Posts Tagged ‘Short Exchange#8217;

This post was written by Guilherme Takamine – a student from Fundação Getulio Vargas, who attended IE’s Short Exchange Program: Doing Business in Spain.

In January 2013, a group of students from EBAPE/FGV’s Executive Masters in Business Administration, of which I am a part, had the opportunity to understand a bit about Spain, its culture and business environment. Within IE Business School and with the help of its experts, “Doing Business in Spain” was an enriching course, that added value to my personal life, as well as my academic and professional career.

The classes covered important points in terms of executive training. We were able to walk around and see historical landmarks of Madrid, visit some of Spain’s most important companies and even got to see live Flamenco music. It was very impressive to be able to understand a bit of the Iberian culture, its origins and the way business is done in that part of the world.

During classes it was inevitable that questions were raised on what it is like to conduct business during the current financial crisis. To hear from IE’s specialists and from people who live in Madrid, the different points of view were extremely valuable for our training. Brazil and its executives have much to learn from Spain and its remarkable drive to overcome the various challenges posed by these difficult times.

Another point of great importance during our trip which is worth noting was the contact with the School itself. IE is a place where you can “smell” entrepreneurship. To be able to see Area 31 and its incubators, as well as the school’s teaching method, provided to us FGV students an insight into how well entrepreneurship can be taught if an adequate space is provided.

Last, but not least, the trip gave us an opportunity to meet incredible people, from various parts of the world. In a nutshell, the program was of great value to us, as it gave us a chance to rub shoulders with great minds, students and alumni who, just like us, seek to develop their knowledge within the area of administration.

The knowledge and education acquired during this period in Spain was excellent. I do hope I’ll be able to go back and stay a while longer to seek answers to some of the questions that remained back in Madrid.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

My name is Adriana Garcia Pujol and I am from Barcelona. I have a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and I also have a Degree in Law. Currently, I am an International Full time MBA candidate at IE. I have almost four years of marketing experience in the FMCG industry, where I have worked for two of the top leading companies.

Why did you participate on the short exchange?

I participated in the short exchange at Nanyang University to become familiar with important aspects of Singaporean culture and society for a better understanding of how to do business in South-East Asia. I liked it very much because I had the opportunity to share different points of views and discuss a variety of topics with some of the top Asian MBA professors.

What did you do?

I balanced both academic and leisure activities: exploring Singapore and a Welcome lunch at Nanyang Business School,  introduction class about South-East Asian Culture, Campus Tour and Company Visit to Exxon Mobile, discussion about the Asian Business Environment, visit to Caterpillar, lectures about the future Business Environments in Asia and the Asian Business Communication and Negotiation.

Tell us about Nanyang University and what the lectures were like

Nanyang Business School offered us global economic perspectives with a focus in Asia. We had highly qualified professors and were placed in a really international campus. Considered as one of the Top 4 Asia Business Schools, it is situated in Asia’s most livable city and world’s 3rd best: Singapore.

Why you would recommend it to other students?

I would strongly recommend it to other students because it gives you a unique opportunity to participate in many activities that introduces you to the business reality in South-East Asia.

To read about IE’s exchange options please click here.

IE Business School’s International MBA allows students to customize their MBA experience during the Elective period, known as IMBA+.

Amongst the many options students are offered is the opportunity to spend an intensive week at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Shanghai as part of a Short Exchange. During this time, students will learn about China and its unique business practices through the module “Doing Business in China.” They will also have time to network and explore China’s commercial and financial capital.

Cheung Kong is the first and, at the moment, only private business school in the whole of China and has fast become one of the Asian leaders in business education.

Please click here to read a recent article published in Expansion y Empleo about Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. (article in Spanish)

Bettina Suanno, International MBA Candidate 2011, writes about her experience during the Short Exchange in Singapore.

As part of my MBA electives I took a class that simply changed the way I think about South East Asia. The course was named “Doing business in South East Asia”, but it was really a lot more than that.

The whole experience was incredible, beginning with the fact that it took place in Singapore, along with other 27 students who traveled to that amazing place and stayed there for one week. The first day we did a city tour and visited different locations including the Marina Barrage, an impressive dam constructed to provide water to the city and to control floods. We also went to the Flyer and the Asian Civilisations Museum who was really fascinating.   

After the touristic view of the city we received remarkable lectures in the astonishing Nanyang Technological University of Singapore during the week. We had excellent professors from Nanyang giving us all the information about the historical and political overview of South East Asia, religion & culture of the region, Asian business environment, leadership, management and working styles in Asia. We had a final lecture about Asian Business communication and Negotiation styles.

In order to have a better scope of the business environment, we also visited companies located in Singapore such as DHL, Cysco System and the Jay Gee Melwani Group (retail sector). I have to admit that DHL was my favorite; it was simply amazing to see one of the hubs of this company operating.

I am from Latin America; I really wanted to visit and get to know Asia because of its emerging giant economies. I had the opportunity not only to see it in a business perspective, but also to live it and understand it through incredible lectures and experiences as part of my MBA program. I have a passion for traveling, but this experience was beyond traveling; it was about really understanding how and why South East Asia is leading the world.

Check out the more pictures by clicking here!

Sergey Gorbatov, International MBA Candidate 2011, writes about his experience during the Short Exchange in South Africa. 

Africa has always attracted the world by its untamed natural beauty, majestic wild animals and abundance of local indigenous cultures. We, however, went to that continent with quite a distinct mission: learn how to do business in Africa. A group of 20 MBA students went for one-week exchange program with Wits Business School in Johannesburg on February 28th – March 3rd. It was the first academic exchange between the schools, so expectations were high but we were wondering what was in store for us there once we arrive to South Africa.

The week surpassed all expectations. The intensive program put together by the MBA team at Wits combined both academic and cultural elements. We got a chance to learn more about the urban, social and political setup of South Africa, as well as gain valuable insights into marketing, financial, strategic and organizational aspects of businesses in various countries on the African continent. Two company visits, to Vodafone and Standard Bank, gave us an opportunity to engage directly with senior managers of two large international businesses, who shared with us the challenges that their companies are facing, as well as some personal stories about living in South Africa.

Thanks to some flexibility in the program, we were also able to explore more of the country: many students went to Cape Town to enjoy the beaches, wineries and vibrant night life; safari did not leave anyone indifferent; and the Apartheid Museum left a lasting impression in the hearts of many of my fellow MBAs.

As part of the elective offering (IMBA+) at IE Business School, the International MBA program offers its students an opportunity to partake in a Short Exchange program with a partner institution abroad.   In October 2010, 30 students from the November 2009 intake traveled to Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Shanghai to complete a one week Short Exchange Program. 

The agenda for this intensive week featured a combination of lectures on Doing Business in China, networking events, company visits and cultural immersion activities.  The students had the privilege of listening to academic/professional experts speak on various business topics such as marketing, negotiation, and the governance structure of publicly listed companies in China.  Throughout the week, FOSUN Group, Nokia Siemens Networks and Shanghai Volkswagen Automative Company, welcomed students at their impressive facilities.  These renowned firms shared insights into their business models and exposed students to their business operations through interactive discussions with management, facility tours and multimedia presentations. 

As an added perk, the visit to China coincided with the World Expo providing the perfect opportunity to witness this incredible international event firsthand.  The students spent an entire afternoon touring the Expo and visiting a diverse line-up of pavilions: Spain, USA, Qatar, Morocco, Brazil, and China.  Most importantly, the students were able to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture by tasting the cuisine, meeting new people, shopping at the local markets and taking in the spectacular views of the Bund amongst other tourist attractions.  IE Business School would like to extend a warm thank you to all the individuals that made this Short Exchange an unforgettable experience for our students.