Geneva Business School has a number of international accreditations, recognized degrees and provides Swiss-quality business education. Its campuses are in Geneva, Barcelona, and Madrid by offering Bachelor’s, Master’s, MBA, IEMBA, DBA and diverse continued education options. Geneva Business School also offers postgraduate programs online.
Today we are focusing on the International Executive MBA (IEMBA) at Geneva Business School which is a new format of MBA that allows you to choose what, when, and where you study. The IEMBA is fully taught online with two weeks per semester on one of the school’s campuses for Leadership Development.
Study IEMBA at Geneva Business School (Interview)
We spoke with Damien Bezançon, Executive Academic Dean at Geneva Business School, Geneva Campus and we share with you our conversation.
Why study the specific IEMBA? What about the business projects and the soft skills acquired? What’s the background of the current class, the career prospects for graduates and applications’ tips for prospective students? Find the replies below.
What is the most important reason to choose the IEMBA at Geneva Business School?
The International Executive MBA we offer at Geneva Business School alternates between intensive moments of study in groups (2 weeks per semester) and periods of personal mentoring. That way, our students acquire real depth in the skills and knowledge they acquire and can apply directly to their personal projects with the guidance of their mentors. The progression of our program ensures a smooth integration of these various moments, which creates a stimulating environment for students to progress on the road to solving the business question they chose. That is for me the most important reason to choose our International Executive MBA.
Do you carry out any business projects? Can you give us some more information about it?
Business projects are at the heart of the program. When applying, students are asked to present the business problem they want to solve during their International Executive MBA. They are admitted based on the quality of this proposal. Also, their mentor is selected from our group of more than two hundred faculty members based on the expertise required for the specifications of their project. The interactions with the mentor are aimed at progressing towards solving the business problem chosen by the student. For this, our online hub gathers a wealth of curated resources and data whose purpose is to structure projects from scope definition to eventual solutions. The online hub is the backbone of students’ progress in that it frames the relationship with the mentor.
For leaders, it is not only about knowledge but also about soft skills. Will students acquire any soft skills during the course?
As a professional ascends the hierarchical ladder, possessing soft skills becomes increasingly important. Because we fully recognize this, half of the eight courses our students take are dedicated to those skills, applied to real business situations. In the first two semesters of the program, students participate in a total of four Leadership Development Weeks. Every week is built around acquiring a hard skill and a soft skill. Since our teachers are all active professionals who possess years of experience in the field they teach, the way they approach these soft skills is very pragmatic and applied. Students have to work on various real-life assignments and case studies during which they actively practice their soft skills. Some blocks during the Leadership Development Weeks are also dedicated to innovative pedagogics, often based on serious games. During these blocks, students are faced with challenges they can meet by practising their soft skills. These moments are also very useful to network with fellow students!
What is the background of current students and alumni?
Our students come from very diverse horizons. We have over to 80 different nationalities across our three main campuses (Geneva, Barcelona, and Madrid) as well as in our online programs. Our cultural diversity is hard to match! From rising executives through to successful serial entrepreneurs all the way to medical doctors, the profile of our students is also very diverse. What unites them is a will to become responsible leaders and contribute positively to tomorrow’s business life. Some of our alumni hold prominent positions in United Nations organizations, others created their business(es) and overall, a great number of them are on the fast track to the top, whatever sector they are working in.
What are the career prospects after graduation?
There is not a single path after graduation. Since our students come from very diverse backgrounds, each and every one of them will pursue her/his own path afterwards. However, after graduation, our students possess a better understanding of business mechanisms, a deeper set of leadership skills, and a greater ability to exercise responsibilities. Besides, networking with fellow students and teachers, who are active professionals, generally produces new, sometimes unexpected opportunities.
Do you have any application tips and suggestions for prospective students?
I would suggest prospective students think broadly and creatively about what they could create or improve wherever they are today. There are always things to change, innovations to develop and these opportunities, whenever well-identified and thoroughly studied, can form the basis of great personal projects to work on during an International Executive MBA at Geneva Business School.
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