Executive MBA participants go to India

Around 20 participants to our Executive MBA class of 2013-2015 recently returned from ten intense days in Bangalore, India, having submerged themselves into Indian culture and enjoying lectures on Indian business climate, consumer behavior and demographics. The programme module on Creative Leadership was also taught on-site in Bangalore by professor Ramnath Narayanswamy. The trip to India is the second of two residencies in Asia, which are both part of the 21-month Executive MBA programme.

Given the economic growth in emerging markets, the School of Business Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg several years ago took the strategic decision to offer a dual focus within its AMBA-accredited Executive MBA programme: participants develop profound insights into Nordic business strengths and practices, as well as an expertise in Asian emerging markets.

– “Who am I?”, “Who am I meant to become?”, “Where am I heading?”, “Why?” and “How will I thereby contribute to the society?”. These questions might seem simple but yet require quite some reflection, says Patrick Lexér, one of the participants to the Executive MBA programme 2013-2015, after his trip to India.

– The creative leadership module was truly inspiring, with alterations between our western views of ourselves and leadership, mixed with traditional Indian wisdom on the same subject. A whole lot of emphasis was put on our inner self, how to overcome core barriers and mental blocks that prevent us from reaching our full potential, as well as training in concepts such as vision, value, clarity and context. Also, a typical day begins with a voluntary yoga class before the first morning lecture.

During their visit to India, the Executive MBA participants stayed on-campus and studied at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), a partner university of the School of Business Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. IIMB is one of the most prestigious business schools in India and is ranked among the top two in the country.

The proximity to some of the leading corporations in the country, ranging from information technology to consumer product companies, gives IIMB the advantage of easily integrating classroom knowledge with practical experience. This year, participants visited Infosys and Titan Watches.

– Visiting India is in many aspects a cultural shock but through the excellent professors at IIMB, we learned about the rapid development of India. We visited the corporate campus of Infosys which is as modern as anything you would find in Silicon Valley, concludes Patrick Lexér.