• The 2006-2007 intake illustrates diversity. With 31 participants from 13 countries and 5 continents, more than 65 % from overseas, a third of women and all from very different backgrounds, the EM LYON international MBA shows its difference and asserts itself as an opportunity for exchange and opening to the world. This breakdown, far removed from MBA standards, which is in its majority masculine and brings together few nationality groups, is not a haphazard phenomenon and is really the result of a recruitment process set up by EM LYON. The search for diversity in participants' profiles is directly linked to the philosophy behind the programme consisting in the search for creativity: a varied, multicultural environment, favouring the exchange of opinions and the confrontation of ideas.
• A new impetus to the MBA market. Daniel Evans, Academic Dean Executive Education of EM LYON, has carefully analysed the development of the MBA market “which in the past ten years has developed in such a way as to format managers' profiles. They are capable of implementing tools and applying management concepts but not necessarily good at taking initiatives and “taking the plunge”. Listening to business requirements and integrating expectations and needs into its programmes, EM LYON has therefore developed a new International MBA this year: the MBA that prepares managers to innovate, dare and take the situation in hand, going beyond simple analysis.
• Innovative teaching. How to develop learning flexibility, the sense of courage, leadership, a taste for risk-taking or a capacity to identify and use key resources? After discussions with the Advisory Committee (bringing together human resources and recruitment managers from Alcatel, La Poste, Arcelor, IBM…), the teaching body and companies, a whole new training approach has been defined.
1) The first link in the chain is recruitment. With respect to GMAT scores and technical criteria, EM LYON favours candidates' potential. Right from the recruitment stage, the analysis of each participant's profile, through 24 key indicators, will be used to define where the individual focus should be put in specific competences.
2) Secondly, the structure of the programme, which obviously maintains management, finance, marketing and strategic courses, is enhanced by a totally new module in which each participant will develop an innovative project in a real-life situation (business project, start-up, etc.) throughout the year. Theoretical input is therefore linked to experimentation right from the start. An International MBA at EM LYON does not only involve understanding and learning, it means doing and experimenting, so that future graduates may become real entrepreneurial leaders.
3) Finally, on the basis of its recognised experience and expertise in the field of bespoke training for companies, EM LYON has integrated an ultra-flexible approach in the programme: 50% of electives are developed specifically according to the intake's profiles. As far as career development is concerned - a strong point appreciated by EM LYON IMBAs for several years now –the participant is placed at the centre of the “Career Power” system which encourages participants to forge their own careers. Although monitored by a “coach”, they take charge of themselves and activate the networks made available to them. EM LYON thus takes the wager that, in future years, it will monitor these “new generation” graduates and check with their employers that they apply the know-how they developed on campus in their everyday job…
This pioneering approach, with a new, unique MBA in its genre, developed on the basis of the school's areas of expertise (entrepreneurship, managerial development, innovation and change management) is an original step in the world of MBAs and a response to corporate requirements. After the participants themselves, it is these companies that will confirm the success of this innovation and the reality of the schools claim, “Educating Entrepreneurs for the world”.
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