Archive for August/2008

By Rafael Pampillón published in IDEAS, IE Business School alumni magazine

After Vietnam, India is the world economy that will enjoy the highest growth, with a forecasted yearly average growth rate of 8.5%.

Almost everyone agrees that the country in the starring role during the first half of the 21st century is China. But no one has any doubt that the second half of the 21st century will also feature India as a protagonist. The largest populations in the world â?? for some years now both countries have been implementing reforms enabling change of their economic model, from high-intervention to market economies. These reforms have consisted of ambitious economic policy strategies that have meant greater internal deregulation, and opening to the exterior, that have produced high economic growth rates. This growth process has been accompanied by reductions in poverty levels in both China and India, although, unfortunately, social and regional inequality has increased. All this means that the governments of both countries continue to prioritize the adoption of measures for maintaining or even increasing economic growth, to raise the populationâ??s level of per capita income, and to generate a higher level of wellbeing to allow sustainable development.Economic structure
As a consequence of the economic reforms, Indiaâ??s productive structure has undergone notable changes over the last 15 years. Transformations in the production system led the services sector in 2006 to generate 55% of the GDP, industry 27%, and agriculture 18% (see table 1). Services use 27% of the working population, and also represent the sector with the highest growth rate. In the Services sector as a whole, special mention must be made of the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector which is expanding in a sustained manner and growing at a yearly rate of 25%. The success of the ICT sector in India has had a significant impact on the countryâ??s economic productivity. The arrival of the digital age, and the new workforce with a high level of education and the ability to speak English, has gradually transformed the country into an important destination for international companies looking for technological support. Read more…

IE University has reinvented university education with its new degree in architecture, one of the international universityâ??s flagship programmes for the academic year 2008-2009. The new degree is run in English and Spanish and will combine online and onsite training with internships whereby students can gain work experience in other countries and learn languages. The new degree programme comprise forward looking course content and comply with the requirements of the Bologna process, which is set to align the European university map by 2010. IE University will be competing with leading international universities, with a student body set to comprise 80% international students in two yearsâ?? time.

The new degree in architecture is poised to make its mark on the international arena of architectural design, providing a new platform for creativity in the field of architecture where design and innovation meet management.
The IE School of Architecture has a markedly international focus, and has partnered with leading institutions that include the prestigious Architecture Association in London (UK), Evtek Institute of Art and Design in Finland, Politécnico de Milán and Bauhaus Universität de Dessau in Germany, to further enrich the studentsâ?? learning experience. We are interviewing the Dean, Javier Quintana:

What are the key differentiating features of the BA and MA in Architecture?
The BA and MA in Architecture combine excellence and design, innovation in terms of method and content, and a management toolkit for creative teams in the field of architecture. From an international and applied perspective, the programme brings the opportunity to address leading edge issues with a professional mindset and latest generation management tools. We want to train architects who will run architecture studios, not work for someone else.

The programme is highly flexible in that it is designed to serve as a continuation of programmes in similar leading international education centres. It combines the basic professional accreditation requirements not only for Spain but also for the rest of Europe and the U.S. Apart from learning about business organization and management (the IE module), we include specific workshops where we integrate knowledge across architectonic disciplines (projects, structures, installations, etc.) and also those related to the world of architecture (photography, software, etc.).

Finally, and through an ambitious internship programme and online methodology, students will have access to a relevant professional experience that will enable them to be extremely competitive from the moment they finish their degree.

What is the profile of an IE School of Architecture student?
We seek designers and players in the changing field of architecture, enthusiasts that live and breathe creation, and who have entrepreneurial spirit and a capacity to lead the change needed in this profession. They are young people who have a vocation for architecture and want to use it as a tool to bring about change. We are also looking for citizens of the world who want an academic experience that requires a global mentality. People who see their training as an international experience that they can use to acquire perspective. And, of course, we are looking for those with an acute awareness of the richness of architecture, and who see it as a place where technique meets culture. These humanists of the future will use their education to assume responsibility.

How long will it last? And will you offer postgraduate learning?
The degree in architecture will be a five year course which can be reduced to four years for students who opt to do an internship in international firms. With regard to postgraduate possibilities, IE School of Architecture offers titles that include the MDWS (Master in Design of Work Space), the MBA (Master in Business and Architecture) or the MNA (Master in Architectural Narrative).

If you wish to learn more about the BA & MA in Architecture, please visit the IE School of Architecture.

Ferran Adrià is featured in the current edition of the IDEAS magazine, the IE Business School Alumni Magazine. Read this interesting interview with the considered to be best chef running the considered to be best restaurant in the world, in Spain!

Today, he has become a living legend of the gastronomic universe. His proposition? Demonstrate that cooking is the best expression of intelligence and creativity.

There is a clear connection between Ferran Adriàâ??s work and the various artistic and philosophical trends of the 20th century, from surrealism to the new critique of the theoretical movement of deconstruction… His gift can be compared with that of other Spaniards, such as the painters Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, or the film director Luis Buñuel.â? These have been the arguments put forward by the Scottish University of Aberdeen to award Ferran Adrià the title of doctor honoris causa in Humanities â??for his contribution to contemporary thoughtâ?. The comparison Aberdeen made between Adrià and artists who have stood out -but until recently of minor importance as far as the Spanish public is concerned- is surprising at the very least. It would appear that eccentricity is more recognized than excellence, as if both qualities were incompatible and the â??fusionâ? never happened.The son of a plasterer, he preferred not to do a degree in business and launched himself on the adventure of finding summer work in restaurants and tapas bars on the Spanish coast. However, destiny had already outlined his name in capital letters. During his military service in the Navy in Cartagena, he decided to accept a friendâ??s proposal to start work as the kitchen hand in elBulli, a restaurant already of known prestige of which, interestingly, he had not heard until that moment. The restaurant was located in Cala Montjoi, 6 km from Roses (Gerona).

Today, elBulli has three Michelin stars, opens only seven months a year, and offers almost zero possibility for booking a table. All thanks to the genius of this masterchef, a simple man of few words, but owner of a brain that is constantly simmering. Read more…

Gary Delaney is current student of IEâ??s Global MBA program and talks about his impressions of the program. Gary is involved in technical security and risk management being an SME in architecture, incident management, forensics and security strategy. He worked in financial institutions and security consultancies in Ireland, UK and Australia and is currently employed at National Australia Bank in Sydney. Gary owns a BSc (Hons) Economics and  Graduate Diploma in Business and holds several professional qualifications including CISSP and SANS.

Q: Gary, why did you choose the Global MBA at IE Business School instead of a local part-time program in Australia? Where is for you the value added to do it with IE?
A: I chose the GMBA for a number of reasons: (1) the ranking and reputation of the business school is far higher than the two major Australian institutions. (2) I felt that IE and the Global MBA would have a more international focus than these institutions. (3) The online delivery allowed me to manage my time more efficiently. The prescribed 18 month completion time frame made the programme more attractive than the more flexible Australian offerings.

Q: How is the learning experience?
A: The learning experience is very good. The interaction with fellow students is excellent through the various technologies available to us including the Online Campus, Skype, Messenger etc. The experience on a course by course basis is very much a function of the level of participation of the professor. When the professor is highly active in the forum I find the level of knowledge acquisition to be at its highest.
Additionally, I would categorise the course as intense with a big commitment in terms of time and effort. I would suggest that the quality of learning is highly dependent on how well the student engages with the programme.

Q: Can you network online?
A: Yes, surprisingly effectively using ieCommunities, Facebook, Skype and email. It is not a substitute for face to face discussions but it does allow you to establish effective relationships.

Q: How does your employer value this program?
A: My employer is probably neutral on the program. They have provided some financial support but they perhaps struggle to identify how the MBA can be practically applied within the business unit that I work. It is my job to show them how

Thank you very much, Gary, for your contributions!

The IE Global MBA is considered one of the best distance learning programs in the world (Economist Intelligence Unit, January 2007) and runs as an online program during 16 months with the full MBA syllabus and a strong focus on Entrepreneurship. If you wish to learn more about the program, please visit the Global MBA website.

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The Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes extended an official membership invitation to IE’s School of Arts and Humanities. The Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI) serves as a site for the discussion of issues germane to the fostering of cross-disciplinary activity and as a network for the circulation of information and the sharing of resources. It has a membership of over one hundred and fifty centers and institutes that are remarkably diverse in size and scope and are located in the United States, Australia, Canada, Finland, Taiwan, Ireland, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and other countries. CHCI is an affiliate member with the American Council of Learned Societies.

CHCI includes such prestigious members as the Stanford Humanities Center (Stanford University), the Franke Institute for the Humanities (University of Chicago), the Whitney Humanities Center (Yale University), the Humanities Center in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Harvard University), The Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (University of Cambridge) and The Camargo Foundation (The Jerome Foundation).

The Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, Arantza de Areilza emphasized that “IE´s School of Arts and Humanities is very pleased to be part of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes, an organization that shares our interest in the development of international collaboration among the world leading Humanities centers and institutions for the improvement of Humanities education models, research projects and faculty development”.

IE’s School of Arts and Humanities, which was officially launched on April 10th 2008, applies IE’s values of innovation, global vision and entrepreneurship to the endlessly rich field of arts and humanities. Its mission outlines how its education and values not only resonate with the most sophisticated current visions of education, but how it will also make IE a key future player in the field of arts and humanities. IE´s School of Arts and Humanities is based on the culture of innovation, as well as on the humanistic values of independence, tolerance, respect for diversity and ethics, and the promotion of the civic values that call upon us to respect and work with our equals, care for the environment and work towards improving society as a whole. The school’s basic pillars are the freedom of inquiry, and the freedom of expression, and these fundamental tenets are underpinned by a culture of academic integrity, ethical conduct and civil debate. This development reflects not only the pioneering and international aspects of the School’s mission, but also the interest of international community to take part in it.

If you wish to learn more about the programs IE School of Arts & Humanities has to offer, please visit their home.