"..."The technology bubble pushed a great number of people into engineering," said Joseph LiPuma, associate professor in strategic management and director of the international MBA program at the EMLYON Business School in Lyon...Reflecting that, 70 percent of the school's MBA students this year have engineering backgrounds, up from 55 percent last year. Although EMLYON does not offer an engineering MBA as such, it offers several specialized master's degrees. One of its offerings is a master's of science in technology and innovation, with courses that include tehcnology management, innovation strategy and marketing; another is a master's of science in international business strategy and development, including courses on strategic and financial business modeling, international market development and globalization. These degrees provide a better training than classic business or engineering qualifications for "the real business environment, in which engineers, psychologists, marketers, mathematicians and scientists interact and provide value to the marketplace," Mr LiPuma said. Today, MBA's are generally no longer seen as a "box to be checked", he said, but "most applicants are truly seeking the reorientation to compete for new jobs"..."

"Business schools attract students from all over the world. So how do they encourage multicultural cohesion?...It seems to be that business schools, rather than adopting a didactic approach to multiculturalism, simply choose to immerse their students in diversity...Aston Business School, EMLYON Business School and Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich have comme together to offer a European Master in Management that allows students to spend time learning and working in UK, France and Germany. "One of the principles of the programme was to attract interculturally aware students who will graduate as internationally competent managers of the future,"says Kathryn Priest, director of the European Master in Management. But in contrast with other business school Masters degrees, the EMM actually teaches two modules on intercultural communication..."

"...More and more, affording an MBA and landing a post-MBA job looks more viable abroad than in the US. And prospective students have taken note : European business schools have already seen a surge in applications in the 2008-2009 admissions cycle - so far, an increase of one third from last year. First, top international business schools are cheaper than their US counterparts...International programs have recruiting relationships with companies with international locations and no stimulus strings...Moreover, because finance and consulting are not the MBA-feeders abroad that they are in the US, there is a wider range of options, in healthier industries, available for international MBA graduates. Students coming from finance and consulting backgrounds are finding jobs in other industries that incorporate their finance and consulting skills. Patrice Houdayer, dean of EMLYON, told Vault in October that only about 12 % of EMLYON graduates go into finance or consulting (compared with 45% at Harvard Business School). Because fewer students go into these fields, international business schools have a larger variety of recruiting options, and therefore better employment statistics in this economy...As these schools gain popularity, they will increase in quality and international prestige..."

"Entrepreneurship has become the second most popular specialisation at leading business schools after finance, according to the latest Top MBA Applicant Survey. Some 27% of MBA applicants would like to run their own businesses after graduating. Many business schools offer electives on the subject, while there is a wealth of initiatives to encourage any student with a bright idea to test it out and carry it through...The marketplace has changed completely but there are probably more opportunities if you have the right mindset."About a third of the MBA students at EMLYON aspire to be entrepreneurs" according to the dean Patrice Houdayer. "The school, which was started in 1872 by entrepreneurs from the silk industry, has entrepreneurship as part of its DNA." The focus of students has changed in the past few months."They want to learn more about ethics and economic issues, and risk analysis"..."