Archive for January/2012

IE Business School’s International MBA program is No. 3 in Europe and No. 8 worldwide according to the latest Financial Times ranking of MBA programs. The result of this latest ranking further consolidates IE Business School’s International MBA as the best in Spain.

This year 87% of IE Business School’s International MBA is made up of international students from 76 countries, making the School’s student body one of the most diverse in the wold. The School continues to strengthen its commitment to a global environment with programs like the IE Brown Executive MBA, an innovative blend of management and humanities run jointly with Brown University. Launched last year, the IE Brown Executive MBA is geared to directors with more than 10 years of experience in management, combining IE’s strength in the field of business management with the recognition of Ivy League member Brown University as an international leader in humanistic, social and scientific disciplines. The English-taught program comprises online sessions with 5 residential periods held in Madrid and Providence (US).

The Financial Times ranking comprises 21 categories that refer to both the institution and alumni. They include data like the international outreach of each school and its programs, the extent to which expectations are met, the weighted salaries of alumni three years after graduation, the percentage of women faculty and students, the percentage of international professors and professors with a PhD, and levels of research.

For the upcoming academic year 2012-13, IE University launches the Bachelor in International Relations.  This 4-year degree is a hands-on, practical and comprehensive program that prepares students for a career in the international public and private sectors, guaranteed by the expertise and know-how of IE School of Arts and Humanities, a member of the exclusive Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA). IE has been running a Master in International Relations for the past 5 years.

Have a look at the video to learn more about the program.

Studying a BA in Psychology might seem irrelevant to the job market nowadays. Business, Engineering, Law or even International Relations look, especially to parents, to be a more promising option. Learn from the Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Science, Prof. Dr. Lee Newman, why this impression is not quite right and how beneficial and exciting a psychology related career can be.

This week the IE expanded its official alumni network by another chapter in Melbourne, Australia. With a continuously growing group with currently about 15 members, Jason Andrew, EMBA 2011, took the lead and will be president of this chapter. For the start the gatherings will happen every 3 months. To connect with Alumni in the Melbourne area and in the rest of Australia, please visit the group on LinkedIn.

The Master in Advanced Finance class 2012 has already started! This year the class welcomes students from 13 countries of 5 continents, with an average age of 29, ranging from 24 to 36 years old, 23% women, and an average full time working experience of 5 years. The countries represented are: Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, India,  Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, USA.

19% of these students are CFA level II or level III holders, 42% of them have worked overseas and 31% studied their undergraduate degrees overseas before IE. 15% of the class are Dual Degree students (International MBA and Master in Advanced Finance).

The students started the course with two days of orientation where they attended several World Awareness Seminars, followed by official classes of the first semester.

If you wish to get more information on the Master in Advanced Finance, please join our events or visit the program website.

The Bachelor in Business Administration will comprise two sections run in Madrid and Segovia as from the 2012-2013 academic year.

IE University’s Bachelor in Business Administration will have a section based in Madrid for the coming 2012-2013 academic year in addition to that of Segovia. The Madrid-based option is the latest addition to IE University’s business administration programs, which to date have been run exclusively at the University’s Segovia campus. Both sections will offer a degree program with a markedly international slant and a special focus on entrepreneurship, with the same faculty, program content, and extracurricular activities.

The launch of this new section marks a new development phase for IE University designed to offer new options to students. IE University students can now opt for the Madrid-based campus situated in the city’s financial district, or the historic Segovia campus housed in the Santa Cruz la Real convent built in the 12^thcentury, with 1,100 students from 75 countries.

The Bachelor in Business Administration, recently accredited by international management education accrediting agency AACSB, will be run in both English and Spanish in both Madrid and Segovia. It is an officially recognized degree program with 200 students from 52 countries who receive a solid education oriented to doing business in a global arena.

The differentiating feature of the program is that it combines management education with a solid grounding in humanistic values in an international environment. Students undertake highly diverse activities such as the Social Impact Project internship program, whereby they work with NGOs and Spanish and international institutions on innovative projects focused on social development in different areas of the world.

“IE University’s commitment to a dual campus will benefit future students by providing broader educational options,” said Salvador Carmona, Rector of IE University.

In the summer of 2011, sixteen MBA students from IE Business School travelled to South Africa to take part in a 7 week life-changing experience. As fellows of the Leadership Development Program of the Emzingo group they worked on consulting projects for local NGOs.

The other day we met with Tarun to talk about his first impressions on his new life at IE University. He started the BBA program in September 2011 and met with classmates from over 70 different countries. Tarun graduated with his IB Diploma from the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) in Singapore.

What attracted you to come to IE University?
I have always wanted to study business or economics for my career and was on the lookout for exceptional universities in this area. IE University’s exceptional and innovative style of education was what drew me so strongly towards it. Its methodology and emphasis on practical knowledge through experience sets it apart from the other universities.

Tell us a little about your first impressions after your first semester studying the BBA and about the diversity on campus.
At first, I was under the impression that if I didn’t brush up my Spanish skills, I would find it difficult to adjust here. However, my experience here proved otherwise, especially due to the warm and friendly nature of the students here. Due to the extreme diversity, I have had first hand experience with people from all walks of life and have managed to build relationships regardless of borders and regions. If globalization is the ultimate goal of the world, IE University is probably Utopia already.

What is the thing you find most exciting about life at IE University so far, any difference with your country?
The most exciting difference is the abundance of opportunity that IE provides. While people would support freedom to pursue my own dreams in any part of the world, IE takes it a step further with the inclusion of the advisor, who does whatever they can to help you achieve what you want, and give direction and shape to your dreams. At IE, one can aspire to be anything, and the university will do its best, on its part, to help achieve that dream.

The IE Consulting Project (IECP) is offered during the elective period and ends with a presentation to senior management at a Fortune 100 company. During the International MBA program students have the opportunity to participate in several real consulting projects. Watch the video below to learn more!

In recent years the need to close the gap between developed and developing countries has become increasingly urgent, particularly in the shadow of the current economic crisis. The corporate world is aware of its growing role in socio-economic development and increasingly the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement enables it to assume this role in a highly effective manner.

This Virtual Conference introduce the practical aspects of Microfinance through a case study looking at Financieros sin Fronteras (FSF – Financiers without Borders). FSF is a non-profit association and joint collaboration between IE educators and students, that promotes the integration of the most disadvantaged people into the financial circuit. FSF’s mission is to conduct research and develop innovative and practical formulae to strengthen microfinance institutions (MFIs) that promote the eradication of poverty by encouraging entrepreneurship.

About the Event:
Speaker: Maria Luque, Executive Manager of Financieros sin Fronteras
Date: January 18th 2012
Time: 15.00 hrs Madrid local time (GMT+1), 22.00 hrs Singapore time)
Registration: IE Event Page

About the Speaker:
Maria Luque is the Executive Manager of FSF. A proven entrepreneur, Maria has also worked in the business creation department for the Australia & New Zealand Migration Bureau in Amsterdam, helping entrepreneurs develop their business projects. Maria brings extensive knowledge of microfinance, economic development and CSR policies in the private sector. Maria graduated in European Business Administration from the Hogeschool voor Economische Studies in Rotterdam and holds a Master of International Relations from IE.