One thing about MBA graduates is that they have a strong drive; and a work ethic to match. Full-time professionals signing on for the Luxembourg School of Business (LSB) Weekend Master in Business Administration (MBA) program need to make it clear to their partners that for two years, while they are on the MBA program, they will be challenging the status quo as they reinvent themselves.
Other than working or sleeping, most of their time will be devoted to MBA classes, homework or group projects (ok, and a little bit of socializing with fellow students). Typically, they will get up early and put in a few hours of study before launching into work. At the end of the work day, they will put in several more hours, and may even have found moments to do some studying or group work during the day. Every other week, Friday evenings and Saturdays are for classes.
Is the LSB MBA journey worth the effort?
For various personal, professional and life-long learning reasons, the LSB MBA alumni’s unanimous response to the question remains a resounding ‘yes!’. Whatever their starting professional backgrounds, the course equipped them with tools, frameworks and insights that help them move forward more confidently. Alessia Codiglione spoke about this: “The flexibility of the Weekend MBA program and the ability to quickly put the theory to work back at the office and discuss the practical implications with the group was great. It helped solidify the learning.”
What is the LSB MBA about?
The LSB MBA faculty are dedicated experts from around the world, coming from first-tier universities and professional institutions. Purely, in terms of fees and Return on Investment (ROI), the LSB MBA costs about five times less than some of its US counterparts! The LSB was founded in 2014 and accredited by the Luxembourg Ministry of Higher Education and Research in 2017. It is currently due to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AACSB was founded in 1916 and is the same body that accredits the likes of Harvard, Columbia and Berkeley, etc. Following his recent visit to the LSB, Timothy Mescon (Executive VP and Chief Office EMEA at AACSB International) reported on the honour to visit “this exceptional member school in Luxembourg with its incredible engagement with business” and lauded the “leadership of Marin Njavro and impressive alumni”.
What does it mean to meet together to pursue the LSB MBA degree?
Kanwar Bharat Singh spoke of how it is essential to be in a classroom: “An online option is impossible. You can’t do an MBA sitting in front of the computer for six hours a day. Online courses are great for going deep and developing solitary technical skills. For an MBA, however, the motivation is different.” The value in a leadership program, like an MBA, lies not just in the subject matter, but in facing common challenges and in the polish that comes from exchanges and interactions with the professors and classmates. Dialogues and confrontation with different perspectives help solidify abstract ideas in one’s mind. It is also foundational for creating and build-ing trusted professional bonds that can last a lifetime.
How did the MBA program change your thinking?
Alessia Codiglione: “I developed a far greater appreciation for the power of numbers! The ability for deeper analysis and decision-making will be an asset throughout my career. The program requires patience and persistence, and the burn-ing drive to go the extra mile. Success is an attitude, and you are called upon to do your best.” Mario Marozzi: “The program provides the opportunity for personal and professional reinvention. At home, at the risk of being estranged from loved ones, it can instill a sense of discipline, the love of learning and an exemplary work ethic. Everything revolves around being strict with time, balancing priorities and changing habits to get more out of life in general. It’s a real reinvention of ourselves.” Kanwar Bharat Singh: “My Bachelors and Masters degrees were in Mechanical Engineering, and I was working in Research and Development. The program gave me the tools I needed to take on management roles more effectively and contribute more confidently to dialogue at the C-Suite level.”
What about COVID?
Two months into the LSB MBA program, the pandemic lockdown hit and put an end to exclusively in-person classes. Stripping the program of its interactional value could have been disastrous. However, not so, the LSB was quick to adapt and went hybrid. It hosted online course delivery and material with a learning management system, and masked physical classes to proceed with business as usual. If anything, the pandemic accelerated the transition to digital connectivity. Mario Marozzi, part of the 2020-2022 ‘COVID Generation’, cheerfully recalls: “The benefit of online sessions is that it takes you out of the bubble of your clique. You have to simultaneously face and interact with everyone, and the learning continues.”
The school
With an average student age of 36, the LSB MBA program typically caters to Luxembourg’s smart young professionals. The classes are small enough that the faculty of 20 and over 50 visiting professors from globally best-of-class institutions can bestow students individual attention. An MBA is not designed to be easy, and through continuous reflections, it helps students quantitatively identify and solve real problems. In addition, the alumni contribute towards a critical mass of ideas and vibrancy necessary in Luxembourg for an innovation ecosystem.
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