Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print and provide a quick overview of the latest trending topics from top schools around the world.
Here’s your quick MBA News You Need digest for the week of May 10, 2018.
Yale SOM Deputy Dean Wins “Ideas Worth Teaching” Award
Yale SOM Deputy Dean David Bach took home the Ideas Worth Teaching Award for his Global Network Course, “The End of Globalization?”
The award was presented by the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program in recognition of Bach’s efforts to bring students from all over the world together to discuss many of the social implications of globalization. In total, the award recognized 20 different courses that showcased innovation in management education and celebrated curricula that brought to life the “promise of meaningful work in business.”
For Bach, the award validated his concept of “networked learning,” in which participants gain greater analytical traction when cross-disciplinary perspectives are emphasized. In his course, which was offered during the first half of 2017, students examined the rise of populism and economic nationalism presented in the small network online course (SNOC) format. Students also participated in virtual discussions with Yale faculty and a variety of field experts. (Yale SOM News)
How UNC Kenan-Flagler Supports its Entrepreneurial Alumni
UNC Kenan-Flagler is home to two initiatives that offer unique entrepreneurial opportunities for students and alumni: Launch Chapel Hill and 1789 Venture Lab.
Since Launch Chapel Hill emerged on the scene five years ago, the program has collaborated with 75 companies, generated more than $20 million in sales, and created 1,150 jobs. The 1789 Venture Lab provides work spaces for entrepreneurs, as well as mentorship opportunities.
Both programs have been instrumental in supporting multiple UNC alumni entrepreneurs as they get their businesses off the ground. Take for example UConnection, a mobile application that helps college students find discounts at local restaurants. Taylor Meyer (MBA ’18) co-founded the company while he was a 1789 Venture Lab fellow. He then transferred to Launch Chapel Hill before he sold UConnection to a private equity firm.
To learn about other companies participating in these initiatives, head on over to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Blog.
Business School Students Weigh in on Paris’s Status as Next Startup Hotspot
Is Paris the next hotspot for European startups? As the reality of Brexit looms closer, Paris has found itself growing in popularity as a base for fast-growth companies—a title London has traditionally enjoyed. Google, Facebook, and SAP have all expanded their Parisian work forces and French President Emmanuel Macron has attracted attention for his ambitious reform plans.
The Financial Times spoke with MBA students at top business schools to get insight into the discussion on Paris’ new role as a corporate hub.
While the future of Paris looks promising, there are a few hurdles the city will have to overcome. According to one Oxford Saïd MBA student, high tax rates and inflexible labor laws are a detriment to Paris’ potential. While a Toronto Rotman MBA student argued that “France’s administrative complexities must be addressed if startups are to compete in the global landscape.”
To read what MBA students from CUHK Business School, Warwick Business School, and the Stockholm School of Economics had to say on the subject, read the full Financial Times article here.
HBS Names 2018 Student Class Day Speaker
Serrena A. Iyer (MBA ’18) will be the student speaker for Harvard Business School’s Class Day celebration, the school announced this week. Held on Wednesday May 23rd, the day before Harvard’s Commencement, Class Day begins with a Dean’s Award Breakfast and ends with a ceremony in which Iyer will speak. Iyer was anointed by her peers through an audition process that included well over 50 student speeches.
During her time at HBS, Iyer served as president of Section A, co-president of the Entertainment and Media Club, and co-director of the 2017 HBS Show. Previously, Iyer was an equity trader at Goldman Sachs and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). As an undergrad, Iyer spent her junior year at Yale College working in the National Economic Council at the White House. (HBS News)
Destination Johnson Event Welcomes Admitted Full-Time MBA Students and Families
Cornell Johnson’s full-time MBA program boasts a rigorous curriculum that includes immersion learning, career prep, and a wide range of electives. In April, to welcome the most recent class of 171 students, the school hosted its annual Destination Johnson (DJ) event. Held over the weekend, the event invited families and students to get an inside look at the Johnson community through a series of information panels, mixers, and club
fairs.
More than 230 current students and student partners came together to welcome the new class, which represented 42 countries. Dean Mark Nelson shared his excitement with a few opening remarks: “Here at Johnson, red is the only color that matters—not race, not class, not creed. We’re a community, and what you’re here to do is experience what we’re all about.”
Destination Johnson also included a keynote address by Hernan J.F. Saenz (MBA ’98), managing partner at Bain & Company, as well as a showcase of Ithaca’s food scene. (Johnson BusinessFeed)
