controller, says GEMBA is about much more than visiting other countries. “You learn to appreciate the difference within a country,” she says. In Moscow, for instance, the cohort visited the Moscow Oil Refinery, which she says was very traditional and hierarchical, almost militarylike, in its operations. But they also visited a young entrepreneur’s toy company, which she says was relatively liberal and open-minded, more like American companies. “If we’d just seen one of them,” she says, “we would have a skewed vision of how things operate in Russia.” GEMBA covers all the basics of an MBA program through classroom discussions and lectures, case studies, and a master’s project. In every location, there is a faculty leader, and faculty from all three schools team up with local professors to teach. Every module offers courses that cover industry structure, corporate strategy, and corporate finance. Local managers, executives, or lobbyists are invited to speak to the class, and students roleplay with them, integrating all the topics covered in that specific module. The program also immerses students in the rhythm and culture of each location. The group stays in local hotels, eats local food, and dines when the locals dine — even if, as in Spain, that means sitting down to eat at 10 p.m. In Bangalore, students take “cultural walks” and try to understand the challenges and opportunities in the market. Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
In São Paulo, they learn the frustrations of a city so congested that, Parada says, it has denser helicopter traffic than New York City. In Moscow, they take Metro, which exposes them to some Soviet heritage. “It’s 300 feet below ground, because it was used to protect people from bombings in World War II,” Parada says. They visit a private Russian gallery and have experts explain the history
MarCo CrIsToForI/GETTy IMaGEs
a walk in Bangalore
of the country through its art. Through all these academic and cultural experiences, the program builds students’ confidence, Almeida says. “We unleash the possibilities in themselves,” he says. “People realize they are capable of a lot more than they realized, and a lot of them, after the program, change jobs. An ER doctor decided to leave and start his own business. One person stayed at Microsoft, but he got two promotions in a year.” Other students go even further in their immersion. Heather Petry (GEMBA ’10) added her own trips to every GEMBA module in an effort to learn more, extend her network, and do some good in the places she visited. She spent time on the water with Sailing Training for Youth: Ruhunu Sailing Association, an NGO in Sri Lanka that teaches children how to sail, so down the road they are less reliant on fuel for fishing. She also volunteered at a school and orphanage in the Philippines and climbed mountains in Patagonia. Petry formed her own consulting group, Intersection International, four years ago, focusing on strategy, innovation, and diplomacy. She recently completed training in international conflict management and peace building. Being someone who seeks such cultural and business expe-
GEMBA students bond as a cohort.
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