01/11/2024
Become the Next Best You with hands-on learning at IE Business School.
One thing often surprises us about the International MBA—the nervousness surrounding our Global Immersion Month. IE Business School is famous for its hands-on approach to learning, and the adventure of our Global Immersion Month typifies our teaching methodology.
Are you at the tipping point before the plunge? We’re going to offer another reason to study our International MBA by explaining our groundbreaking Global Immersion Month. It’s what makes our course one the best MBA programs in Europe.
Good MBA programs in Europe utilize their location to push your cultural perspective
We know the idea of your typical MBA. Business administration, leadership classes, case study analysis. All necessary, but they’re firmly inside your comfort zone. According to our good friend Lao Tzu, “a scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be a scholar.” Yes, an entire month out of practical study is daunting. But that’s exactly why it builds character.
Global Immersion Month is a period of self-discovery which will catapult your professional development. You’ll explore different cities and a series of unique, immersive classes. It’s necessary to participate on-location—you’ll meet academic experts and enjoy insights on the local business landscape. That really opens the door to international recruitment opportunities. Yes, it’s an optional part to the program which we include in the second term of your studies. But there’s no doubting its benefits.
Embark on a curated academic journey that helps to define the right direction for you.
Is it intense? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. According to one of our most recent participants of the Global Immersion Month in St. Gallen, “This has been a very transformative experience, I’ve been able to take home the connections I have formed, the cultural experience and the immersion that we are experiencing is something I’m going to take home with me.”
We believe IE Business School’s philosophy has formed one of the best MBA programs in Europe and the world
We firmly believe that lasting change comes from pushing yourself beyond your known capabilities. To become the Next Best You, you must raise your expectation for yourself. When you rise to the challenge—that’s when the magic happens.
Our Global Immersion Month is perfectly suited to International MBA candidates that reflect our four core values: diversity, innovation, humanities and entrepreneurship. And just like we’re looking for individuals who comply with these pillars, we base all of our approaches to education on the same principles.
Education at IE creates game-changing moments that transform who you are personally and professionally.
You may think focused study in the library is more beneficial in the long run. We don’t. Our goal is to shape an internationally minded cohort of students. For your best self to flourish, it’s essential you’re put in uncomfortable situations outside of the classroom. There’s simply no room for innovation inside the comfort zone.
Our last Global Immersion Month in St. Gallen
For the last year’s Global Immersion Month, we took International MBA students to St. Gallen of Switzerland. Switzerland is home to a truly dynamic set of industries; the Swiss economy grew by 1.9% on average in the lead up to 2022, with its real GDP growth being 2.7% in the same year. It’s a place where business opportunities and culture are available in equal measures. That’s what made it the perfect escape.
On the business side of things, our International MBA students enjoyed a range of academic activities and workshops, including a talk on Swiss banking and finance landscapes, trading room sessions and company visits to the Roche and Novartis headquarters. We also enjoyed insights into the Swiss luxury sector. A highlight of the month was a workshop on how to communicate effectively, where students honed their presentation skills with stage-acting techniques.
The International MBA is for connection builders seeking to engage with peers, industry experts and international companies.
For pleasure, we enjoyed tours of the Abbey Library, sessions on cheesemaking and a boat trip past attractions including the world-famous chocolate factory at Kilchberg. We finalized the month with “teambuilding” military resistance training camp. Business? Pleasure? Neither really!
The scope of an MBA in Europe: our Global Immersion Month in St. Gallen
We’re now looking forward to our Global Immersion Month in Porto, which is critical for evaluating students’ learning and enhancing their overall International MBA experience. They’ll forge a close-knit community, expand their network and embrace diverse experiences.
From creative thinking to alliance building and data-driven decision-making, this program will give you what you need to become a high-impact business professional.
The trip will force our current International MBA cohort to deepen their understanding of local business dynamics in Portugal; the Portuguese industry is considered a global benchmark in certain industries, with attractive tax incentives forming profitable businesses in the international market.
The month will include panel sessions on fashion and textile and talks from companies like Neashoring, UPTEC and Swordhealth. Students will enjoy the picturesque sights of Porto along with networking lunches and other activities, including a visit to the Sogrape Wine Academy. The month will finalize with individual and group assessments, in which students will demonstrate strategies for adaptability, resilience and leadership.
Take the plunge and enroll in the International MBA at IE Business School
Feeling better informed? We’re always on hand to answer any questions from prospective students. Buying into the IE Business School ethos is a leap of faith—but we work tirelessly to ensure it’s in the right direction.
Ready to become the Next Best You on the International MBA? Get in touch.
