As part of their curriculum, 21 part-time MBA students studying in Cologne visited Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) in January 2017. The EMBA participants are the first cohort of the Cologne-Rotterdam Executive MBA, a new world-class MBA which is a collaboration between RSM and the Business School of the University of Cologne (UoC).

The 24-month part-time Executive MBA is a double-degree programme taught in English in Cologne, and is based on the top-ranked Executive MBA at RSM. “The Cologne Rotterdam EMBA is a very good fit for me because it combines relevant out-of-the-book knowledge with real-life case studies, says Robert Szarvas, senior consultant at Urban Science in Frankfurt. “Thanks to the part-time model I can pursue my career in parallel to my studies in Cologne.”

Strategic management

Szarvas says the programme’s residences and study trips are a very good experience that “can really change the way one perceives living in our home country.”

The Class of 2018 has just started its second semester with one week of lectures at RSM on the class’ first trip to Rotterdam. The MBA students attended sessions about personal leadership development, organisational behaviour and strategic management from 16-21 January.

Networking and company visit

“The highlight of the visit to RSM in Rotterdam was meeting fellow students enrolled in similar MBA programmes. This was a great opportunity to expand our networks and make new friends,” says Szarvas.

The students networked with RSM’s Rotterdam-based full-time MBA and Executive MBA students during a winter barbecue on campus. The Cologne-Rotterdam students also experienced a boat trip in Rotterdam, and as part of their strategic management lectures they visited Seats2meet in Utrecht, a company that facilitates physical and virtual environments where people can connect, work and share their knowledge.

“It was great to exchange programme experiences with RSM’s Executive MBA participants, and discuss our careers and future plans,” says Dawid Schimmel, an assistant plant manager for INEOS Köln GmbH who participates in the Cologne-Rotterdam EMBA. “One of the week’s highlights was the company visit at Seats2meet where we worked on a real-life project and presented the results. This was really inspiring.”

Prof. Vareska van de Vrande teaches the strategic management module at RSM and is impressed with the MBA participants. “It’s a small group of like-minded people with a passion to learn and develop themselves. They have shown great eagerness in applying the models from my module directly to their own situation.”

The University of Cologne (UoC) is the sixth oldest university in Central Europe and, with more than 49,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. It is also the German founding member of the Global Alliance in Management Education (CEMS). Since 2012, the university has been awarded in the German Universities Excellence Initiative for its overall concept. The university’s six faculties provide a wide range of scientific disciplines and internationally recognised research profiles. The UoC has a strong international network with more than 300 partner institutions worldwide and has international offices in New York, Beijing and New-Delhi. www.uni-koeln.de

The Business School of University of Cologne, founded in 2015, is based in the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne. With around 10,000 students and a large number of professors, the Faculty is one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious of its kind. Following the launch of the EMBA programme, further executive education programmes and short seminars for private individuals or business are planned for the future at the Business School of University of Cologne. www.wiso.uni-koeln.de/en/business-school

More information

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl

For more information about RSM or this release, please contact Erika Harriford-McLaren, Media & Public Relations Manager for RSM, on +31 10 408 2877 or by email at harriford@rsm.nl.

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