This academic year certainly finished in an unexpected way with the disruption of “business as usual” due to COVID-19. Like all schools, we had to react quickly and adapt to a new reality in which only virtual connections were possible. The silver lining is that our experience in the spring and summer of 2020 has inspired ley changes in EADA’s International MBA programme.
Aside from the obvious adaptation of the programme to meet the requirements for a hybrid model of delivery that would ensure a satisfying immersive learning experience for participants, we have also introduced several changes to the overall curriculum, putting leadership, innovation and sustainability at the centre of the programme.
Lead for tomorrow
More than ever in today’s uncertain world, leaders need to feel comfortable with constant change and the lack of “perfect” answers. They must be able to build relationships and connect in the virtual world. With this in mind, we have added a new module to our Personal Leadership Development Programme with a special focus on leading in a virtual world. This journey of personal insights and transformation is delivered in a purely “live online format” and complements the leadership development modules dedicated to leading oneself and teams, as well as leading across the organization and in society. During this module, the emphasis will be on negotiating for value creation, furthering EADA’s goal of educating responsible leaders committed to making a positive impact on the world.
Innovate or die
We also firmly believe that given the current circumstances, innovation is no longer something that is “nice to have”, but that it has become “a must-have” mindset for any organisation to survive. For this reason, EADA has discontinued its optional Global Innovation specialisation in favour of integrating innovation as a core pillar of the MBA.
As part of this process, participants begin the first trimester with the Corporate Innovation Challenge, the Accelerated Design Thinking and Disruptive Innovation Workshops. They complete the innovation experience by developing and testing their own idea in an entrepreneurship boot camp. The knowledge and skills gained during the innovation process are combined with the rigour of market and business research to prepare them for the ultimate challenge: the MBA final project.
Leaders in sustainability
EADA Business School is committed to doing good for the world. Although sustainability and responsible leadership across functional areas have always been at the core of EADA’s MBA philosophy, from this year particular emphasis will be applied to sustainability and social/green entrepreneurship to develop the skills and know-how required of future managers.
For those who want to go even deeper, we have added the strategic specialisation of Sustainability and Business Impact covering topics such as leading sustainable transformation, climate mitigation and adoption strategies, the circular economy, impact measurement and management, sustainable finance, and sustainable marketing and consumer ethics.
Future managers have the greatest challenges of all: to transform an economy to become regenerative and inclusive by design. They will lead organisations that are not only the best in the world, but the best for the world.
EADA’s MBA ensures that participants can identify and understand the way that sustainability challenges are interdependent, but more than that, we aim to provide our graduates with the tools that will allow them to respond to global business issues systematically and proactively. EADA shapes future leaders capable of managing sustainable transformation in impact-focused organisations. “Future managers have the greatest challenges of all: to transform an economy to become regenerative and inclusive by design,” says EADA Professor Josep Maria Coll.
“They will lead the organisations that are not only the best in the world, but the best for the world.”