One of the highlights of the MBA program to date was a week spent studying at IE Business School in Madrid on the Global Network Immersion Week (GNIW) program. The GNIW is a module taken by students in Semester 1 to study abroad with a diverse mix of other international MBA students at one of several leading global universities. Seven of us travelled from UCD to IE Business School in Madrid, while others in the class ventured as far as the US (Yale), India (IIMB), and Chile (PUCC). We take our networking seriously!
Madrid was a fantastic experience – IE is one of the leading business schools in the world, with a particular reputation for entrepreneurship. The standard of lecturing was excellent and very interactive – our topic for the week (“Europe at a Crossroads”) was focused on European economics. It was particularly interesting to analyse and debate issues with students from China, India, and the US – and listen to their outside perspectives on Europe, the Euro currency, and its future. We also worked together in mixed teams throughout the week to analyse sub-topics, then delivered presentations on the final day of class.
Outside of the classroom, the week was packed with social and networking events. These included a walking tour of Madrid, a flamenco show, tapas, and a trip to the Bernabeu football stadium. A presentation followed by wine-tasting was organised by one of Spain’s leading wine producers (Muga Vineyards). In keeping with the entrepreneurial spirit of IE, the class also took a tour of the BBVA Innovation Centre – to learn about many novel initiatives aimed at transforming the future of business banking. Big Data appears the way to go!
Overall, the GNIW program abroad was a great experience – primarily due to the diversity of the participants involved – and comes highly recommended.
Cathal Small ~ Full Time MBA