Category: Educations Series

Why networking and social interaction are so important in digital learning!

Posted on | by albe@mip.polimi.it | Leave a Comment on Why networking and social interaction are so important in digital learning!

“Boarding completed!” It’s 7pm and I am ready to fly to Milano after a long and busy day in my home city, Tirana. Tomorrow, it’s back to school. We have another face-to-face week, a bootcamp organized at the premises of MIP Politecnico di Milano. I have the chance to meet up with some of my classmates again, but it’s not only this. This is a good opportunity to meet other international students, studying at MIP Politecnico di Milano or at other business schools, as part of the international exchange program between business schools and universities around the world.

In general, there is prejudice toward online studying, based on the fact that learning isn’t just an intellectual activity, but a social one. This is why many people would prefer traditional, as opposed to online learning, for the ultimate reason of avoiding the feeling of isolation and missing out on social interaction during the studying process. That was my concern too, when I first decided to register for an international online EMBA program.

But as this challenging and important journey reaches its end, I no longer have any doubts about the choice I made almost two years ago. The social interaction aspect of  the “online learning” process is not lacking at all, but of course it has changed form, through the use of digital platforms, just as the concepts of learning and knowledge have significantly changed lately. As Barr and Tagg say, “a college is an institution that exists to produce learning” (Barr, Tagg, 1996); it is obvious that there is an evolving shift from teaching to learning, which means more active participation in the gaining and sharing of knowledge among the participants of a learning community.

The first tangible aspect of this online EMBA program was the inclusion of a “warm-up” period at the very beginning of the journey, which helped us a lot in establishing the desired social interaction within our newly created community. The kick-off week in Milano was perfectly organized to support and facilitate the distance learning process over the following 2 years. It was a week full of discussions, emotions, curiosity, building trust through getting to know each other, training in self-awareness and soft skills, necessary for laying the groundwork for new friendships and a great network.

Another positive aspect of this virtual environment is the fact that the learning process is mostly based on working groups, facilitated by the MIP online learning platform. The roles and team members are continually changing for each course, thus giving everyone the opportunity to work with all the other classmates, as well to exercise leadership skills within a team, several times during the EMBA program. Alongside the clips presented by the professors and the weekly Q&A live sessions, in every course of this EMBA program we are engaged in virtual discussions within a team, where everyone must contribute something substantial to the project work: we can acquire information from the others, combined with that which we bring into the discussion based on our backgrounds and previous experiences.

Having said that, we have the opportunity to push our understanding beyond our own limits, by considering the ideas shared by other classmates in small groups. This kind of “learning by sharing” has the attributes of collaborative learning, as everyone within the class is changing their role from performing as an individual to creating knowledge as a group. The size of the group (four or five) is another important element to support collaborative learning in this virtual learning environment. In this way, knowledge creation is socially shared through the participation in virtual teamwork and on several video-forums organized on social platforms, such as Yammer. It means that the professors start to be more and more like coordinators, mediators or tutors in this learning process.

Last but not least, social interaction should be fed continually to stay alive and healthy in a remote environment. Almost every day we have some brief conversations for social networking within the group, trying to keep in touch with our classmates through different communication channels. The WhatsApp group created during the kick-off week in Milano has been kept active all the time, by posting comments, asking questions or sharing personal information to celebrate together, as part of a newly created set of friendships that helps us to motivate each other during this difficult and demanding period in our lives.

As I have already mentioned in one of my previous articles, we had the chance to prove the importance of our network, and the fact that social interaction through digital learning is so relevant and true, when we met face-to-face for the second time, with all the i-Flex students on the MIP International Executive MBA program. Everyone was so happy and enthusiastic to meet up again, but this time in the beautiful city of London. During the week, we had the opportunity to further strengthen our relationships within the group, having the chance to get to know each other better, not only during the day on campus, but also by enjoying the events organized together after school time, such as sightseeing around the city, visiting museums or having fun together in London’s very nice old pubs and restaurants. The positive energy created during that week was our motivation for a long time to keep going through the online learning process, while working and fulfilling family responsibilities.

The future of the labor market is smart working and I must confirm that this online platform was the best opportunity for me to recognize how to communicate, interact and socialize with people online and how to enlarge my professional network through digital means of communication.

 

About the author
 Elivar Golemi

Elivar Golemi is an Albanian candidate at MIP International Flex EMBA. She is working as an Executive Director in the dairy industry, after a long experience in the banking system. Skilled in Financial Analyses, Risk Management and Internal Audit. Nature lover, passionate photographer and mountain climber.

 

 

Master Financial Technology with an MSc Fintech Degree

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Business schools are racing to offer masters degree programs in financial technology (fintech), as employer demand skyrockets for professionals who can use tools like artificial intelligence to boost financial institutions’ efficiency, generate new products or services for them, and help the big firms avoid being disrupted by nimbler startups.

And despite knowing that it is risky to offer a course on volatile and controversial markets such as cryptocurrencies (for example), as they could disappear as quickly as they emerged, schools are enhancing their brands with the fintech offerings, as students and employers demand them.

“I think a course in fintech was a must,” says Emilio Barucci, director of the International Master in Fintech, Finance and Digital Innovation at MIP Politecnico di Milano in Italy, in order to maintain MIP’s status as a leading technology university.

[…]

An increased demand for fintech skills

Business schools say the catalyst for the introduction of fintech courses has been high and growing demand among finance employers for trained professionals, who can use digital technologies, such as data science techniques.

[…]

Across the world, financial services firms are struggling to attract talent with a mixture of business smarts and technical acumen. In a recent employer survey by Hays Financial Markets, a recruitment firm, 61 percent said they faced moderate to extreme skills shortages, with technology among the most sought-after skills.

[…]

The demand is global. According to a 2018 report by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), 7,800 jobs were added to the fintech and financial services sectors in 2016-2017 in the city-state, with fintech alone contributing close to 2,000 net jobs, far exceeding a target set by the MAS.

[…]

However, financial institutions’ automation of some activities, has raised concerns that jobs could disappear as a result. A Citigroup report forecasted that fintech could cost almost 2m bank employees their jobs over the next decade.

So far, displacement has mostly affected staff in banks’ brick-and-mortar retail branches, as banks do more online and cut branches, and staff in “back office” functions, such as those working in settlements, who make sure that payments are processed.

Technology could free up “front office” workers, such as investment bankers, to do more interesting jobs. For example, several investment banks use AI to help determine the best way to execute big trades by reading market conditions. The AI comes up with the trading optimization strategy, but it’s validated by humans. In one case, the method achieved annualized returns that outperformed a benchmark index.

[…]

How MSc Fintech courses are keeping pace with the industry’s rapid change

But what exactly should be taught in fintech masters programs and who should teach it? With the field evolving so quickly, how are academics keeping pace with market developments?

[..]

MIP uses case studies in its fintech masters program that were developed by companies such as Aviva, Deloitte and IBM. “The companies help us in updating the course according to the evolution of the industry,” says Barucci.

 

From chief accountant to strategic enabler: the evolution of the CFO

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«If the pilot of a company is the CEO, the role of co-pilot is undoubtedly filled by the CFO». This statement from Matteo Rinaldi, CFO of Sandoz Italia and former student at MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business, expresses well the central role financial directors now play in corporate organizational charts. In the last five-six years the Chief Financial Officer has undergone a very rapid evolution and is increasingly involved in decision-making processes.

Matteo Rinaldi recently spoke about the role of the CFO during an online presentation of the International Part Time MBA of MIP Politecnico di Milano.

The four main functions of the finance department of a company can be seen like a pyramid at the base of which is data processing and, as you climb, reporting and control, up to the summit that consists of decision-making support. «Until a few years ago the first three functions were preponderant. Recently, instead, participation in decision-making processes has taken on an ever-increasing weight, at the expense of the other three» explained Matteo Rinaldi. «Data processing, reporting and control have lost weight not only in proportion to the business partnership but also in absolute terms. Indeed, a good part of these activities has migrated towards centralised services at a corporate level. This means that in multinational companies the financial teams in each country are numerically smaller than in the past and that the activities of CFOs are now more focused on the business».

Today the Chief Financial Officer measures his or her success on the basis of the impact he or she has on the business, rather than on the simple accuracy of figures and reporting.  This evolution shouldn’t be understood as a simple shift from one model to another, but as the addition of new functions to the original ones.  «In Sandoz we summed up this process with the phrase ‘We drive the business to create value’. The basis of our work remains the ability to read data, but now we must also be able to interpret it to make strategic decisions. The first step is the accuracy of data, an aspect that’s not trivial, if it’s true that, according to research by the Harvard Business Review, about 47% of data collections contain at least one critical error. Secondly we must ‘connect the dots’ of the organization, taking advantage of the cross-cutting role of the finance sector with respect to other corporate functions. Alongside hard skills, soft skills are also extremely important, necessary, other than for managing people, also for negotiating and for understanding all aspects of one’s company».

In summary, in the past the CFO was above all an accountant: the typical approach to the job was descriptive and to look the past. Today the CFO has become a business partner, who must have analytic expertise and adopt a predictive approach, thus facing the future. «The next step is represented by becoming a strategic enabler. That is we need to make increasing use of digital technologies, to adopt an agile operating model. And to transform the company into a ‘data driven organization’: today we deal with a large quantity of data, but many people don’t know how to use it.
Sandoz, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, is using Artificial Intelligence instruments to construct a forecasting model that allows it to produce with greater precision the right quantity of each of its 800 products».

 

SMEs which receive EU funding drastically outperform those who don’t

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SMEs which receive EU-guaranteed loans outperform those that don’t in areas including asset, sales and productivity growth, according to a new research report from emlyon business school and Politecnico di Milano School of Management.

The report assesses the short and long-term economic effects that EU guaranteed loans have on beneficiary firms. These loans were provided to SMEs under programs funded by the European Commission and managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF).

Fabio Bertoni and Anita Quas, professors of finance at emlyon, and Massimo G. Colombo, professor of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance at Politecnico di Milano School of Management, analysed data collated on over 85,000 loans granted to 57,000 individual French SMEs between 2002 and 2016, for a total amount of EUR 4.65bn.

During the study, SMEs who received these loans were matched with a ‘twin’ firm that had not benefited from this scheme. The twin firms were almost identical to beneficiary SMEs in terms of industry, location, current and predicted growth, employment rate, size and age. These twin firms gained funding through more traditional bank loans, other forms of external investment such as venture capital, or did not receive any added funding at all.

Professor Massimo G. Colombo says, “Most banks act very conservatively. If they think a venture has any possibility of failing or being too risky, it is likely they will be very cautious in giving a loan. This means that many SMEs which are perhaps riskier ventures, but have the capacity to be successful, are unlikely to receive funding. These EU-guaranteed loans step in as a security buffer to banks, ensuring potentially profitable SMEs receive the funding they deserve.”

The study found that over the ten-year period, SMEs who received these EU-guaranteed loans outperformed those who didn’t by experiencing on average a;

  • 9% additional asset growth
  • 7% additional sales growth
  • 8% additional employment growth
  • More than 2.5% additional productivity growth
  • 5.7% decrease in the likelihood of defaulting.

Professor Fabio Bertoni says, “The results are consistent with the fact that one of the biggest blocks to SMEs’ growth is a lack-of financing, and experiencing financial constraints. In fact, 30%-40% of EU SMEs cited limited funding as a very significant reason for lack of growth in an EIF survey. These loans alleviate SMEs financial constraints, easing the pressure on firms and allowing them to invest in what they deem the most important areas for growth.”

Previous research has stated that 85% of new jobs in the EU come from SME’s. The researchers suggest that it is no surprise that schemes such as these EU-guaranteed loans are beneficial to the EU in terms of job creation.

 

Fluid, integrated and mixed: here’s the publishing industry of the future

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The New York Times recently reported 700 million dollars in revenue just for its digital business. On the other hand, at a global level, revenue for the information industry is down in many countries, including Italy, as news publications struggle to interpret the current communication context in an economically sustainable way. How is the market for information evolving?

«This situation doesn’t surprise me and has very deep roots – says Giuliano Noci, professor of Strategy & Marketing at Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management and Vice Rector for China at the same university –. In the past some people thought that advertising alone could sustain an online business, a prediction that was proved wrong. At the same time, twenty years ago many publishers responded to the arrival of digital by cutting costs and lowering quality as a result. That turned out to be a mistake, because news today has become a commodity: news alone has no value, anyone can provide it. It was and is necessary to offer depth of analysis, the ability to interpret phenomena in the medium and long term. In the United States they have moved in this direction, increasingly strengthening the component of interpretation with respect to reporting of pure and simple current events and leveraging off the reputation that comes from the prestige of their brands».

The web hasn’t led to a lowering of quality, rather to a polarization between those who care only about price, and so look for free contents, and those who instead are looking for quality and are ready to pay for it.

 «Then there’s also an organizational aspect, on which Italy is particularly late – continues Professor Noci –. Delivering information today doesn’t only mean producing texts, but working from a multimedia perspective, which means centralized newsrooms instead of newsrooms separated from web activities».

At the base of the success of some publishing models there’s therefore also a rethinking of the relationship between digital means and “traditional” journalism, with an eye on greater integration between the two components.

In addition, we are witnessing a reversal in some workflows, with news that is produced directly for digital channels and the paper versions of newspapers that serve as a collection or “best of” the contents that appeared digitally even several days earlier.

Thus it’s not surprising that some iconic newspapers have been purchased and relaunched by big web entrepreneurs. Recently Marc Benioff, founder and CEO of Salesforce (the world’s leading CRM platform), and his wife announced the acquisition of the famous Time weekly. And behind the revival of The Washington Post there’s Jeff Bezos, founder of the famous e-commerce portal Amazon, who in 2013 took it over, full of debt, from the Graham family. And to those who asked him the reason for this purchase, Bezos answered that Internet destroyed most of the advantages that dailies had built up over time but offered them a gift: free global distribution. To benefit from that gift, Bezos implemented a new business model no longer based solely on high revenue per reader, but on the acquisition of a greater number of readers.

But does English language information also benefit from the large size of the audience and its different cultural predisposition?  «No – answers Giuliano Noci –. If Italian media survived twenty years ago, there’s no reason it can’t in the current environment, in which instead, if you know how to exploit it, there are prospects for greater growth. My experience with omnichannel sales leads may to say that the presumed immaturity of consumers is instead an inadequate offering, which over time ends up also negatively impacting demand.
If many publishers in Italy and in Europe are in trouble, it’s because they are not up to manoeuvring the changes underway in society and don’t offer something that is perceived as being of value».

Digital is growing, but according to R&S Mediobanca data, 91.6% of worldwide publishing turnover still comes from print media.  What’s more, publishers that are solely digital like Buzzfeed have announced cuts, while many new publishing products are born in a mixed print-digital form.  Professor Giuliano Noci comments: «Today the mixed model prevails, because people prefer to use media in a mixed manner.
Both digital and print fundamentalists are wrong. All the most recent studies tell us that consumption behaviours must be segmented not based on individuals, but on the life context in which they’ve found themselves. So, there’s not the person who under all conditions prefers to be informed by the radio, TV, web or by reading a newspaper, but everyone, depending on the moment of the day or the situation in which they find themselves, favours one or the other means. Behaviours are very fluid and can be intercepted only by an equally fluid offering».

 

 

 

 

 

 

AMIE: My experience

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You come up with an idea. You see it in your head and you think about the many reasons why it would make the next hit. You tell your colleagues about it. You form a team.

You engage in the challenging ride of building a startup and making it epic. Your team loves it. So do you. You pitch, you test, you iterate. You find a few bumps on the way.

You tell yourself to keep on. You keep on. You and your team find more bumps. You all keep on. You find yourselves with market limitations. The idea falls short. Motivation soars. The team splits.

The truth is: that’s real-life entrepreneurship. So… never give up!

And it all started back in Mexico City in June of 2017, when I received notice from the Italian Ministry that I had been awarded a scholarship for my Master’s tuition. It had been a long time since I had wondered about the opportunity of living in Europe and pursuing further learning abroad. The possibility of diving deep into my favorite topics while sitting next to an international class made it all even more attractive.

And it was thanks to the Invest Your Talent in Italy program that I was able to pursue the Advanced Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AMIE), a joint program between MIP Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Solvay Brussels School in Belgium. The Master featured 3 main projects: the New Venture Lab, the Field Project, and the Summer Internship.

With its kick-off in October 2017, the New Venture Lab was aimed at engaging our class in a real-life simulation of a new startup venture. Throughout the year, we had the opportunity to design, pitch, and work in groups on the incubation of a business idea, all the way from the conceptualization of a business model, to the value proposition defining, and then to the go-to-market strategy design.

For me, the course began with an exciting start, working alongside a great international team of four, and focusing on an online tool for peer-to-peer education. Despite our great group spirit, as the project moved forward, we realized that the market we were targeting was not as responsive to our proposition as we had initially thought. After a few setbacks, the group opted to pivot towards a completely different sector. In this case, we were no longer addressing educational concerns, but rather we were trying to propose an alternative to help people quit smoking.

Even if this choice meant making a 180° turnaround, as a team, we were confident that our new solution, a motion-detecting wearable bracelet, would help this specific market segment reduce its smoking habits. This device was to be linked to an app that allowed users to create a tailor-made quitting program, obtaining rewards as progress was being made. We then had the opportunity to pitch this concept at the Microsoft House in Milan.

After moving to Brussels, with a great new team and a with a different objective in mind, our new venture model was built upon an online marketplace for upcoming Italian high-end brands. Through this framework, Italian designers could connect more easily with a growing high-end international market segment, a project that ended up building the foundation for the next challenges to come.

And that’s because on the Field Project, we got the opportunity to work on a textile recycling project for the Belgian office of a leading global FMCG company. For the Summer Internship, on the other hand, I performed industry research on the Mexican hosiery market, proposing a circular solution for an Italian textile industrial district. As a result, I got to present my findings in a regional workshop that was honored by the presence of the Mexican Consul in Italy.

In retrospect, I can say without a doubt that my AMIE year was an intense, fast-changing, and highly rewarding experience. I believe that the richness of it all comes not only from the course syllabus, the lectures, and the study hours, but it also lies within the quality of people you get to meet, the character you build when facing the bumps, and the learning you gain as a result of the process.

As it is with entrepreneurship, uncertainty is always around the corner. But after this exceptional journey, I believe it is time for us to take action, fill in the gaps, and start designing our ideal future.

And not leaving before we build it.

 

About the author

Bruno Leopardi

Bruno is a 26-year-old Strategy Specialist from Mexico. He recently graduated from his Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at MIP Politecnico di Milano and Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. His goal is to build and guide organizations through strategy and performance.

 

 

Peeking inside Zambon with Irina

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Project works are an important step in the path towards a Master Degree. Indeed, they help students to build their career network and to put into practice the lessons learnt in class.
Thus, finding the perfect match for the project work is fundamental.
Just as happened to Irina, iMPM student, who found in Zambon an exciting working environment and in Paola Albani a dedicated mentor.

 

Why did you choose Zambon for your internship?

It was a good chance to work in an environment offering what matters most to me at work: a company that cares for its employees, challenging tasks, and a great team to work with.
Speaking in detail, Zambon is an Italian family-owned pharmaceutical company that – thanks to its high-quality products and services –  has earned a strong reputation over the years.
I believe that the reason for this success lies in its corporate person-oriented philosophy, which strongly reflects my values.
You can also see the company as a place for both personal and professional growth: initiative is always welcome and people are involved into different business processes accordingly to their interests.

In addition, the campus offers a wide range of services such as a gym, piano lessons during the lunch-time, open spaces to play table games with your peers and much more… This contributes in making every working day enjoyable.

Secondly, joining the SAP Digital Transformation project gave me the opportunity to add new tools to my toolbox. I see this project as an opportunity, not only to sharpen what I was learning during the Master programme, but also to face the challenges of an unknown industry and project type.
I am confident that such complex IT project will make me more marketable after the internship and also show me as a “fast-learner” who is looking to add value fast.

The last reason was easy access to mentors I could learn from. The Project is implemented by three organizations (Zambon, SAP Italy, and Techedge), giving me the chance to work with professionals with different backgrounds. This increased my exposure within the company and introduced me to a valuable resource of expertise brought to the Project by each of these people.

Moreover, I’m very excited to work closely with my current manager Paola Albani, who has more than 30 years of experience in managing that kind of projects. She inspired me to accept this internship and set a goal of making the greatest impact on the Project I can.

 

As you mentioned her, we would like to ask Paola how Zambon benefits from the presence of an iMPM student.

I’m particularly proud to have had this idea! Of course, it’s an opportunity to have these students, as they can contribute by adding value through their school knowledge, desire to do, faster capability of learning. They make a difference in our daily project activities. Often we make them busy, but they are responding very well. In short, it’s a great experience!

 

Paola suggested that interns take part in the daily project activities at Zambon. Could you share your experience?

I came to Zambon in September 2018 during the “Explore” phase, thus I could catch the very beginning of the Project implementation process. Since the first day, I could feel like an equal team member despite the fact I was the only international young professional in the group.

As a Project Manager intern, a large part of my work involves tracking the progress of the project, the stakeholders’ management and the facilitation of their communication with the Project team to ensure that both parties are aligned.
During this internship, I have improved presentation skills, got used to multitasking work, and even enforced creative skills such as movie making. A nice bonus was the attendance of the SAP annual event held in Milan, where I met colleagues involved in similar projects around the world and got the training across the vast SAP knowledge base.

 

Well, it seems you are learning a lot. Are you applying any of the teachings of the Master, too?

This internship is definitely a good way to test what I have learned in class. Moreover, my Master dissertation analyses our Project implementation methodology and PM tools, and compares them with the academic theory and previous business cases.

Thus, I have the chance to apply most of the tools given to us at school on daily basis. Also, I am grateful to our leadership class that developed a great approach to learning how to produce videos. I could successfully use this skill to create learning videos for our key users and support the innovative approach to Project implementation.

 

Today, there is a lot of talk about reverse mentorship. So, we have a last question for Paola.  What did you learn from Irina?

Irina has a so kind way to approach things that she has been able to create a special and positive atmosphere in any situation. She is a good motivator, and she has always good words to say to anybody any time she sees difficulties.

As a student, she has also shared her school knowledge to learn and teach methodology related to the project. We often discuss differences between school theory and work practice, which is an interesting and useful conversation. She is a good listener but also a good advisory as she is not bored by business dynamics.

 

Many thanks to both Irina and Paola for giving us a great insight of what the project work experience looks like both for interns and mentors.

 

 

 

Milan is always more fashionable

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From 19 to 25 February Milan is at the centre of the world. The reason? Fashion Week, an international event that celebrates one of the  city’s calling cards: six intense days of meetings that draw professionals and fashion lovers from every continent.

The calendar of the event, organised by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (Italian Chamber of Fashion) and dedicated to autumn/winter 2019 womenswear, is rich in appointments and foresees 60 fashion shows, 81 presentations, 33 events, for a total of 173 collections.  As in the last editions, there is no shortage of events that are also open to non-professionals, allowing the public, and in particular fashion sector students, to get to know the reality of Made in Italy fashion, from big companies that marked its history to emerging talents.

“Great attention to new talents and internationality”, said Carlo Capasa, president of Camera della Moda about this edition. “There are many brands present in Milan for the first time, thanks to our support. Supporting new talents is one of our pillars, along with sustainability”.

Among newcomers are Gilberto Calzolari and Tiziano Guardini, winners of the Franca Sozzani GCC Award respectively in 2017 and 2018, who will present their collections.  Also highly anticipated are the debuts of Marco Rambaldi for Marios, of the Portuguese designer Alexandra Moura and of the brand of Mayo Loizou and Leszek Chmielewsk. As for the big names, this edition is marked by the return of Gucci, Angel Chen and Bottega Veneta with Daniel Lee.

«The Milanese event is one of four important “fashion weeks” that take place twice a year throughout the world: the others are those of Paris, London and New York – says Alessandro Brun, Director of the Master In Global Luxury Management at the School of Management of  Politecnico di Milano –. It’s an important appointment both for big fashion houses and young designers and emerging brands, which can showcase themselves in a “live” event. It’s also an important moment for the entire city: fashion shows are held in different locations, often in redeveloped areas like Tortona, Garibaldi-Porta Nuova-Isola, Piazzale Lodi, with great benefits also for local businesses».

In short, Milanese fashion sells, as last year’s figures confirm.  The sector’s more vibrant than ever and growing constantly.

Fashion companies in the city total 13,000, while Lombardy – the leading Italian region for the fashion business region – has almost 34,000. Textile exports from Lombardy in the first nine months of 2018 neared 10 billion euros, up 3.6% on the previous year. The city of Milan alone exceeded 5 billion euros, with growth of 6.4%, confirming its position as absolute leader.

Last year’s Fashion Week brought Milan earnings of 19 million euros in the hospitality sector alone, up 2 million on the 2017 edition. The total economic impact for related industries (transport, museums, shops, restaurants) hit 160 million euros, involving some 137,000 employees and 18,000 companies.

The 2019 edition, starting from these premises, aimed at reinforcing, with the support of the City of Milan, the connection between fashion and territory using for events unusual spaces like Palazzo Reale’s Sala delle Cariatidi or the Cavallerizze space in the Museum of Science and Technology. Also planned is the presentation, on the part of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, of the film “Welcome to Milano”, produced by The Blink Fish, in which a group of models takes spectators to explore Milan and its most secret places.

So years go by, but Milan never goes out of fashion. «But it’s good to keep a close eye on changes – says Alessandro Brun –. The big brands are increasingly paying attention to costs compared to the past. And then there are new technologies and new ways of doing things: Burberry launched the first global fashion show in 2010, presenting the autumn-winter collection in live streaming on seven different sites and projected in 3D in the theatres of five different cities and a few years after that offered the possibility of buying in shops the very items shown at the same time on the catwalk, revolutionising the paradigm that saw fashion shows present clothing well in advance of their sale.

 But I don’t believe this can endanger the Milanese event, which boasts an over 60-year history. Indeed, the city remains a reference point for the entire Italian fashion system, whose total revenue rose from 52 billion euros in 2011 to 54 billion in 2017 thanks to the contribution of 46,000 companies and over 400,000 workers.  Our product quality and Italian craftmanship are recognised for their excellence internationally».

Applying to the International MBA at MIP: a seamless and friendly affair

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If you are wondering if doing an International MBA is your call, my recommendation as an adventurous soul is simply to jump the cliff and trust your instinct. The important thing is to have time to take the necessary steps, to get prepared for the journey.

I was already living in Italy when I decided to apply for an MBA. I won’t lie about the fact MIP was not my first choice for continuing my graduate education. What caught my attention about MIP was the kind and efficient support since the moment I asked for information about the Master programs on the school website. The Marketing recruiting team contacted me by e-mail, inviting me to send my CV to recommend me the program that suited my professional experience. They considered the MBA was my best choice for my career path. There are monthly promotional events, as well as fairs around the world to get first-hand information about the MIP and its Master programs.

I applied for the Full-time International MBA one year in advance. The application process started with an online form where I included my academic and professional records. I also did the TOEFL and GRE exams in Milan.

Just three days after submitting my application documents I was already contacted by Ann-Marie from Germany, who presented herself as my recruiter and invited me to schedule the MIP test and a motivational Interview on campus.

Due to work constraints I had problems scheduling my test before 5pm on a weekday. Ann-Marie was very kind and flexible, offering me the alternative to present the exam via skype from my home after working hours. The exam consisted of a business case analysis, data interpretation and a domino test. Compared to other schools which only ask for GMAT and GRE, I believe the MIP entrance test gives you the opportunity to show your logical and analytical skills, in a thorough manner.

During the interview on the Bovisa Campus I met Bhor from India, another caring and professional recruiter who made me feel at ease and was eager to answer my questions regarding the school and the program. During this experience, Bhor highlighted the importance of diverse and international profiles at MIP.

After completing the admission test and interview I chose to apply to the assistantship program, to cover part of my tuition fees. MIP offers many interesting scholarships, plus an early-bird discount.

Two weeks after submitting the remaining documents, I got the wonderful news: I was accepted to be part of the 39th Full-time MBA program at MIP. I couldn’t believe it. In less than a month I already had successfully completed the admission process, almost one year before the start of the program. I dropped my other applications immediately, I was convinced I had already made the smart choice.

I later found out my assistantship work was chosen based on my professional experience. Now I’m happily writing the monthly articles about my MBA journey and shooting videos with my classmates, while completing my business studies. How cool is that? Both Ann-Marie and Bhor are now my colleagues. Thanks to them and all the hard work of the marketing and recruiting team, the admissions process at MIP, is not a hassle but a smooth and pleasant process.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, where one of my classmates will share his experience after attending an MBA Tech Talk at the Microsoft headquarters in the UK…

 

About the author

Roberto Niño Betancourt

Roberto is a student of the International full time MBA. He is a Colombian filmmaker and new media artist based in Milan. He has collaborated as a post producer for MTV Latin America, as well as many European production companies. He is very passionate about international cross-cultural collaborations, craftsmanship and the sustainable conservation of natural resources.

 

5 Reasons Why You Need To Network With Companies During Your MBA

Posted on | by albe@mip.polimi.it | Leave a Comment on 5 Reasons Why You Need To Network With Companies During Your MBA

To get a good job, it makes sense to network with your future employer. But there’s more to it than that.

MBA candidates are an ambitious bunch.
In a QS survey, over half of MBA applicants polled said in 10 years’ time they saw themselves as director of a large company; just under half set their sights higher at CEO. But how do they set out to achieve this goal?

At MIP Politecnico di Milano, the answer is MBA boot camps.
The boot camps expose students to top Italian and multinational companies so that MBA students can make their names known. Leading companies are brought on-campus at MIP to engage with students directly about the challenges business are currently facing through talks, case study discussion, and business simulations.

That insight into the top echelons of real-life business helps students fulfil their future career ambitions, according to MIP professor Davide Chiaroni, manager of MIP’s Circular Economy boot camp.

Students are enthused by what they learn, Davide explains, as engaging with industry leaders on an MBA helps to bridge the gap between the theory of the academic program and practical, real-life application in the business world.

Here are the five reasons why you need to network with companies during your MBA:

  1. Career clarity

    Speaking with companies in industries you’re interested in helps you find out what working in that industry is really like.
    Davide says that most students choose boot camps in line with their graduation ambitions and that talking to managers working high up in these companies gives students a clearer idea of whether that path is right for them.
    “Maybe they’ll realise they want to move in a completely different career direction!” he smiles. “Either way, the experience is useful.”

  2. Business insight

    Interaction with businesses and discussions about current challenges in the market cultivates an understanding of the business world and how it’s connected. This means that when students graduate from their full-time MBA they feel in the loop with what’s going on and who’s involved.
    There are two compulsory boot camps at MIP Politecnico di Milano; Finance in Action and Sales Strategy in Action. Then, students can choose from a wealth of elective options. These include, among others; Circular Economy, Big Data Analytics, and Entrepreneurship.
    In the Circular Economy boot camp, students build models around how to adapt to digital disruptions and the inclusion of sustainability into businesses, bouncing off what company representatives have told them.

  3. The chance to make a good impression

    Working through business challenges with industry leaders gives MBAs the chance to highlight their approach to problem-solving and consequently make a real impression on possible future employees.
    “Even if managers are very well informed with a strong network, they will tend to focus on their peers and competitors so a completely fresh pair of eyes is valuable to them,” Davide explains.
    “The exchange of ideas is mutually beneficial and managers will remember those who make impressive contributions.”

  4. Contacts and connections

    Exposure to industry leaders and discussing real business challenges with classmates and top managers solidifies a strong professional network.
    MIP selects companies for its boot camps that it has strong working relationships with. This ensures that the company is not just using the opportunity to self-promote and consequently provides insights that are genuinely valuable to MBAs and their futures.
    According to Davide, because of the emphasis on informative discussion between companies and students, MBAs can develop a real rapport, asking detailed questions on the business models under the spotlight.

  5. Practical experience

    Gaining a real-life and practical understanding of how companies are tackling issues and adapting to disruption right now bolsters the theory behind business management and is especially useful to MBAs wanting to jump into new industries.
    Boot camps are a melting pot, mixing the real-life decision-making process of big companies with the theoretical approach of an MBA program.
    MIP Politecnico di Milano specifically chooses companies who are keeping pace with innovations in traditional markets. For example, Enel X; the business development company attached to one of the largest energy companies in Italy.
    They also work with startups generated from PoliHub (Politecnico di Milano’s startup incubator) which in 2018 was named the third best university incubator in Europe according to the UBI Global Index.
    “The company exposure in the boot camps puts into practice the building blocks of knowledge the MBAs have learned previously on the course about managerial decisions and problem assessment,” Davide concludes.
    “It does this in a way that solidifies MBA students’ knowledge and sets them up well for future career moves.”

     

    Originally published on