year we decided to take it on ourselves. We now offer a one-week residential leadership course with the Armée de l’Air, the French Air Force, on a military base.

programme five years ago might be helpful, but they don’t necessarily represent what companies are looking for in the types of individuals that they are interested in. We want to make sure that we inspire creativity and innovation in the entrepreneurial mind-set that we have. So, yes, we have a business plan project that allows individuals to become better informed about what it takes to become an entrepreneur, but at the same time we want them to be more creative in their thinking, and more open in terms of how they approach projects and come up with solutions. With the EMBA you are looking at a population where, in the past, everyone who was coming in would have been employed. Now we are finding that more and more EMBA participants that are no longer in work; they have either been made redundant, have resigned, or things have changed and they now find themselves out of work. For them the MBA is something that they need to boost to their careers and improve their profile. We now look at improving participants’ capacity to be more effective in their companies, as well as helping them move onto new roles. We offer 360 degree assessments, and hours of coaching devoted to improving leadership and behaviour skills. We really want to provide graduates with the opportunity to say “I have an EMBA, and here is what I can do”.

Reims Management School MBA

There is an increasing demand for entrepreneurship in the MBA

curriculum. How much emphasis do you place upon this important dynamic?

Within the EMBA, entrepreneurship happens in two places. The first is with the individual business plan, which is an entrepreneurial project. This can either be a project that provides a benefit for the company that the participant is working for, or an idea for a new venture. The second is a course that’s devoted to entrepreneurship; what you need to do, how you need to structure, and the things that are part and parcel of being an entrepreneur. This is done in connection with incubators and organisations. In the full-time MBA we have an entrepreneurial project which is group-based, and an entrepreneurship elective that they can take. We’re not positioned as an entrepreneurial school. We aren’t here to train entrepreneurs, but we have the opportunities in place, the links and the contacts with the appropriate individuals and organisations.

The RMS Application Process

Application processes vary from school to school. Please can you give an

overview of the RMS application process and minimum requirements?

We’re AMBA accredited, so for the EMBA the minimum requirements are an undergraduate degree and five to seven years’ experience, and in the full-time MBA an undergraduate degree and three to five years’ experience. However, in both cases this will vary, and there are occasions where you have a candidate without a bachelor’s degree. There is a provision in AMBA, and it’s something that we agree to wholeheartedly, where someone without a degree can substitute it with work experience.

THE IMPOSING STRUCTURE OF REIMS CATHEDRAL, FRANCE

There are so many excellent candidates with this type of background, and you must recognise the potential in those individuals. We attend MBA fairs, and these are places where people can interact with our recruiters. Application is online and we ask for transcripts

BIOGRAPHY ★ Raymond Ouellet is the MBA Programme Director and Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy Management at Reims Management School.

RMS MBA COHORT

and two letters of recommendation. At interview there are a number of questions that we ask about their background, their strengths and weaknesses, their current roles and the challenges involved the most difficult decision that they had to make, why they have chosen our MBA, how they’ll finance the MBA, and why we should consider them as a candidate.

The Next Step

What can we expect from RMS over the next twelve to eighteen months?

The merger that is going to take place between Reims Management School and Rouen Business School is something that will give us a new school, and a new programme. There are currently a number of meetings taking place in relation to the programmes at both schools. Recommendations will be made by mid-October to the organising committee of both schools and the chamber of commerce. They will then deliberate on finalising what the new entity will look like. We have already tested the water in terms of the relationship, through the Paris Executive Camps. So that’s when we started looking at consolidation. In Paris there is a lot of competition, but there is also a redundancy around the number of schools that are doing the same thing and chasing after a limited number of students. This presents good reasons for us to come together. There will be a reaccreditation, through the one entity. As a bigger school we will have twice as many faculty and publications, and that will make it much easier for us to remain accredited. The merger should be completed in a year’s time; there is plenty to be excited about! 

European MBA Review

Alexandra Skinner speaks to Zuzanna Kalisiak Âť

What characteristics distinguish the Polish Open University (POU) EMBA

offering from others in the Polish market and Eastern Europe?

POU is a unique educational institution recognised for quality, value and flexibility. In a Polish context, it is a rare example of an institution set up with the deliberate goal to remove barriers in education, and to open the minds of students and lecturers interacting with each other in the educational process.

discipline only. Therefore, we provide thorough, comprehensive expertise that brings together all the fields of business activity and all disciplines of knowledge. Another feature of our programme is the transfer of wisdom between the business and academic environments. The experience of business practitioners is as important as the skill of applying the academic knowledge. One of our biggest advantages is the ability to bring those worlds together, and the knowledge of how to manage a constructive dialogue. Our teachers are qualified professionals, not only with respect to their knowledge but also with respect to didactic skills. Providing motivation to students, stimulating commitment and creating an inspiring atmosphere are some of the proven methods to facilitate creative thinking and to implement non-standard solutions. Our teachers are guides and counselors rather than traditional academic lecturers. We use our studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; potential, creativity and experience, as all of them constitute a perfect medium for skills development.

The experience of business practitioners is as important as the skill of applying the academic knowledge. In the learning process, as well as the integrated content, skills such as critical thinking, creativity and strategic perspective are especially appreciated. The Executive MBA (EMBA) programme is designed in a way that reflects business reality, which means interweaving disciplines that cannot be treated separately from one another. Why? It is a well-known fact that challenges faced by top-level managers never concern one

Polish Open University MBA

You note that “in an era of globalisation and the internet, knowledge is readily

available to all”. What are the benefits of studying the POU EMBA over sourcing the learning from available content?

SRODMIESCIE DISTRICT, WARSAW

As mentioned above, the salient features of the graduate’s portfolio (strategic perspective, ability to critically assess and select the right trends and factors, etc.) are tools resulting from the POU didactic methods. These factors enable graduates not only to act in a highly unpredictable business environment, but also to learn and shape the future of companies and society. From our perspective the aim of the MBA programme is to develop skills of problem solving and decision making. New theories, models, research results, personal and data analysing skills are only the means of reaching this aim. The knowledge that students gain during their studies is transformed into individual solutions for individual companies. Students enhance their analytical ability and creativity and develop the potential to design and implement new solutions and, in turn, better guide their companies towards desired goals. The EMBA challenges students to achieve a thorough understanding of all the substantial aspects of a company’s business operation and increases the effectiveness of communication between members of the management staff. It expands intellectual horizons and teaches how to think in a wider context. The students work with examples of both their own and external companies. The varied experience gained in different fields and in different markets inspires students to be open to new ideas and solutions.

You have a close co-operation with Oxford Brookes, and offer EMBA

students and exchange opportunity to the UK. What benefits does this partnership bring to both the students, and to POU?

As a part of our partnership, POU MBA students can study certain modules at Oxford Brookes University (OBU). They can also take part in workshops that are offered to both POU and OBU MBA students. We host annual visits of OBU MBA students during which students from OBU and POU take part in mutual workshops. We organise visits to top Polish companies where OBU and POU students can discuss, with managers, the strategies they implement. As a result our MBA students gain the multicultural perspective, exchange business experience, build international relations and obviously develop communication skills. As a partner of Oxford Brookes University, POU applies the quality control methods and tools of continuous improvement that are consistent with the requirements of the British Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) which scrutinises the level of education in British universities. This system of quality measurement gives our partners in OBU, our students and national and foreign employers the sense of security that our studies and diplomas are of best quality and that our graduates represent the highest European level. One more benefit of the cooperation is the exchange of experience in the choice of content and teaching methods. When we last spoke you were planning to introduce more faculty from different universities in order to ‘internationalise’.

(a) How has this progressed?

Twenty years after the transformation from communist to market economy system, education in Poland requires an entirely different exposure to international, global environment. Our experiences indicate that developing a working relationship with our foreign partners is the right direction.

The knowledge that students gain during their studies is transformed into individual solutions for individual companies.

European MBA Review

Two different examples can be provided: 1. Creating learning platforms that include IT, well-designed and selected workshops, strategic seminars and on-line classes (conducted by teachers and professionals from abroad); 2. A research degree accomplished at Leeds Metropolitan University by one of our teachers. At the moment a further POU lecturer has started PhD studies at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. The co-operation also includes the exchange of didactic staff which allows us to organise seminars and workshops conducted by eminent experts from the partner university.

(b) How else do you bring an international perspective into the

classroom as part of students’ learning experience?

Teaching materials for the classes include current international case studies. We also encourage students to take advantage of the EBSCO and EMERALD international library resources.

POU e-learning is a multi-media and interactive system in which students learn from presentations, videos and dialogue. Students participate in on-line discussion and direct questions to their teacher, just like a real classroom environment. What is more, POU e-learning system meets the necessary academic requirements and standards. We have found that studies using the e-learning system are equivalent to studies carried out in a traditional mode. Students receive the same content and they have to meet the same requirements as far as assignments and examinations are concerned.

Our readers will be interested to further understand the format of your EMBA.

Please could you expand upon the following?

EMBA studies consist of four semesters and are designed to be completed within two years. Our cohorts consist of maximum 25 students. The EMBA programme includes 510 hours of compulsory classes, and features: •

Executive seminars concerning current strategic issues conducted by business practitioners (managers, directors of departments of well-known Polish and international companies, consultants from

Modules incorporate a variety of subject areas relevant to the theme of the module because of the interdependency of most business activities. Poland and from abroad). The seminars

Helped by the LLP Erasmus Programme, both lecturers and students gain valuable multicultural experiences. They participate in a foreign educational environment, acquiring knowledge and tools which they later share with others at POU.

are designed to discuss managerial problems, taking on-board different points of view and often examining international companies as they may relate to the Polish market. Business leaders who carry out the seminars analyse specific business

As a result of more students using

cases and their influence on the strategies

e-learning, one of your focuses has been

implemented in different companies.

on making better use of technology. Please can you expand upon this for our readers?

For many years POU has been developing and implementing professional didactic tools that employ the most up-to-date IT technologies. For the purposes of the MBA studies, a special application for group work has been created. The application meets students’ needs as it allows them to participate in group work from all over the world. It gives students flexibility and helps to organise the students’ group work more efficiently. Other on-line tools assist students in the application and understanding of concepts and key issues. Their utility serves to enhance cooperation with theoretical and practical approaches to economic and business challenges faced during the course of studies.

•

Workshops are carried out within the framework of best practices and meet or exceed standards established by leading universities worldwide. Every module studied introduces the most relevant theoretical knowledge and tools for analysing the actual business problems which businesses face every day. An important element of the workshops is the exchange of experiences and ideas with the other students and POU’s very experienced staff. Whether executing on behalf of a team or leading a team, a collaborative approach is key to many successful endeavours.

Polish Open University MBA

•

Online workshops are led by teachers from Poland and from abroad. Experienced theoreticians and practitioners of management emphasise the important connections within the economy and the influence of different economic occurrences on the business world. The workshops are carried out using the e-Edusystems patent-pending platform and tools that permit real-time, interactive on-line classes. Students can participate in these classes from anywhere in the world. Whether at home, at work or abroad, our students are connected.

•

Group work provides students with the opportunity to initiate themes, subjects and issues that are relevant to their professional activities and are within the context of the module being studied. Group work classes are also often devoted to analysing case studies, and resolving student or POU staff initiated challenges. Practical approaches and searching for alternative directions to meet objectives form the core of POU’s group work methodology.

•

Individual consultations with experts are also available via POU’s e-learning platform.

POU continues a tradition of inviting special guest speakers and lecturers for students. Individuals are selected for their expertise to speak to issues that are of particular relevance and importance. These experts are often well-known in the field and come from Poland and abroad. All elements of the programme are integrated. Modules incorporate a variety of subject areas relevant to the theme of the module because of the interdependency of most business activities. As is true in business, areas of activity are often influenced by other departments and other functions of the business. It is essential that students understand and master this complexity because, first and foremost, POU’s MBA programme is about preparing individuals for roles of leadership. The international component of the programme is also important, in that it provides an opportunity to examine issues from a different perspective, based on different cultural and business values. Today’s businesses increasingly need to compete in a global market, and understanding the international context is one step in that direction. The studies are organised so as not to infringe on the working student’s availability at their company. POU’s EMBA schedule seeks to provide a balance for students; time for work, studying and time needed for personal activities and obligations.

MODERN ARCHITECTURE, DOWNTOWN WARSAW

European MBA Review

Today’s businesses increasingly need to compete in a global market, and understanding the international context is one step in that direction.

Application processes vary from school to school. Please can you give an

overview of the POU application process and minimum requirements?

Our EMBA programme is designed for: ❯ owners of companies and members of management who search for new tools to support them in the strategic decision making and the effectiveness of human resources; ❯ experienced managers of international corporations and medium companies across a range of industries and sectors, who search for a wider perspective of business; ❯ professionals from a wide variety of business fields who would like to enhance their management expertise; ❯ people who manage companies without having any formal education in management (i.e. professionals in other fields such as engineers or medical doctors); ❯ junior managers who wish to dynamically develop their careers. Applicants for the EMBA studies at POU must meet the following requirements:

BIOGRAPHY ★ Dr Zuzanna Kalisiak is Cofounder and Rector of The Polish Open University in Warsaw, Poland.

❯ have at least three years of work experience gained after graduation from higher education studies; ❯ hold at least a BA diploma or an engineering or other professional diploma; ❯ have a good command of English; ❯ have access to data related to the functioning of an institution (company), which enables the student to develop an MBA dissertation and write assignments, as required by specific modules.

What can we expect to see from the Polish Open University over the next 12

to 18 months?

The focus for the next year will be to add more “for business by business” activities. We want to introduce “live case studies” that will enable students to work on real-time projects as experts or consultants. We want to organise more in-company visits as this is perceived by students as extremely engaging and gives a platform for discussions. As we want our programme to meet requirements of employees we plan to introduce a mechanism of employers’ graduate assessment. The feedback will be valuable for both parties: POU and employers. For POU the assessment results will support the process of tailoring the programme to meet market expectations. For employers it will show the value of MBA graduates, and will help to make clear why it is worthwhile to invest in MBA students and graduates. 

DR ZUZANNA KALISIAK

Gulf Markets MBA Review

Fusing Innovation with

Tradition

Alexandra Skinner speaks to Malcolm Richards, Rob Bateman and Narjess Boubakri » The American University of Sharjah – An Introduction

At the American University of Sharjah (AUS) you follow the American model

of education. Please can you expand upon your pedagogical approach for our readers?

NB: Our teaching approach places emphasis on critical thinking and student participation. There is also a heavy emphasis on liberal arts as a model of education, and we have joint education requirements for all disciplines. RB: We try to give students a broad education and depth within their disciplines. We use the liberal arts model, as Narjess indicated, but we also ensure that participants are exposed to other areas as we feel that it gives them a much richer experience, and a much broader way of looking at the world. We teach the

course theory in the classroom, but students also receive case studies and other experiential examples, particularly as they move on to the graduate level. We include business simulation in the MBA and EMBA programmes, as well as in a couple of the undergraduate courses.

RB: We have a new facility on campus where the classrooms are set up in a tiered and curved shape to facilitate case discussions, and to allow the students to see and interact with each other and the professor.

MR: One way that I would categorise what we try to accomplish with the students in the classroom is that we want it to be participatory. We don’t want them to sit there and just listen to the faculty; we want them to exchange ideas, talk to each other, and to have healthy discussion in class. And judging from the response we have received, and continue to receive, from employers and parents, our method of instruction has proved quite successful!

MR: We see education that occurs outside the classroom as very important. We have a wide-range of indoor and outdoor sports facilities available on campus, including a large, multi-purpose sports complex. We also have a multi-purpose student centre and greatly encourage student organisations and co-ops. We want students to interact with each other and develop their personal skills outside of the classroom. We also have a very good university library as well as dining facilities on campus.

What facilities and services are in place for students outside of the classroom?

The American University of Sharjah MBA

The UAE is known throughout the world as the business hub of the Gulf region. As a dynamic emerging economy, it is home to a young and educated population. RB: There are all kinds of extracurricular activities on offer at AUS. We also offer a complete range of advisory and career services for job hunting, internships and placements. The campus is almost a self-contained city; we have everything from fast food outlets and a post office to a pharmacy, a bank, a travel agency and a clinic. Everything that you would need on a day-to-day basis is here on campus.

The UAE is well known for being a multicultural location and a global

business hub. What can students expect to enjoy from living and/or studying in Sharjah and the surrounding area?

NB: The UAE is such a multicultural location, so you are exposed to diverse cultures and backgrounds. At AUS, we have over 80 different nationalities represented on campus. We really emphasise this multicultural dimension and hold a Global Day event each year where there is entertainment, food and dance from different parts of the world. The event is open to the public is attended by thousands of people every year.

take fewer courses that semester. It really allows us to adjust and adapt based on individual circumstances. We look for people with good grades, and our minimum is a three on a four-point scale. We will consider students whose grades are a little bit lower, if they have good work experience, or if they have other factors that would cause us to believe that they would be successful in an MBA programme. It’s sometimes very interesting to see a student come in whose grades are marginal as an undergraduate. We usually ask for a year or two of work experience. Classes tend to be quite small for the required core courses, the average is 15 to 17 students, and in the elective courses, which are more seminar-like, there are around 10 students. We’re 45 per cent male and 55 per cent female, and most of our students are working, so there’s a real mix in the classroom.

The AUS MBA was designed in close co-operation with American University

in Washington DC. Please can you expand upon this partnership and the advantages

RB: Sharjah itself is well known for cultural, historical and architectural elements, and it has preserved a little more of the traditional Arab culture than other areas. On the other hand, we are right next to Dubai and have access to all that it has to offer as well. In that sense, you can really pick and choose the things that you want to get involved in. The UAE is known throughout the world as the business hub of the Gulf region. As a dynamic emerging economy, it is home to a young and educated population. It is a meeting point between the east and the west and its rich multicultural environment is a great asset for any student.

The AUS MBA Value Proposition

You offer both full-time and part-time MBA study options. Please can you give

an overview of the programme?

RB: Our MBA courses run in the evening and we have a mix of full-time and part-time students. Our programme is quite flexible and it allows students to take a heavy or lighter course load depending on whether they’re working, and if they are working, depending on what’s going on at work. For example, if a student has a big project that was on-going for a couple of months, they have the option to

that it brings to the programme?

RB: We started out in co-operation with American University in Washington DC, and early on some of our senior administrators were provided by them. The emphasis was on really getting the quality of the academic programmes right, and we worked very closely with them on the structuring of the MBA. Even now, if we’re looking at a new programme, it’s not unusual for me to stop by American University in Washington, and it helps that I’m an alumnus there! Their president is still on our board of trustees.

Students studying the EMBA have the opportunity to participate in two study

trips abroad. What is the main purpose of these trips, and what activities are planned for students?

RB: We take the EMBA cohort to China and the US to give them a sense of how business is done in different environments, and to enable them to compare different approaches to business. In both locations they meet with business leaders to understand what some of their concerns are. For example, in the US, it’s interesting for students to understand how business and government interact and relate to each other. They get a chance to engage with

Gulf Markets MBA Review

business leaders and build business networks for future opportunities. They also get some time to take part in cultural activities and sightseeing to get a better understanding of the local society. The trips are quite popular, and though they are optional, the prices are built into the programme fee.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and entrepreneurship are words commonly used in a schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

MBA marketing material. What do these dynamics mean at AUS and how do you integrate them into the learning experience?

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want them to sit there and just listen to the faculty; we want them to exchange ideas, talk to each other, and to have healthy discussion in class.

RB: We see innovation and entrepreneurship as almost being, by definition, interdisciplinary. We have very strong engineering, architecture and design schools at AUS, and we try to promote these disciplines across the board. The course on entrepreneurship and innovation is one of the most popular on our MBA programme. Here we team engineering students, design students and MBA students with each other. Each team has to prepare a feasibility study and a business plan for a new service, product or process that will allow them to sell that idea to potential investors. We have a programme that we run at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School where a team of our MBA students works with a team from the Wharton School to undertake a consultancy project for a company. This is done with direction from a faculty member who is an experienced consultant. We also try to be innovative when it comes to our curriculum. Although the EMBA takes a very modular approach, topics are weaved in together throughout the programme. On any given weekend, for example, the EMBAs might have a morning session on the principles of accounting, in the afternoon they might be talking about evaluating new markets, the next morning they could be talking about an aspect of process design, and in the afternoon about a strategy that integrates all of these things together. We teach them principles of entrepreneurship, but the entrepreneurial spirit is already there for a lot of our students. MR: When you look at this part of the world there are a lot of family businesses; some very large, and some into their third or fourth generation. Many of the younger generation that come out of university and return to the family business go back to start up something new and different that they are interested in. So rather than just taking over part of what is already there, they may diversify in some way. I would say that there are probably more people here who are interested in their own company than is typical in other parts of the world where I have lived.

The American University of Sharjah MBA

There are a number of business plan competitions in this area; there is a private equity firm in Dubai that sponsors a competition each year, there are one or two foundations tied to the government that sponsor competitions, and the largest, most prominent locally-owned law firm in Dubai has a programme for which the winning business plan is financed by the company. Our students participate in all of these. Entrepreneurship, the creation of new businesses and the growth of small and medium-sized businesses is important for this part of the world.

In this issue we are focussing on MBA innovations. How do you continue

to add value, both inside and outside the classroom?

MR: I think that people recognise that our graduates are prepared and that they have good analytical and critical thinking skills, and this also helps in attracting students. When international companies come to this part of the world and they ask people where they should go to hire the personnel that they need, they are consistently advised to come to AUS. RB: That’s part of our value; we have very active executive education efforts here where we develop strong ties to some of the best employers in the region who are participating in

developing their people. The advantage that this gives us is that the faculty members that work with them have an idea of what is important to industry, and they can take that back into the classroom and talk to students about what employers are looking for, and what the issues are in that specific industry. We’re very fortunate that we have resident faculty, perhaps the largest in the UAE. Sometimes you have schools flying in faculty – they may be very good in their field, but they don’t necessarily understand the context. Many of our faculty members have both academic and research experience, and also practical experience, either on a consultancy basis or through professional employment in industry. We can bring a lot of value to our students in this way. MR: There have been occasions when we’ve needed someone to teach a particular course and we’ve brought in an adjunct, or someone from the business community, and certainly we like to bring people in from the business community to speak to our classes. However, we insist on having full-time faculty who are invested in their academic careers, developing their abilities to teach and develop their research objectives. We are still a fairly young university, and when the university was established, the Ruler of Sharjah, who provided the physical facility,

Gulf Markets MBA Review

said that part of the role of the university was to actively engage in the community and to reach out to benefit the community. We take that very seriously. NB: We made the MBA programme relevant. That’s our objective. So it needs to continue to update, it needs to continue to work, and it needs to be relevant; relevant to the practice, the industry and the business community. Of course, the relationship works both ways.

have three overlapping layers of accreditation that we go through, and the big push here is constantly on quality. We try to keep costs down without compromising the programme quality, and are very proud of our accreditation status, quality of faculty and extensive ties with the business world.

a chance to interact with them on a regular basis. If there is something that they don’t understand, they can come and sit with the faculty member and get the help that they need. Secondly, I think students should look for a model of education where the emphasis is on critical thinking and that broad view of liberal education. We think that it’s very important to not only have the business skills but to understand how those skills fit into society. Thirdly, a school’s facilities are extremely important. Our business school is not only state-ofthe-art in terms of technology, but also in terms of the support designs for teaching. I think that we’re very fortunate in those three respects.

The market recognises that our graduates are prepared and that they have good analytical and critical thinking skills.

MBA Application

Value for money is an important consideration for potential students

wishing to pursue postgraduate education.

Sadly, not all programmes are created equal; therefore, programme

selection is incredibly important. What do

Given your AACSB accreditation, the quality

potential students need to consider when

of your faculty and the strong links with the

identifying, assessing and selecting an MBA

corporate world that you enjoy, how are you

programme?

able to maintain such competitive pricing?

RB: I would say first of all, it’s the quality of faculty. In addition, access to faculty is very important. Our faculty members all live on campus, so they are available and students have

RB: This is, of course, a challenge. One of the things that I need to underline is that our primary emphasis is on quality education. We

MR: I would also mention that the reputation of the university in the region helps our students; employers know that they can find strong graduates coming out of our programmes, so the opportunities are there in the job market for our students.

The American University of Sharjah MBA

What do you offer in terms of career services for you postgraduate students?

RB: Many of our postgraduate students are already employed, but it’s fair to say that a number of them move on to bigger and better jobs during or upon completion of the programme. We get very good feedback from our graduates on how the MBA and the EMBA have enabled their career progress. We feel pretty good about that. We recently opened a new placement centre. We brought in an individual who is very good in this area and who has spent a lot of time in their professional career in a coaching and mentoring role. The response from employers here in the region has been marvellous. MR: We expect to be a resource to our students as they graduate, but also later on in their careers. So if they see a time where they are looking for new opportunities, we refer them to our placement office. A lot of time and effort in the last two to three years has gone into organising the alumni. The university sees that it is important for us to stay close to our alumni; they are going to be very successful in their careers and we want them to feel good about giving back to the university.

Application processes vary from school to school. Please can you give an

overview of the AUS application process?

RB: There is an application form that needs to be filled out and it’s available online. Students need to take the TOEFL, as we’re required to make sure that they have a certain level of English proficiency. We have our own admission exam for the MBA in lieu of the GMAT as this allows us to evaluate their writing and reading skills. The application is then passed to the graduate committee in the business school. They look at the file and try to assess whether this is somebody who could be successful in the programme and contribute in the classroom. It’s important that someone coming in will not only benefit personally, but also bring something to the programme as well. Typically we interview people if we have any questions, or if there is an applicant who didn’t quite meet our requirements but has something in their file that suggests to us that they can do well in the programme. With the EMBA, all applicants are interviewed. We have three intakes per year in fall, spring and summer. We have an open door policy, so if someone wanted to come in and talk about the MBA or EMBA, they can get in contact and we will make ourselves available. I would say that we accept one in three applications.

AUS and the Future

What can our readers expect from AUS over the next 12 to 18 months and

beyond?

MR: One of the things that we really want to make sure of is that we remain one of, if not the, most highly regarded programmes in the area. We want to be viewed as innovative, we want to be forward-looking, but we also want to maintain our reputation for having the best prepared students in the job market. We’re looking at some new graduate programmes and are awaiting approval for a Master’s of Science in Accounting, which will lead to a programme that allows students to conclude an undergraduate and master’s degree in five years. RB: One of the new things happening in accounting is that the Certified Public Accountant exam is now available in the UAE. It used to be that students had to go to the US and sit the exam, and they needed to have the equivalent of five years of education in order to do so. This is a step that not only allows students to work on a master’s degree, but it also allows them to prepare for professional certification. We are also looking at introducing a master’s degree in finance. In terms of our executive education, at this point we are demand-driven. We have so many new companies coming through the door

asking for executive development programmes that we’re trying to keep up! We do offer some short courses, but right now the bigger demand for us is companies coming to us looking for long-term programmes in leadership development. We feel very fortunate that so many companies continue to approach us. We are looking to offer more executive shortcourses in the future. We are also looking at doctoral programmes. At this stage we are considering whether this should be more of an applied programme such as a DBA, or whether to offer a PhD programme. There is a demand in this area for both kinds of programmes, and I think that you will see something from us on the doctoral level over the next year or two. 

BIOGRAPHIES ★ Dr Malcolm Richards is Dean of the School of Business and Management, American University of Sharjah, UAE. ★ Dr Robert Bateman is Director of Executive & Graduate Programmes, American University of Sharjah, UAE. ★ Dr Narjess Boubakri is Professor of Finance and Interim Department Head, American University of Sharjah, UAE.

Gulf Markets MBA Review

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH:

Student and Alumnus Perspectives Lina Osman, 2006 MBA Graduate, American University of Sharjah.

tudying at AUS has given me the opportunity to meet other students from various backgrounds who have different contacts. The extracurricular activities available on campus encourage interaction among students from different majors, hence improving students’ networking capabilities. Being an AUS graduate has opened many doors for me, locally and internationally. The university, although open only since 1997, has gained a great reputation rapidly thanks to the quality of students who have graduated before me that have made a difference in the market. I can say that AUS has had an impact on my career in several ways: 1. Academically: The quality of professors and teaching at AUS are of a very high standard, and this became very evident to me in the workplace. At AUS you are not only taught theories and concepts, but you are taught how to think, how to apply theories in various ways, and how to build on them. AUS has

broadened my creative thinking and has encouraged my personal development. These are two key assets which give one a competitive advantage in a job and make one more valuable to an employer. 2. Culturally: AUS has always been known for its student and faculty diversity. Our annual Global Day is but a resemblance of this diversity. AUS has shown me the differences in cultures and backgrounds and has taught me how to capitalise on them and appreciate them. In our world today, no workplace exists which does not promote diversity and which does not, in fact, take advantage of it. 3. Socially: I took part in most of the extracurricular activities at AUS. From the business student committee and student council to the cultural clubs and volleyball team, I got the best out of my four years at AUS. I met some of the brightest and most interesting people who became my closest friends and everlasting contacts for me wherever I may go in the world.

Abdallah Shunnar, BSc Business Administration 2012, American University of Sharjah.

iving and studying in Sharjah is definitely a unique experience in all aspects. It’s rich in the sense that it offers exposure to diverse cultures and people. AUS offers an American teaching system at the heart of an oriental campus with Islamic architecture. It’s very safe, very wellserviced and close to all sorts of entertainment to make your university experience memorable. I think its value proposition lies in its ability to combine the best of all worlds. Students are directly exposed to all aspects of the UAE, which is the hub of the Middle East. To me, the UAE is the financial hub of the region; all of the global financial institutions have offices in the UAE. This has allowed me to establish my network of people early on. Dubai is also one of the hubs of construction and media. At AUS you don’t ever feel disconnected from the world. The UAE is a very lively place and all your friends are likely to love visiting you here. At AUS the teaching system is robust; professors are from diverse backgrounds and this adds a richer learning experience and cultural awareness. If you have hunger for knowledge, AUS will feed your hunger. I found the application process to be pretty

straightforward. If the candidate has the right profile, the admissions office will act quickly and co-ordinate all of the arrangements to make joining AUS as smooth as possible. Applications are available online along with all of the needed information. Due to its solid graduates, AUS has been able to achieve an excellent reputation among employers across all industries. At the school of business we have an internship office that is responsible for internship placements. This office plays a very important role in match-making between students and employers, which ultimately results in dual satisfaction and enforces the excellent perception of AUS graduates. The office also handles feedback from both students and employers in order to make improvements. Because of this, AUS understands what employers look for and carefully nominates the students that have a high probability of filling the position. The office of development and alumni affairs operates at the university level and helps graduating students find full-time placements, and it also co-ordinates with the internship office. The school is also very keen on attracting employers for campus recruitment events. I would say that this is

In my opinion, my qualification was highly perceived by various employers. The reason I say this is that, although fresh graduates normally find themselves struggling to find jobs straight out of university, most of my batch of graduates, including myself, had jobs lined up before we had even sat our finals. Many of us had more than one offer and were deciding on preferable career paths. I think that speaks volumes in terms of how an AUS qualification is perceived by employers. In my case, I met the promoters of the graduate programme at Standard Chartered Bank through the annual career fair organised by AUS on campus. In fact, I met most potential employers through this career fair. AUS has set the grounds and has covered all the bases to provide students with the very best, not only in education, but also in experience. I had some of the best times at AUS and I do not feel I have had enough. AUS is an excellent educational institution - the more effort you put in, the more you will get out of it. The sky’s the limit.

Lina Osman Associate Director, Structured Trade Finance & Financing Solutions – Africa and Europe, Standard Chartered Bank.

an area where AUS needs to improve. Although many top multinational firms attend, there are many others who could join the list, especially banks. The level of interaction between students and professors varies from one professor to another. In general, the class size at AUS is much smaller than universities in Europe and the US. This gives both students and professors a chance to have a rich communication. Personally, I have had a very high level of interaction with my professors in the classroom, and this has motivated me to perform better. It also helps in better understanding the material. Professors are also available during office hours to provide any support needed. Professors at AUS generally come from excellent backgrounds and adopt globally recognised study material, mostly similar to US universities. AUS is fully equipped with all the resources that a student needs to excel. The AUS value proposition lies in its diversity, its location at the hub of the Middle East (UAE), and excellent studying resources which all work together to provide a memorable university experience. If this is what you look for, I believe that AUS is an excellent option.

Abdallah Shunnar BSc Business Administration 2012, American University of Sharjah.

Top-Ranked MBA in the GCC * Top-Ranked MBA in the GCC

At American University of Sharjah (AUS), commitment to excellence is an integral part of our

At American University of among Sharjah the (AUS), commitment excellence is integral part of our vision. Recently ranked world's top 500to universities byan the London-based vision. RecentlySymonds ranked among the world's top 500 most universities byuniversity the London-based Quacquarelli (QS), one of the world's trusted rankings, AUS is Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), one of the world's most trusted university rankings, AUS is of higher proud to have built a reputation as one of the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most dynamic centers proud to have built a reputation as one of the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most dynamic centers of higher education and research. education and research.

Nested in a beautiful campus environment covering 1,200sqm, AUS is known for its

Nested in a beautiful campus environment covering 1,200sqm, AUS is known for its state-of-the-art facilities, premier library, and a highly qualified and experienced faculty. Our state-of-the-art facilities, premier library, and a highly qualified and experienced faculty. Our multicultural, self-sufficient campus environment is geared towards providing our students multicultural, self-sufficient campus environment is geared towards providing our students with an unmatched university experience. with an unmatched university experience.

Internationally and nationally accredited, Master of Business Administration Internationally and nationally accredited, the the Master of Business Administration (MBA),(MBA), Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and the Bachelor of Science in Business Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degrees offered by our School of Business and Management are also Administration (BSBA) degrees offered by our School of Business and Management are also accreditedbybythe the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

*The program was ranked firstfirst in the GCCGCC and and second in theinMENA region, according to a study *TheAUS AUSMBA MBA program was ranked in the second the MENA region, according to a study published Forbes Middle East. publishedbyby Forbes Middle East.

www.aus.edu/mba

Gulf Markets MBA Review

The Key to Success: Quality, Expertise and Employability Alexandra Skinner speaks to Dr Aymen Kayal » King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals – An Introduction

The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) was established

almost 50 years ago. What would you say have been the university’s biggest contributions to both the domestic and international markets over this period?

KFUPM is located in the city of Dhahran, the heart of the oil and petrochemical industries of Saudi Arabia, with strategic and physical ties to Saudi Aramco (one of the largest oil companies in the world). We are considered to be one of the top universities in the Middle East. Our undergraduate and graduate programmes are all accredited by major international accreditation bodies. Since its inception, the university has made significant and distinctive contributions to the development of Saudi Arabia, elevating it to new heights of creativity. We are very successful in supplying highly qualified graduates who have assumed challenging job responsibilities in engineering, ICT, and management in local and international organisations. Our graduates are well known for their competencies and discipline. We graduate students with the relevant knowledge, skills, and leadership potential to make them the most sought after by employers in the region.

The KFUPM EMBA/MBA Value Proposition Our value proposition is an EMBA programme conducted locally with quality academic standards comparable to the best international universities. The College of Industrial Management (CIM) at KFUPM offers two MBA programmes; an evening MBA and an Executive MBA (EMBA). Both programmes were designed to accommodate the schedule of the working professional. The programmes use English as the language of instruction, and both programmes are accredited by the AACSB and the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education. The

programmes are open to both Saudi and nonSaudi students who live and work in KSA. The evening MBA programme is mostly populated (90 per cent) with part-time students who come to classes after finishing their work. This programme is one of the most populated Master’s programmes at KFUPM, and was established in 1975. Many of the students are engineers from Saudi Aramco, who are situated next door. However, some take the time to drive from Jubail Industrial City to attend classes. Few of the students in this programme enroll as full-time students. The programme takes three years to complete. The EMBA was established in 2001 and takes two years to complete. The EMBA programme at KFUPM offers a Master’s of Business Administration degree conducted locally, with quality standards that are comparable to the better international universities. The EMBA programme offers a unique learning opportunity for mid-career and senior level executives who wish to enhance their business knowledge and effectiveness whilst remaining actively involved in their business and professional careers.

Our graduates are well known for their competencies and discipline. We graduate students with the relevant knowledge, skills, and leadership potential to make them the most sought after by employers in the region.

KFUPM MBA

Please can you provide us with an overview of your EMBA programme in

terms of;

Class size: With the EMBA programme we intentionally maintain a small classroom environment, and throughout its existence we have never enrolled more than 20 participants in a class. This offers the participants a dynamic, interactive learning environment. Participants in the EMBA learn not only from the faculty and books, but also from each other. We believe that this type of learning environment is best facilitated in a small size class. Entry requirements: We are very selective

when it comes to admission to the EMBA, and we only accept 15-20 participants each year. The main entry requirements are a Baccalaureate degree from a recognised university and eight years of work experience, including three years in a mid or upper level managerial position. We are looking

for seasoned professionals who are highly motivated, dedicated, ambitious, and can contribute to the class discussions. Programme highlights: The EMBA programme

at KFUPM equips high-potential managers with the skills necessary to succeed at the highest levels of management. The programme is held in five star hotels, and not all of the classes are conducted in our hometown of Dhahran; some of the classes are held in Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain, Dubai and Singapore. Furthermore, the programme organises an international academic trip to South Korea once a year.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional is particularly interested in finding out more

about who their potential classmates will be. Please can you expand upon the typical cohort composition for the EMBA, in particular; work backgrounds, age, nationalities and positions held?

This cohort programme groups together professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, coming from different regions in Saudi to share a unique learning experience. This diversity is essential for the learning process; diverse people have different perspectives, consequently creating richer class discussions and team work. During the admission period and interviews we pay special attention to having the correct mixture of students in the class, and to having students from both private and public sectors. The private sector representation typically includes banking, manufacturing, ITC, real estate development, petrochemicals, utilities, oil and gas, education and training, medical, and business consultation. Students that come from the public sectors are typically from ministries, municipalities, and regulatory authorities. As with many MBAs around the world, engineers make up a large percentage of the student body. I think that an engineering background coupled

Gulf Markets MBA Review

with an MBA provides a winning combination. Participants’ ages have always ranged between 35-45 years old. They all hold middle to upper management positions in their companies, and some have their own businesses. We also notice that many start businesses after graduating from the programme. Because of its highly advanced energy and petrochemical industries, Saudi is fortunate to have a large number of foreign professionals, and we always have expats in both the EMBA and MBA programmes. The nationalities represented in our EMBA programme are mainly Middle Eastern, Asian, and African. This is helped by the fact that the language of the programme is English.

The quality of one’s faculty continues to be high on the list of considerations

for potential students. With this in mind, please can you tell us more about the profile of your faculty?

At KFUPM we are always very selective with faculty. KFUPM was ranked number 221 in the QS University Rankings in 2011. We also secured four QS stars in that same ranking. The AACSB accredits all of our business education programmes, and ABET accredits all of our engineering programs. I mention this international recognition to indicate that we are comparable to the better universities at an international level. The quality of our faculty body in CIM is comparable to any AACSB accredited business school in North America or Europe.

EMBA students have the opportunity to

(a). What is the main purpose of this trip, and what activities are planned for students?

We started organising international academic trips for the EMBA programme three years ago. These trips are designed to enhance the participants’ global perspective, and to provide a better experiential learning experience in the field of international business and cross-cultural management. Last year the trip was jointly organised by CIM and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Business School (KAIST) in South Korea, who have the top MBA programme in Korea. The trip programme was four days long and included business lectures at KAIST, as well as visits to a number of South Korean companies such as Samsung, LG, GM Korea, and STX. The trip also included lectures from a number of officials from the private and public sectors in South Korea. The trips are very beneficial and the students gain a lot from the insights they glean from local businesses, the economy, and the people. With the help of Saudi ARAMCO and the Saudi Cultural Attaché in Korea, we managed to secure sponsors for the students. Samsung Engineering paid for all the students’ tickets, and STX Corporation paid for the students’ hotel accommodation in Seoul.

CIM Faculty Profile

Faculty

participate in an international academic trip.

ACCT

FIN

ECON

MGT

MIS

MKT

OM/OR

LAW

Total

Saudis

42.50%

Professorial

82.50%

Faculty by Nationality

13 No. Faculty

12 11

7 6

100

ACCT

FIN

ECON

MGT

MIS

MKT OM/OR LAW

5 3

Saudi Egypt England Australia Canada India

3 1

Yemen

Singapore

USA Lebanon Algeria Sudan Tunisia Jordan Ghana Nigeria Pakistan Malaysia

Bangladesh

KFUPM MBA

10 25 20

(b). Previous destinations have included

Singapore and South Korea. Which

destinations will students visit in 2012 and 2013?

We are repeating next trip MGT with KAIST in ACCT FIN ourECON MIS Korea, but we would also like to include Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the National University of Singapore in our future destinations. These universities signed academic co-operation agreements with KFUPM and we would like to take advantage of this.

MKT OM/OR LAW

5 0

20 Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and entrepreneurship are

Faculty

words commonly used in a schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Saudi Egypt England Australia Canada India Bangladesh USA Lebanon

MBA marketing material. What do these dynamics mean at KFUPM and how do you

integrate them into the learning experience?

You know, innovation requires creativity and creativity requires being able to think independently and outside the box. We strive to insert critical thinking and analytical abilities into each participant. This is not an easy job, 42.5% but our faculty is very experienced and knows Saudis how to bring out the best from students. We integrate these aspects into the classroom lectures and projects. For example, many of the course assignments engage

Faculty: % Professorial

Non-Saudis Saudis

35 30 25 20

KINGDOM TOWER, RIYADH

non

ACCT

FIN

ECON

MGT

MIS

10 The quality of our faculty body in CIM is comparable to any AACSB accredited business 5 school in North America or Europe.

MKT OM/OR LAW Professoral

82.5% Professorial

Saudi Egypt England Australia Canada India Bangladesh USA Lebanon

Faculty: % Saudis Non-Saudis Saudis

42.5% Saudis

non

101

Gulf Markets MBA Review

Innovation requires creativity and creativity requires being able to think independently and outside the box. We strive to insert critical thinking and analytical abilities into each participant.

students in developing business plans for new innovative products and services, whilst other assignments ask students to come up with innovative ways to undertake existing functions in their current organisations. Another approach we take is to invite guest speakers into the classroom for short lectures. This is done through what we call the “Learning from Leaders” series of lecture sessions. Many of the leaders we invite are well-known local entrepreneurs.

In this issue we are focusing on MBA innovations. How do you feel that

business schools can continue to add value, both inside and outside the classroom?

I believe that MBA and EMBA programmes need to continually innovate to increase the value they offer to students, employers, and the business community. Below are some of the things needed to stay innovative:

1. Continued revision of programmes: this is essential to stay current. 2. Develop a theme for the programmes (i.e. leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, or globalisation). 3. Use of new innovative teaching techniques. These tools are being continually developed and are used to assist faculty. You can now use online simulation cases that engage students and provide experiential learning that can be actually measured by the faculty. Publishers are now offering electronic textbooks which can be customised according to faculty requirements. 4. Increasing the co-operation between business schools in joint MBA programmes so that students experience the best from each school, thus maximising value for money.

Outside of the classroom business schools need to continue engaging their MBA graduates. They can be invited to attend new courses, free

BIOGRAPHY ★ Dr Aymen Kayal is Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs and Associate Professor of Engineering Management at the College of Industrial Management, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

102

KFUPM MBA

of charge, that were not in their degree plan. They should also be frequently invited back to share experiences and lessons learned with current students. The most important thing is to integrate ethics and integrity into each student, as this is something that the business community needs more of.

MBA Application

KFUPM and the Future

What can our readers expect from KFUPM, in terms of program

Application processes vary from school

innovations, over the next 12 to 18 months

to school. Please can you provide an

and beyond?

overview of the KFUPM application process?

At KFUPM, the entire admission process is conducted online though our portal. However, the EMBA and supply chain management programmes are treated differently. The EMBA programme needs this flexibility because its admission deadlines are longer than other graduate programmes at KFUPM. Furthermore, each applicant has to go through a personal interview with the EMBA committee. Our admission is from January to May each year, and we open admissions just once a year. The process starts with the applicant submitting an application form along with other supporting documents. Initial screening is conducted to check the eligibility of the applicant. After the application documents are completed, the application is entered into the portal system by the staff and an interview is organised with the EMBA admission committee. The recommendations of the committee are then entered into the system for final processing by the Deanship of Graduate Studies at KFUPM who issues the admission letter.

applicants that have not earned their degrees from an English speaking university. We don’t ask for GMAT.

We are preparing and reorganising ourselves for a major upgrading of our university and college. We have made long-term and shortterm strategic plans that will insure successful progression towards our goals. In CIM we have strengthened our undergraduate and graduate programmes, and are planning many new initiatives, including a PhD degree in management.

In 2013 we will be introducing the revised EMBA curriculum; the new curriculum has been carefully designed to give the next generation of innovative executives and entrepreneurs’ real-world practice, strategic leadership, and analytical skills. The revised programme includes management courses such as corporate governance, ethics, and negotiations. We are also planning to introduce executive education courses, and are looking into co-operation arrangements with leading global business schools through which we can exchange faculty and students. 

AL MASMAK FORT IN THE RIYADH CITY, SAUDI ARABIA

How much weight do you place on GPA, GMAT and TOEFL scores?

With the EMBA programme we place a lot of weight on GPA, work experience, and the quality of the academic institution that the last degree was earned from. If work experience is less than eight years (three of which should be at managerial level) a higher GPA should compensate for it. We do ask for TOEFL from

103

List of Contributors

List of Contributors A

L AACSB AMBA

Lemniscaat School of Management

N Nyenrode Business Universiteit

American University of Sharjah

R EFMD

Reims Management School

P Florida International University

Paris School of Business

Fordham University Graduate School of Business

Polish Open University

Porto Business School Hochschule Darmstadt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; University of Applied Sciences

SBS Swiss Business School

U INSEAD

J Jacksonville University â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Davis College of Business

K Kent State University King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

104

University of Zurich

INVEST WISELY ... INVEST IN YOURSELF

increase your career potential More than 20 percent of our 2012 graduating class received a promotion while stil in the program

“Less than 5 percent of the world’s 13,000 business programs have earned the highest standard in business education – AACSB Accreditation” – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

the executive mba program at kent state university

• Convenient online and on-site Saturday classes. • Accelerated 19-month program, designed for busy working professionals. • Accredited by the AACSB, the highest business school accreditation level possible. • The program has been offered for 34 consecutive years. • Taught by highly qualified and experienced graduate faculty.

www.kentemba.info

College of Business Administration

Kent State University, Kent State and KSU are registered trademarks and may not be used without permission. Kent State University is committed to attaining excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body and workforce. 12-1098

Their MBA: Earn one promotion

The JU MBA: A lifetime of promotions Accelerated (Daytime) MBA • Flexible MBA • Executive MBA

Davis College of Business JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY

www.ju.edu/mba

To find out more, email Dr. Julius Demps at jdemps@ju.edu.