International relations, geopolitics and global business in the ESADE - Georgetown GEMBA programme
J. Roca.
The 40 programme participants are analysing global industries this week in Barcelona.
The world is increasingly flat, but in this global setting, differences, especially political and cultural, still matter. Analysing business practices thus requires a political and geo-strategic focus. The Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) organised jointly by ESADE and the prestigious Georgetown University, a world-wide reference for international relations, was launched this past May with that exact vision. This week the programme has brought the forty senior executives from four continents to Barcelona where they will focus on the subject of global industries. The programme consists of modules in Washington, Barcelona, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Bangalore, Moscow and New York. But, above all else, the GEMBA programme foments an in-depth analysis of the international political setting and global business. As Pedro Parada, the programme's Academic Director, declares "the world isn't seen the same way everywhere. There are common concerns but, due to the globalisation process, the perspective has changed."
"Knowing your own business isn't enough; it is essential you understand the geopolitical reality in each area," declared the school's Dean, Alfons Sauquet, in a recent interview with BusinessWeek.com. He insisted on this double, geo-strategic/political and business facet within the Master's programme.
In this sense, the ESADE and Georgetown GEMBA has positioned itself in the market in terms of an emergent management strategy, combining international relations (diplomacy, politics and geo-strategy) and business.
Trium: the competition
Among the various Global Executive MBAs available is the renowned Trium programme taught jointly by the Stern Business School (University of New York), the French HEC and the London School of Economics which leverages the British school's economic and political perspective. "They [Trium] have a very similar focus to ours, but in their case the international relations and political component only accounts for 20% of the programme while in our Master it represents a third, compared to two-thirds dedicated to business," commented Xavier Mendoza, ESADE's recently named Associate Director General, to LA GACETA. Mendoza insists, "you cannot understand global business without an in-depth knowledge of the political, economic and contextual reality of the countries on different continents and their strategic relationships with other powers."
The programme in Barcelona lasts until next Sunday. Students here have been analysing the mass commodity industry. The next stop in the Global Executive MBA is Sao Paolo. They will return once more to ESADE's Barcelona campus in May of next year. The programme is scheduled to end in August 2009 in New York. After completing the six modules, participants will obtain the joint Georgetown and ESADE MBA degree.
« go back
|
