Between May 22-26 2023, students and alumni from the Global EMBA programme were finally able to take their academic journey back onto the world stage. Travelling to Switzerland and Italy to immerse themselves in the world of luxury consumption, they completed the first global module to be delivered by CEIBS since the beginning of the pandemic, way back in early 2020.
A welcome return to normality, this was also an important psychological milestone for those students and alumni who attended. After almost three years of frequent disruption to their academic plans, the ability to physically get on a plane and visit another country for an exciting learning journey with their peers and professors was exactly the kind of change they needed.
Global modules are an essential part of the Global EMBA experience, as they provide much needed context and colour to business realities that must be ‘seen’ to be fully understood. Even in a global economy where so much is homogenised, students who want to grasp what makes a given country or region’s business culture unique must experience it in person. They must breathe it in and soak up the lessons it offers in a way that cannot be replicated purely through a textbook or online forum.
With student anticipation at an all-time high, the pressure was on the module’s convener, CEIBS Professor Gianfranco Siciliano, to deliver an unforgettable learning experience – a challenge he accomplished in style.