Historic Feat: SDA Bocconi School of Management’s MBA Program Ranked #6th in the World
The 2023 MBA Rankings by the Financial Times have brought forth a historic achievement for the SDA Bocconi School of Management: its full-time MBA program has been ranked sixth in the world. The one-year MBA program has surpassed some of the most established schools in the world to attain this outstanding recognition. It is important to note that the ranking by Financial Times is one of the most prestigious rankings in the world. “It is the most difficult ranking, coming from the oldest tradition of American business schools,” says Stefano Caselli, Dean of SDA Bocconi. “For this reason, the sixth position is a very prestigious achievement, but more importantly, it is a demonstration of the strength of our school, an open and inclusive, international place that can attract and transform talent from all over the world to make a significant impact in society.” The ranking is a matter of great pride for the International Master in Business program that SDA Bocconi partially runs at SDA Bocconi Asia Center, Mumbai which allows meritorious Indian students to achieve masters from SDA Bocconi with a meaningful Indian experience. The programs offered at SDA Bocconi Asia Center, Mumbai effectively mix the practical learning approach of the full-time MBA program with the familiar structure of a top Indian post-graduate program. The programs at SDA Bocconi Asia Center offer a tight-knit and diverse environment, with an international specialization immersion in Milano along with students joining from as many as 80 nationalities during immersions. Interestingly, the programs in India and Milano are taught by the distinguished international Bocconi faculty, who teach around the world and bring international experiences and cases into the classroom. This, combined with a unique peer-to-peer cultural interaction is what makes the programs and their learning experience so unique. The SDA Bocconi School of Management is one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious business education institutions, and the ranking has further helped establish its brand value on the global stage for the Bocconi Alumni community of 120,000. The prestigious worldwide ranking is sure to solidify SDA Bocconi’s presence as one of the top business schools in the world, attracting in turn the most highly-motivated goal-achievers worldwide who are looking for a transformational learning experience in their careers. EXPLORE IMB
9 Life Lessons That You Can Learn From Traveling
Written By John Jacob, PGPB Candidate 2015-17 My Second year at Bocconi gave me plenty of opportunities to explore the world. First up was the Campus Abroad Program at the iconic UC campus at Los Angeles. California is a beach boy’s dream and living there for a month taking a course on Entrepreneurship, working with colleagues from across the world including Imperial College London and Bocconi Milan was a lesson in embracing diversity. Spending evenings at the beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu, checking out eateries at downtown LA, boulevards of Hollywood, traveling to other cities in the US, it was an experience of a lifetime. Next up was the exchange semester in Italy. Italy really is a beautiful country, similar to India and the parallels to the Indian culture and people are many. Very family oriented and diverse. University was a big part of our Italy experience and it was amazing to attend a university of the repute of Bocconi. The opportunities that Bocconi gives you in- Italy, there’s nothing like it and during my short stint at Bocconi, it was evident. Travel was, of course, a very big part of our Erasmus plans. Ryan air’s cheap fares were the best thing that could happen to us and we set out to explore Europe almost every other weekend. I visited 17 countries, covering about 35 odd cities. Here’s a tiny peek into what went down during those four months. Western Europe – Paris, Amsterdam, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, and Germany – These countries had the most to offer from a tourist’s perspective. SUPER PRICY! But how can you miss the Eiffel beaming her metallic smile or the Arc de Triomphe on the grand Champs-Elysees? The Louvre (Mona Lisa’s Abode), the canals, windmills and beautiful farmlands of Amsterdam, the snow-capped mountains, serene lakes and natural beauty of Switzerland, the nightlife of Barcelona, Berlin and Munich (special mention to the Oktoberfest), and lastly the waffles and chocolates of Belgium (nothing touristy to see, but eat you must) – are all a must visit/must-do before you die. Greece requires special mention was an amazing Mediterranean experience. From the sunsets at Oia, the food at Fira to the ruins of Athens. Greece mesmerizes you with its history, culture, diversity and beauty. None of us wanted to leave. Slovenia with its underground caves and castles, Prague – Czech Republic, Budapest Hungary, and Warsaw- Poland are top destinations in Eastern Europe. Amazing nightlife, amazing people, and it’s really easy on the pocket too! Budapest was my favorite destination. Cheapest destination, great food, good infrastructure almost like a mini Paris but with really friendly people and how can I forget.. The thermal baths were a treat in the cold-cold winter. MUST VISIT! Finally, I decided that I had to see the northern lights. Wandered to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway – Tromso and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Watching the glorious northern lights in all its splendor was almost like a life changing experience. Vatican and San Marino are two countries to visit within Italy, not to forget Venice, Florence, Trieste, Rome, Turin, Naples and the Amalfi coast all beautiful places to see. Many of my colleagues also visited Finland, Austria, Croatia, and Romania. Special mention to Plitvice lakes National Park in Croatia. What has travel taught me? Learning from other cultures Behaviour, choices and lifestyles you come across while traveling in the local metro, watching a football match, shopping at the supermarket, roaming the streets or even having a meal or browsing a library will be extremely different from what you witness back home. Adopt the good! Empathy. You understand the pains of others and the problems we often think are non-existent in developedcountries. You learn to empathize. Patience – funny story, we waited four hours (12 AM to 4 AM), freezing in the cold, outdoors, on the streets of Paris waiting for our bus to the airport. Being bereft of social media and connectivity – I am usually a sucker for WiFi and traveling detaches you from connectivity and helps you realize that the digital world isn’t the real deal. Others are not so different – Although people are from different races, ethnicities, and cultures, they are inherently the same, similar emotions and thought processes, ambitions and goals. The end goal is always peace of mind, happiness, and sustenance. We’re all the same! Capabilities – It empowers you to know that you are capable. Capable of making new friends with complete strangers being an introvert, managing conflict and unruly behavior, managing language barriers, managing finances, providing for yourself and learning that you are capable of being independent. The value of home – Being away you understand how much you sometimes undervalue your country, your loved ones and the comfort and care of home when you’re around. Humility – Travel makes one modest. You just begin to see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. Living in the moment – Forget the past, stop worrying about the future and enjoy what’s going on! Enough Gyaan I guess, Gooo! Book your next vacation. Happy Travels 😉 Check the photo blog Here – Click Here
Academics with cultural mix was the essence of my exchange semester
India is a hub of several ethnicities and cultures, albeit their thought process and way of working converge eventually to the same methodology aka Indian style. Exchange semester is an opportunity to explore the world, gain international friends and live life as a local in another culture. My exchange semester at Universit Bocconi in Milano was an unforgettable journey of personal growth and self-actualization. The package consisted of – Multiple specializations taught by world-class professors shared resources such as the magnificent library, study bunkers, data labs, student clubs, international clubs like Erasmus, sports clubs etc. and a whole lot of new experiences. Among all, exchanging thoughts and engaging in tasks with so many intelligent people from different nationals appears a treasure for life. I worked majorly with Germans, French, Russians, Hungarians, Belgians, Canadians, Chinese and last but not the least the Italians, during various group assignments and class discussions. In the tenure of the course, I witnessed the variance in the attitudes and the point of views associated with these nationalities. Certainly, I wouldn’t generalize the countries based on interaction with a bunch of people from there nevertheless, I perceived Germans as punctual, very direct and result-oriented, on the contrary, Hungarians as slow-paced but considerate and welcoming in nature. Italians that I encountered, were technically sound, systematic and dedicated, I would say. There is no right or wrong about their ethos, it’s just about doing the same things in distinct inherited manners. Meanwhile, rest of the activities vis -vis academics and live projects ran in parallel. I got opportunities to work with Bain & Company and PSA automobiles as a part of course curriculum and I continued burning the midnight oil in order to meet the deadlines. All these episodes have impacted me greatly; I am more open to new things now and want to explore more than ever. Apart from academics, the fun-filled times in Europe, such as get-together parties in Milano, journey across dummy borders by short- distance flights, trains and buses with just a bag pack, navigating around the cities like Budapest, Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Sirmione etc., Oktoberfest in Munich, chilling at Garda lake and lots of other beaches in summers and whatnot; these are invaluable adventures which will remain in my book of memories forever. Now I am much more aware of the world by experiencing different cultures, different lifestyles, and different languages which changed my perception about life and people. I am more patient now and I try to grasp everything without judging them on the first impression. There is always something more to everything and everyone. The semester is over as all good things must come to an end eventually, but the next chapter of bigger things awaits. Written by Sagar Khandelwal PGPB Alumni Class of 2015-17 currently working with Universal Consulting. I completed my B.Tech. from MNIT Jaipur in Electrical Engineering. I have worked with Maruti Suzuki India Limited for 2.5 years and I am passionate about automobiles. The culture of MSIL imbibed in me a strong know-how of all the aspects of an automobile organization. Here in MISB Bocconi, I pursued my PGPB with specialization in Finance and consulting. I worked with Ipsos Business consulting as an intern for 6 months and completed four consulting and research projects successfully for them. Moreover, I worked with Elara Capital as a full-time summer intern to sharpen my financial edge. I received Dean’s Scholarship worth USD 7,000 based on excellent performance during my MBA. My team secured a place in top 5 Global finalists amongst 60,000 participants, 873 Universities, and Business Schools, 89 Countries to qualify for the Global Marketing Competition (GMKC) with final held in Madrid, Spain. PGPB Admission Requirements – Click Here
At The End Of The First Trimester At MISB Bocconi One Feels…
This article is written by PGPB5 student Arko Biswas Alongside the long Diwali weekend, the first trimester at MISB Bocconi also came to an end last week. It was 4 months of new introductions and experiences as I began my journey. It has been quite a start, as someone from a conservative Mumbai College it has been quite a journey. The first thing that appealed to me about my class at MISB was the remarkable diversity that had been assembled for the 5th PGPB batch. I got the opportunity to meet colleagues from almost every state in India. This has played a significant role in broadening my worldview. I have never lived outside of Mumbai before and it was quite a thrill to meet people different states and backgrounds. This was also probably the first time when I hung out with a group where every individual was from a different state and had their unique sense of humor and eccentricities. This impact this exposure had on me cannot be understated. Academically, MISB has been a period of adaptation and great exposure. Having spent most of my life in the typically mechanical learning based Indian education system MISB has been a welcome change in pace. Meeting professors that genuinely care about the learning process their students go through and get involved in our lives by providing a personal touch. For instance, almost every professor has shared with us details of their families and personal lives, sometimes in the span of a few weeks we develop a bond deep enough for them to share stories about their children and insightful tales of their career experiences. In fact, at MISB we are even encouraged to invite our professors out for drinks on the weekends. This unique relationship that we develop with our professors is one of the reasons why MISB has been so academically enriching. These few months at MISB have also been instrumental in changing my opinion of myself, coming into the course I was young graduate full of self-belief and a know it all attitude. However spending time with my new colleagues and professors has been eye-opening. It has been a humbling experience as I have come to realize the caliber of competition that I will have to face as I step into the market after my MBA. Facing my first intensive day of interviews and group discussions, competing with classmates who pushed me to be the best has been one of the highlights of the last few months. Additionally, the best thing about studying and working at MISB has been the batch size. As a result of which we have become a close-knit group. I have learned about solidarity and facing challenges as a unit. Every time a colleague wins a competition or lands a good internship I believe we all feel proud together. We are quick to share opportunities with each other and help each other out. Even the administration and career development services are able to give personal attention to almost every student, which will make a huge difference in the long run. In summation, the first trimester at MISB has been a wholesome ride. Combining the hectic life of an MBA program with the growth experience of making new friends and forging bonds with our professors, its had been a start of changing opinions and broadening horizons. A solid bedrock has been laid for the program ahead as we as a class work to better ourselves and eventually step out into the world as proud Bocconians.