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15 Oct 2015, 05:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Snow! |
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I felt the first few tiny pieces of snow landing on my jacket walking to lunch today - I guess that means that autumn, if not winter is finally arriving! The leaves are falling, and the nights are drawing in - so it's time to get back to eating fondue again and to crank up the heating... My team and I are off to Oslo on Sunday to present to the client who engaged us for the international consulting project. It'll be the first time that we have presented our findings to our client, so we are nervous and excited to find out what their team thinks. It's an interim presentation ahead of our final visit to Oslo in early November, so a great opportunity to take any feedback that might be forthcoming, and integrate this into our final work. All of the class is currently in a whirlwind of travelling and hard work for the international consulting project, but thankfully all six of the original members of my first study group at the beginning of the year are in town tomorrow, so we are going out for dinner to catch up with one another about the job search, the international consulting project, and lots more besides! The electives are coming soon at the beginning of November - a month dedicated to classroom study, and the great opportunity to add deeper knowledge in one of many possible courses in a vast array of topics, from advanced finance to marketing. The tricky part is deciding which courses to pick! Until next time, Nick. |
19 Oct 2015, 13:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Yiorgos Mavromatis reports from his ICP project |
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My classmate Yiorgos would like to share his ICP experience so far. His ICP project is about helping a company with a market-entry case in the sport industry. The team needs to find a specific market where the company's high-tech sport product can be valued and sold. Yiorgos and his team started by meeting with the company to know the objective. Then the team went to the US to understand better the company as well as the market that it wishes to serve. He was impressed by the hospitality from the company, as well as the American experience: over-sized portion of food, American working culture, and the American way of life. The team worked on the business plan, tried to find distributors and the customers. They got to meet also some amazing athletes. During the whole process, the biggest learning for Yiorgos was how to find each team member's strength and use it on the right place at the right time. It was a memorable experience for him and he is looking forward to coming up with something practicle which the company can implement in the future. Stephanie |
27 Oct 2015, 02:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: International Consulting Project |
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My team and I had a fantastic trip to Oslo last week - we presented our findings to our clients, who seemed very happy with the work that we had done; they then gave us some other topics to work on for the final stretch of our international consulting project. We even had time to fit in a quick tour of Oslo before we caught our flight back to Geneva. The only issue that we've had so far on the ICP is that every time we travel, someone's bag has been lost by the baggage handlers - this time it was me on the way! Annoying, but thankfully retrieved - I didn't fancy making a presentation to our clients in jeans!!!! Since we got back to Lausanne on last Wednesday, it's been hectic trying to fit in all of the work that we need to do before we go back to Oslo for our final presentation on Monday. At the same time as finalising the ICP projects, it's been incredibly busy on the job front too for the class - the offers have been coming in from all the consulting firms amongst others, and it's fantastic news - we've got a number of classmates with multiple offers, and in general the tally seems to be well ahead of last year - a great result! From my side, I'm off to London shortly for a few really interesting interviews, so fingers crossed... I didn't anticipate that getting the ball rolling looking for a job would take so long, but there are many interesting opportunities popping up now - so here's hoping for a good result! After the ICP finishes, it's time for the electives to kick in - and these are so interesting - from Islamic Finance to corporate governance, and everything in between - more updates on that soon! And winter is really here now - I went running with a classmate last night along the lake, and the way back was a little slow - it was pitch black with no moonlight, so a great challenge not to run into the lake! Until next time, Nick. |
09 Nov 2015, 02:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: ICP - Done! |
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It's been nearly two weeks since I've written a blog, and it's been an incredibly busy time since, as we've been finalising our International Consulting Project. The ICP was certainly one of my highlights of the MBA experience so far - it was great to deepen my knowledge of the real estate sector, and also to work with such a fantastic time. It was really wonderful to have the opportunity to travel so much in Europe - last week, we were in Oslo again to make our final presentation to our clients - who really made the experience so special by sharing so much about their business, and being so receptive to our ideas. Once the ICP was over, it was time to spring back to work - we had a leadership 'experiential' on Saturday, which was a chance to give the people that we had worked with most closely during the year some valuable feedback. A great way to wrap up the IMD leadership stream, and one of the elements of the course that really differentiates the IMD experience from other similar MBA courses. I also had a final meeting with my leadership coach, who invariably provides fantastic insight into my future plans, and helps define my career goals. So - this week, it's a day of presenting our ICP findings to our classmates tomorrow, and then the electives start right after that. I can't say I'm looking forward to having a rigid 8am start time again - but I am looking forward to the electives for sure! Until next time, Nick. |
11 Nov 2015, 15:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: ICP closing dinner |
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ICP has come to an end as Nick said in the previous post. To celebrate our achievement, the MBA office organized a closing dinner for us and the ICP project directors were also invited. In addition to the dinner, each team prepared a sketch to present to the class. The idea was to show the memorable moments during the ICP experience in a funny way. Our team did a sketch about how our team interacted with our project director. There were teams telling us their interaction with their clients. There was one team using karaoke to sing a song expressing the end of the ICP. We saw the creative sides of each team. And the good thing was that after all the ups and downs during the past 7 weeks, we could still laugh about the difficult moments. We will soon have our electives. And of course, additionally the job-searching is continuing. I will keep you posted soon! Stephanie    |
22 Nov 2015, 09:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Hi from Germany |
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The end is in sight! It's been incredibly busy during the last few weeks, with a packed schedule of electives - I haven't had a day off for around two weeks. Normally, that would be a cause for much moaning on my part (!), but the electives have been so fascinating that I really don't mind. I've been studying topics as diverse as Islamic Finance, Strategic Partnerships and Social Media Strategy. It's been a great opportunity to 'deep-dive' into a few areas that particularly interest me, and will help me to be more effective during my forthcoming career. On Friday I headed off to Germany with around 30 of my classmates. We spent just one night in Berlin, before arriving in Hamburg last night, and then we are off to Munich tomorrow. It's a chance to understand more about German business culture, and an opportunity to find out more about some titans of industry including Airbus. And obviously, we are trying the local beer too! Our groups is not the only cohort from IMD travelling right now - a team of 10 or so intrepid individuals are currently on an elective in Brazil, where our professor Carlos Primo Braga is taking the opportunity to leverage his contacts to product a great schedule for the group - they have also made it to the beach on at least one occasion! In some very important news, a fantastic success is hot of the press at IMD. Five of my classmates (Alex Knecht, Alex Krstevski, Hersh Shah, Jelmer Hoogendoorn & Tom Cohen) won the Rotterdam School of Management Private Equity contest. They fought off strong competition from other business schools, including institutions well known for their focus on finance, and demonstrated that even thought IMD is small in size, we're still big hitters when it comes to our academic and technical abilities! Well done to all the guys - you've done IMD proud! We are celebrating on their behalf here in Hamburg. More updates soon - for now, off to sample a key part of German culture - the beerhall! Nick. |
26 Nov 2015, 15:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Germany & Shell |
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I'm just back from Germany, where we had a fantastic time - the schedule was really hectic, but for those members of the class that weren't previously familiar with the country, it was a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the business landscape and the cultural highlights of the country. For people like me who had travelled in Germany before, it was great to dig deeper into the business environment of Europe's economic powerhouse, and to discover what makes this country such a success these days. We took in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich - and had another fantastic experience with our alumni, who hosted us at an event they had organised in Munich. All in all, a fantastic trip, and incredibly well organised by my classmates Dennis, Elvin & Hisham. Last week, the oil major Shell was on campus and it was an opportunity for those members of the class particularly interested in the energy sector to share ideas with some senior Shell executives. My colleague Francesco wrote this update: 'Last week, a group of MBA students interested in the energy sector and the key debate topics around this industry teamed up with eight top HR executives from Shell in order to discuss the main challenges and opportunities facing the company. During the MBA, we have spent much of the year studying how to analyse an industry, how to fuse financial concepts with business principals, how to lead and how to innovate. Today was a key opportunity to put these elements together and discuss with top executives from Shell. 'Real World, Real Learning' isn't just IMD's slogan, but rather a clear statement of intent for the MBA course, which provides a unique educational experience and then provides many opportunities to bring this theory into the real business world, particularly towards the end of the year. The event with Shell was a key highlight of my MBA - a once in a lifetime opportunity I will not forget. The satisfaction of the and involvement of the executives was a confirmation of the quality of our ideas, and a great reward for the effort we had put in to this initiative. In January I thought 'Real World, Real Learning' was just a nebulous concept. It's not; it genuinely is the ethos of IMD.' Thanks to Francesco for his perspective on a great event, and more updates from me soon as we approach the final week of the course! Until next time, Nick. |
18 Dec 2015, 03:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Goodbye |
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The MBA class of 2015 has graduated. The study rooms and lockers are empty, the auditorium is quiet, the campus feels strange. Since the graduation ceremony on 4th December, MBAs have been passing by the office to say their final goodbyes before heading off to exciting new destinations – to see family, have fun or to prepare for their new job. We wish all of them the very best for their futures and hope that they will stay in touch – that we will see them during our travels or back here on campus for various events, that we will hear about their career successes, marriages and growing families. But for now, I would like to thank Nick (Toubkin) and Stephanie for sharing their stories with us and allowing us to read about their experiences, and to Nick (Allan) for giving us a visual overview and a glimpse into the fun side of the program as well as the learning! This is the final blog entry for 2015. Thank you to all of our readers for following this year’s adventure. The next journey will start in early January, and we already have a diverse and enthusiastic blog team lined up - so watch this space! Wishing you all a happy holiday season and successful 2016. Suzanne |
18 Dec 2015, 09:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: And goodbye from me! |
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Sitting here back in London, I can't believe what a fantastic year that I've had. When people ask me what I did at IMD, it's truly difficult to remember all of the amazing experiences, from the discovery trip, to the study tour in Turkey, and the fantastic lecturers and guest speakers that we enjoyed. But when people ask me what was the best bit of the IMD experience, it's an easy question to answer - it's the fantastic people that I've met along the way. From the dedicated staff in the MBA office, to our brilliant academic staff, it was really the people that made the made the difference during the past year. But the people that really defined the year are the 89 other exceptional individuals who graduated with me on the 4th December - I learnt more from these people than I could ever have imagined, and I am already looking forward to our planned reunion in Madrid in 2015 to find out the various ways that my global cohort are shaping the future of business. Another question that I get asked now that I'm back, is whether I'd choose to go to do an MBA at IMD if I could choose again. That's the easiest question of all to answer - it's a definitive 'YES!'. I am really sad to have left Lausanne, and am incredibly jealous of the incoming 2016 class - they don't know what an enriching time awaits them. But what's clear to me is that whilst I've left Lausanne, IMD will always stay a part of me, as lifelong friends, a peerless network, and memories of a truly phenomenal year in Lausanne. So I'm honored to pass the baton to next year's bloggers, and I can't wait to read about their fantastic experiences - watch this space! From a festive London, Nick. |
25 Dec 2015, 12:21
10 Jan 2016, 13:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Welcome to the IMD MBA Class of 2016 |
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This is it. It’s really happening. The Class of 2016 has officially kicked-off! I am over the moon to be here and to be able to share my MBA experience together with the Blog Team – which by the fun we had taking the first group shots I can say is a great one! Let me briefly introduce myself: I am Brazilian, based in São Paulo and a passionate workaholic in the Technology Industry, working for the past 8 years in LatAm’s #1 Business Software company. From attending High School in an American Boarding School in Switzerland to juggling three waiting jobs in London or researching my family origins in Italy, a number of international experiences have shaped who I am. However, nothing compares to - hum - a day in the IMD Foyer. No, really. It’s not because you’re talking to 89 people from all over the world. It’s because those people are some of the most interesting and successful people from their countries. And they have lived or worked in at least 4 or 5 other countries. And their vast backgrounds. And their openness to share. AND we know we’re just scratching the surface. Amazing! When I first started my MBA journey, a very experienced admissions coach said: "IMD is very unique and, unlike schools with larger classes, they never get it wrong in admissions. You can be certain that whoever gets in will be incredible." I have to say he was right! Starting something I’ve been planning for a long time brings out many different feelings, but most of all I am very grateful for being here right now. An MBA admission is never a one-man job. My loving husband put up with my anxiety, lack of time and the inevitable changes ahead. Busy recommenders gave me their time and valuable advice. My leaders trusted me with bold challenges and priceless lessons. My teams gave me a daily chance to be a better leader. The IMD Alumni who never ceased to awe me with their humbleness, maturity and candor. And even those who tried to convince me I was insane were an important part of the process. Now it’s time to change seats, buckle up and go deep into this unique and intensive program. Classes officially start tomorrow, so stay tuned! Wishing you an amazing 2016, Sílvia Simões |
12 Jan 2016, 15:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: The journey begins |
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Last week IMD opened its gates to the next generation of “90 exceptional people who will shape the future of business”. The steps we took to cross over into IMD’s lakeside campus marked the culmination of a long journey for many of us and the beginning of a new adventure. As we stepped into the foyer and the lecture halls the reality of the moment began to sink in. This was the moment we had been preparing for, for months (or even years) and here it was. With over 40 nationalities represented in a group of 90 people, these could have been the corridors of the United Nations. A few nervous smiles were exchanged, handshakes were offered and before we realized we were engulfed in an entirely new world. A world that will be our home away from home for the next 12 months (or is it 11? time is flying already!). And in case you haven’t noticed, I am delighted to be here. In fact I am so excited that I even forgot to introduce myself – I am Kunal from India and over the past 9 years I have lived and worked in Europe, Asia and Africa in the energy industry. I am a chemical engineer by background (but they tell me that shouldn’t be an issue as long as I remain open-mindedJ) and a die-hard Bob Dylan fan. I feel truly privileged to be your “window” into the IMD MBA program for the next 11 months. Together with Silvia and the rest of the blog team we will make sure to bring to you “hot-off-the press” updates from IMD. For the time being it should suffice to say that all 90 of us have survived the first two days of the “intensive” classes and we are gearing up for our first set of group tasks later this week. More on that later. And don’t forget to let us know your thoughts and reactions through the comment sections below. Welcome onboard! |
14 Jan 2016, 07:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Rain and birds |
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Hi! My name is Aysylu, I am Russian. Born and raised in Ural, I witnessed crash of the Soviet empire and formation of a new country. Being a third-generation MD I switched to pharmaceuticals in marketing and sales. Meanwhile, I also lived for a couple of years in Turkey. Not to forget, I am a mother of a teenager, suffering a one-year–long separation for the sake of fulfilling my dream of studying at the IMD MBA. Dual, yet integral in pursuing my vision, together with my blog teammates I will share with you “life-changing” experience in the program. It has been a second year of an economic crisis in my country and I am in Switzerland, having made a break to work and family life. My first days in sunny Lausanne passed under a relocation flag; cheerful gulls darted around and flocks of ravens jostled on a neighboring roof. Later, while working on my online assignments, a milky, thick and palpable fog descended the city and an existential question “why?” landed my mind. Lonely flying of heavy and insolent gulls resembled mysterious patrol, whereas flapping of wings of a raven behind my window seemed surrealistic: sense of uncertainty and knowledge of having a lake in proximity evoked pictures of the imaginary Solaris planet and symbolic video of Madonna’s “Frozen”. However, decision had been taken and I looked forward to meet my new classmates and school. Then endless rain came. Is it here to clean up my mind and soul? When weather is so tightly linked to my state of mind, or vice versa, I wonder what should I expect further from them both. My classmates are impressive, diverse and keen. Parties during the orientation week and night-paused buzzes in chats helped us connect. In our class we have already sang our first “Happy birthday”, at international hymn for individuality in a social context, directed by our wonderful MBA office. And we tried irresistible chocolate cakes, prepared by a team of careful MBA partners. It is challenging to enter a student mood and, surprisingly, analysis of my “native” industry under detailed supervision of Prof. Ralf Boscheck, is a mix of intellectual struggle and discoveries. Discussions with my Japanese and Indian neighbors during breaks help me tackle some open questions. It appears that added value is measurable and game theory can explain capricious behavior of my child. Today we have stepped into team work. A lot of theoretical and practical learning! Till soon, Aysylu |
14 Jan 2016, 11:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Meet Rakesh and his blog |
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Hello there! Meet Rakesh and his blog (which I actually visited while I was a candidate and doing research on the assessment day!  Thanks for the help, Rakesh!):"Hello everyone, I’m Rakesh Renganathan. A ship captain by profession and today, I proudly write my introduction as an IMD MBA candidate. After working at sea for close to 10 years, I decided to look for a career ashore. After a lot of careful considerations, I finally decided on doing an MBA to widen my horizon. I was looking to share a class with people from various backgrounds and nationalities. Once things were clear in my mind as to what I expect out of an MBA, IMD turned out to be the most obvious choice. I started my own blog (captainimd.tumblr.com) back in May 2015 as soon as I was done with my assessment day and will be continuing it throughout this year. The assessment day was so thorough and I learnt so much more about IMD that it made me feel that I would be able to steer myself in to my dream career if I got to be a part of the IMD MBA. A week after the assessment day, I got the call from IMD and since then I have been waiting for this very day to be “one of the 90 exceptional people who will shape the future of business.” I have always heard that MBA is a journey in itself. Our journey at IMD has just begun. So, look forward to reading our experiences during the year. Experience the MBA life at IMD through our eyes. I wish everyone a very happy new year and hope to see the IMD 2017 aspirants during the assessment day here at IMD. All the best!!! Rakesh" |
16 Jan 2016, 10:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Let’s shoot… photos! |
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Hello! My name is Fouad, and my passion for photography brings me here today. I am one of the two blog photographers, with Sean, my partner in crime. I am Lebanese and Canadian and am a management consultant by profession. I will go through my MBA journey my camera, thinking of you, our blog readers, hoping to be able to show you much of our life here (the good and the bad) during our exciting year at IMD. I look forward to sharing my photos with you! Fouad |
16 Jan 2016, 18:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: First week, we all worked! |
 Fouad |
17 Jan 2016, 14:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: What a week! |
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Hello there! The first week of classes sure honored the intense reputation of IMD! It is hard to believe it's been only one week since I sat here excited about the first day of classes. Most of our time was spent with (the amazing) Ralf Boscheck, our program director. We've been working on an Strategic Industry Analysis that allowed us to already work in groups, learn a lot from each other and spend some late nights at IMD. It is starting to feel more like a big family now, we begin to learn everyone's names and backgrounds, chat on https://gmatclub.com/chat and help each other with deadline reminders and sharing notes from the classes. The atmosphere is very friendly and not competitive, which is another thing I love and chose IMD for. As a group we can be so much stronger! Speaking of groups, the high point of the week for me (inside the classroom) was the Leadership Stream details session. I had very high expectations of that part of the program and they were overly met with the incredible Staff that will be guiding us through the journey I believe to be the most lasting and valuable here. IMD really goes above and beyond to help us become the best people (and leaders) we can be. It is up to each of us to decide how deep we want to go, how much we want to let go of our preconceptions and our "old ways". In less than 2 weeks we will already start with an intense experiential. Can't wait! The high point of the week (outside the classroom) was the Life Before Microsoft dinner, when we grouped with our closer nationalities and gave our class a taste of the culture and ways of doing business in our home countries. Not to mention the FUN we had… Great party!!! You will soon see many pictures from the photo bloggers. For now a special one I have with the Brazil+Portugal group with Dominique Turpin, IMD's President (such a warm presence, everyone in our group loved meeting him).  (Thales Crivelli, Carlos Borda, Leandro Veiga, Lucas Seoane, Gustavo Zanini, Felipe Berg, Dominique Turpin, me, Renato Gonzaga and Mateus Machado) A presto! Sílvia |
18 Jan 2016, 15:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Introducing our photo-blogger for 2016 Sean Coyle |
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Please find below the introduction of Sean Coyle, who together with Fouad Younes will be, "your eyes" into the IMD 2016 MBA program. “I am from Northern Ireland and have been working in Strategy Consulting for the last 7 years in China. I’ve come to IMD to gain some skills and perspective to be able to bring my career up to the next level (or three!) and explore opportunities in Europe. Over the next year while you toil away at GMAT and applications, with my camera I’ll try to be your eyes into this program. Well, at least one blurry eye, Fouad Younes will be the other good one. “ - Sean Coyle. |
19 Jan 2016, 13:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Explore |
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The operating word for last week has to be “explore”. MBA program’s brilliant course design encouraged us to explore many areas last week. We began by exploring the depths of our own cultures, and as we came together to share what we had learnt, we began to explore the cultural histories of others in the class. What a fantastic experience that was! It isn’t hard to predict that such exploration leads us to identify the various differences in our cultures and backgrounds but what wasn’t obvious, and was revealed along this journey, was not what differentiated us but that which united us. As someone said during this session last week – it truly was a melting pot – a melting pot that takes in “many” but produces “one”. The exploration journey continued as we used the newly acquired strategic analysis tools to dig deeper into the companies and industries we have come from. Here again, unfolded a remarkable tapestry of experiences and outlooks. And then came the sessions that every IMD aspirant eagerly looks forward to – Leadership. While the stream hasn’t begun yet, Prof. Narasimhan, took the opportunity in the introductory session to urge us to explore our drivers and motivations and gave us a sneak preview of the rich journey that we will be embarking on very shortly. We got to know our working groups for the first time and we will soon be meeting the start-ups that we will be working with (yes we will keep you posted – we are just as excited!). All in all it was an incredibly full week. Having said that let me straight away bust a myth here – yes at IMD we work hard but we party harder. We wound up the week gyrating on pop numbers and yes no one was exempt not even Ralf. It was a fine week and taught us a lot about others but importantly about ourselves! I will be back with more tales shortly in the meantime do not forget to check out the fantastic entries by: · Rakesh: https://captainimd.tumblr.com/ · Jiaqing: https://forum.chasedream.com/thread-1163964-1-1.html · and our Japanese classmates: https://imdjapanclub.wordpress.com/ As always we wait to hear from you and hope you enjoy reading these entries. Kunal |
20 Jan 2016, 12:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: The Earth is round |
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Wise men say that to cognize things does not necessarily need to physically experience them. For instance, cosmologists don’t have to travel to another parts of the Universe to estimate its size, chemists discover new elements without having actually seen them, or doctors can treat without being ill. This mental diving is may be more applicable to theory. However, quick plunge into cultures and understanding of some business realities is possible without travel… by studying at the IMD MBA! Last week culminated by a fantastic dinner, where for the first time in my life I saw some live traditional dancing, mix of ancient traditions and technological fun and so much more. I’ve travelled in a Space and Time Machine and I guess it works like a centrifuge, as those 89 people in our classroom are no longer strangers to me, those are My Classmates! I also noticed that people, motivated to build on similarities, from sometimes competing, in a sense, countries can “live life in peace”. In terms of workload pressure is increasing. The program is not only intense, but also amazingly multilayer: incredible, how many dimensions of our development from theory to practice, from personal to professional, from career to leadership development or from individual to team work are comprised. This load is, indeed, significant, and it seems like many of us recalibrate our internal fatigue indicators to work more, sleep less and get more disciplined. Fortunately, we don’t compromise on food, as “The Meeting Point” does its job –mmm - very well. We’ve already worked in a couple of groups and have got our first feeling on various industries and functions. Before I used to think that with 10+ years I knew almost everything about my industry; I must confess I was wrong. Views and backgrounds of my teammates strew spices, and individual collisions toast the cake. We are on our way to the entrepreneurship projects and I can’t wait to get absorbed into this new state of mind and business and country specifics. Till soon, Aysylu |
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