Originally, the MBA was a typical U.S. degree. The Master of Business Administration emerged in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century as America became more and more industrialized. Over time many other Western countries took on the degree and only a few years ago even emerging markets jumped on the train. By now the so called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) have fully embraced the MBA education for example. These days the trend is spreading further and further. Who would have thought the following possible a few years ago?
MBA in Cuba - despite communist regime
For the first time in its history, Cuba opens its doors to MBA studies. It is to be seen if the decision is also a sign for a political as well as economic opening up of the communist country. The first MBA programme in the country starts small. It is a part-time programme organised by the Roman Catholic Church and not by any big known business school name. The MBA programme is taught by the 18th-century San Carlos y San Ambrosio Seminary in Havana, which also hosts the Felix Varela Cultural Centre, a sponsor of the new MBA programme. International business schools have tried to enter the country before. Esade Business School in Barcelona is still part of a project to improve management skills in the country. This project is led by the European Foundation for Management Development and is financed by the EU, but the project is currently on hold.
American partnership in Kazakhstan
Another project in an emerging market is Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business’s partnership with the business school at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. The first MBA programme is expected to begin next September. While the American business school will provide teaching staff, degrees will be issued by Nazarbayev.
Success in Arabian countries
The London Business School has foreseen this trend towards new markets and is reporting growing success from its programme in Dubai, where participants travel to from all over the region. The number of professionals (mainly from the media, leisure, sport and entertainment industries) has more than doubled for the school’s Executive MBA (Dubai) programme. The new Executive MBA class represents 23 nations from 13 industries. Forty per cent of the class will be commuting from outside of the UAE, with students coming from Almaty, Amman, Athens, Beirut, Cairo, Delhi, Doha, Karachi, Kuwait, Moscow and Riyadh for example.
Newest MBA target: Turkey
Another emerging MBA market is Turkey. Turkey has currently about 13 schools offering different MBA courses but only three schools with accreditations from AACSB, Amba and Equis. European business schools foresee a lot of potential in the country, and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School has just finished a recruiting initiative in Turkey. In our December issue we will feature an interview with Paul Healy, Head of Marketing und Recruitment at the Management School, about the school’s expectations in the turkish market.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/11aac838-e8fa-11e0-ac9c-00144feab49a.html