International MBA: what you get is more than what you see

Obtaining an international MBA in an emerging country is a courageous decision.

It is probably a very good decision for an ambitious and entrepreneurial young person, but not an easy one. Even if the course is entirely in English, you will have to deal with a foreign language in your day to day life, navigate a foreign culture, and learn to adapt to a new work and study environment.

What should an MBA candidate expect when signing up for a program?
They usually cite learning modern management theories and tools, studying practical cases and exchanging experiences with a group of international students, and of course, improving their career prospects and building a network.
Typically, learning more about finance, general management systems, business strategy and entrepreneurship are some of the main interests expressed in the interviews during the selection process.

When you take part in a truly international MBA in an emerging country like Brazil, you get something more. The students who come from very distinct cultures, like those from the USA, Europe, Asia or even other Latin American countries, find that they will learn to work with a culture that is flexible, tolerant of differences, innovative, happy and pleasant, but also works hard and gets the job done, even if the concept of time is more fluid than in many other places. For them and for the Brazilian students, taking part in such a program provides an opportunity to work with ten or more different nationalities during the course, as well as socializing with young and dynamic people from all parts of the world. Learning to overcome the differences among multicultural work teams is an invaluable experience for life, both personal and professional.

Why do this in an emerging country?
Because that is where future opportunities are. Over 90% of population growth for the next 30 years will be in the emerging market countries. That is a huge portion of the entire span of your career, and the business leaders of the future must have first hand knowledge and practical experience of these emerging markets, which are today already responsible for over half of the global GDP growth. Brazil is a top choice for that; dynamic, creative, multiethnic, challenging and diverse, it has at once a 100 year old tradition of multinational investments, as well as booming local companies spreading their operations globally. With solid growth, it needs qualified personnel, and offers a wide range of opportunities in areas such as energy, biodiversity, health, finance and personal services and technology.

In the FIA International MBA, you have a chance to interact with faculty and alumni who are involved with these exiting developments, and to work and study with companies and people who are making change happen at a fast pace. Not by chance, was FIA chosen in 2010 by European CEO Magazine as the most innovative school in South America. What you get is definitely more than at first meets the eye !