Today I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year…
Since there is people asking about the internships and how the IE’s Career Center works I will post a new article next year….
See you soon…
martes, 23 de diciembre de 2008
viernes, 19 de diciembre de 2008
IE’s facilities
One of the factors you might take into consideration before applying and ultimately go to a B-School is the MBA’s program campus buildings and facilities.
IE’s MBA campus is located in one of the most important and busiest street of Madrid. Right in the heart of Barrio Salamanca is near the city’s center and 2 km away from Madrid’s financial district. IE’s campus is just five minutes away walking from Gregorio Marañon metro station and 10 minutes walking to Avenida de las Americas metro-bus-cercanias station. Madrid’s communications infrastructures can take you to the airport, through Avenida de las Americas, in 20 minutes. The majority of students have been able to find a room in the area and go walking to school.
But being in such privileged location has some disadvantages. The main inconvenience I have acknowledged after getting in the MBA, unfortunately I did not do it before, is the lack of space. IE has tried to use every single square meter of its facilities maximizing the number of classrooms and meeting-rooms, not taking into consideration the importance of others areas as a student cafeteria, sport courts and a bigger library.
The classrooms area is about 60 square meters where a session of 60 students must be seated and some times work in groups. Something I find very difficult just because the desks do not help a lot. This year IMBA is composed of 7 sessions, 5 English sessions and 2 Spanish sessions. For the first time IE has accepted more students than ever. We are just over 400 students, only in the International MBA, and the infrastructure has not improved or has been able to adapt for this change. In some conferences IE had presented, students have seated in the floor so we do not miss anything.
Even though I am lucky enough not to be affected by the accessibility problems IE infrastructure presents, I ask myself, How IE would support students with physical disabilities? What could be the return of investment of building ramps or elevators in IE’s campus?
IE’s MBA campus is located in one of the most important and busiest street of Madrid. Right in the heart of Barrio Salamanca is near the city’s center and 2 km away from Madrid’s financial district. IE’s campus is just five minutes away walking from Gregorio Marañon metro station and 10 minutes walking to Avenida de las Americas metro-bus-cercanias station. Madrid’s communications infrastructures can take you to the airport, through Avenida de las Americas, in 20 minutes. The majority of students have been able to find a room in the area and go walking to school.
But being in such privileged location has some disadvantages. The main inconvenience I have acknowledged after getting in the MBA, unfortunately I did not do it before, is the lack of space. IE has tried to use every single square meter of its facilities maximizing the number of classrooms and meeting-rooms, not taking into consideration the importance of others areas as a student cafeteria, sport courts and a bigger library.
The classrooms area is about 60 square meters where a session of 60 students must be seated and some times work in groups. Something I find very difficult just because the desks do not help a lot. This year IMBA is composed of 7 sessions, 5 English sessions and 2 Spanish sessions. For the first time IE has accepted more students than ever. We are just over 400 students, only in the International MBA, and the infrastructure has not improved or has been able to adapt for this change. In some conferences IE had presented, students have seated in the floor so we do not miss anything.
Even though I am lucky enough not to be affected by the accessibility problems IE infrastructure presents, I ask myself, How IE would support students with physical disabilities? What could be the return of investment of building ramps or elevators in IE’s campus?
jueves, 18 de diciembre de 2008
jueves, 11 de diciembre de 2008
Crisis and MBA stories
martes, 2 de diciembre de 2008
Alternative teaching
Today I want to talk about the “Launch program”. Why? First, because I promised you I will do it and second, because of the FT article I read yesterday. From my perspective the Launch Program is sort of an introduction program to the MBA. IE gives us classes of different contemporary cultures as Modern Japanese, Modern Chinese, Modern Spanish, as well as Teambuilding sessions, Decision Making and Case Method workshops, etc…
Some classes were really interesting, like the Modern Japanese class where the professor explained a clear picture of Japanese Culture, not only giving demographic facts but society trends and problems, and other classes were really boring, like Modern Spanish culture class where the professor explained the Spanish history of the last 3 decades (maybe I have heard about it so many times I get really bored) and not providing new substantial information.
This year IE added some innovation in the “Launch Program”. We receive classes from the ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION and the SHAKESPEARE´S GLOBE. The overall experience was great but IE has to improve some aspects of the experience.
The ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION experience was the worst of the two new modules. The design professor failed to explain the objective of the module. In fact reading the FT article I found out that the objective was:
“…to expose them [students] to design thinking and working processes associated with architecture.”
Or that:
“The idea, says Brett Steele, director of the school, is to encourage participants to work creatively and collaboratively.”
Not only the objective was not clear, the tasks we were working on change rampantly because the professors found out that it was not enough to fill the six hours of class. Some classmates where so upset with the module that commented they wanted a refund for the 6 hours experience. I don’t want to be as extreme as my fellow students. I think that we can get something from the experience, like the importance of creativity or the teamwork in business, but again the event can be improved.
The SHAKESPEARE´S GLOBE experience was definitely better than the previous. The professor knew how to engage us and challenge us. They explain correctly what was the purpose of each exercise. And we challenged them to explain us more about how to develop the soft skills they were teaching us.
Some classmates will disagree with me because they think that the whole SHAKESPEARE´S GLOBE experience was a big pile of BS (relaxation, voice modulation, acting, way to stand in front of an audience and face expression) but I would replay to them that they failed to understand what the professors were trying to teach us.
IE is suffering what all innovators experience, the lack of a reference point. I am sure IE will learn from its mistakes and make the best of its previous experience.
To conclude, I think that the experience was great seeing it from a broad perspective but you could argue with me depending of your way of thinking.
Some classes were really interesting, like the Modern Japanese class where the professor explained a clear picture of Japanese Culture, not only giving demographic facts but society trends and problems, and other classes were really boring, like Modern Spanish culture class where the professor explained the Spanish history of the last 3 decades (maybe I have heard about it so many times I get really bored) and not providing new substantial information.
This year IE added some innovation in the “Launch Program”. We receive classes from the ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION and the SHAKESPEARE´S GLOBE. The overall experience was great but IE has to improve some aspects of the experience.
The ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION experience was the worst of the two new modules. The design professor failed to explain the objective of the module. In fact reading the FT article I found out that the objective was:
“…to expose them [students] to design thinking and working processes associated with architecture.”
Or that:
“The idea, says Brett Steele, director of the school, is to encourage participants to work creatively and collaboratively.”
Not only the objective was not clear, the tasks we were working on change rampantly because the professors found out that it was not enough to fill the six hours of class. Some classmates where so upset with the module that commented they wanted a refund for the 6 hours experience. I don’t want to be as extreme as my fellow students. I think that we can get something from the experience, like the importance of creativity or the teamwork in business, but again the event can be improved.
The SHAKESPEARE´S GLOBE experience was definitely better than the previous. The professor knew how to engage us and challenge us. They explain correctly what was the purpose of each exercise. And we challenged them to explain us more about how to develop the soft skills they were teaching us.
Some classmates will disagree with me because they think that the whole SHAKESPEARE´S GLOBE experience was a big pile of BS (relaxation, voice modulation, acting, way to stand in front of an audience and face expression) but I would replay to them that they failed to understand what the professors were trying to teach us.
IE is suffering what all innovators experience, the lack of a reference point. I am sure IE will learn from its mistakes and make the best of its previous experience.
To conclude, I think that the experience was great seeing it from a broad perspective but you could argue with me depending of your way of thinking.
sábado, 29 de noviembre de 2008
Another Blog I found on the same subject
Philipp Hasskamp a German classmate of mine has another Blog about his experience in IE. Although is in German I believe it can be useful for you guys that speak that language. http://mba-madrid.blogspot.com.
Have a good weekend.
Have a good weekend.
viernes, 28 de noviembre de 2008
The beginning
It has been 3 weeks since we already started the IMBA (November intake). The first two weeks we had the “Launch Program” which for me was a great experience but had generated a lot of controversy in the student’s community (I might speak about it in a different occasion). This week the real stuff has begun. We have so much material to read that all the students are going crazy. Now I am not able to keep the party as I did last two weeks, but don’t worry I think that my fellow students and I will find our way. ☺
Today I had the Information System class. During the class the professor started talking about the Blogs and how the Corporations and Firms are introducing this new media to their agenda. I found the class fascinating because we had a great debate about two very interesting subjects: the truthfulness of the information posted in a Blog and how the Enterprises should use this new resource.
I even remember when I asked if I could start a Blog about my life at IE and he said: “Yes, of course, but be aware of what you post because our lawyers will be watching”. All the class started laughing but those words really got me. After the class I started thinking of blogging my real experience at IE.
I talked to some classmates about the idea and they thought it was interesting but I should be careful because it could backfire at me. How? Well very simple, if I started criticizing IE it will diminish its reputation and could be hard to find a job after the big investment we did.
I have thought about those words and conclude that I should take the risk. As we say in Spanish “¿Quién dijo miedo?”. IE is a great institution with great attributes (adaptability, innovative, etc) and flaws. I want to talk about both in the most neutral way possible.
So this is how this Blog has born. I hope you find it interesting and invite you to comment on it.
Now I got to run because I have to study.
Today I had the Information System class. During the class the professor started talking about the Blogs and how the Corporations and Firms are introducing this new media to their agenda. I found the class fascinating because we had a great debate about two very interesting subjects: the truthfulness of the information posted in a Blog and how the Enterprises should use this new resource.
I even remember when I asked if I could start a Blog about my life at IE and he said: “Yes, of course, but be aware of what you post because our lawyers will be watching”. All the class started laughing but those words really got me. After the class I started thinking of blogging my real experience at IE.
I talked to some classmates about the idea and they thought it was interesting but I should be careful because it could backfire at me. How? Well very simple, if I started criticizing IE it will diminish its reputation and could be hard to find a job after the big investment we did.
I have thought about those words and conclude that I should take the risk. As we say in Spanish “¿Quién dijo miedo?”. IE is a great institution with great attributes (adaptability, innovative, etc) and flaws. I want to talk about both in the most neutral way possible.
So this is how this Blog has born. I hope you find it interesting and invite you to comment on it.
Now I got to run because I have to study.
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