In Geneva today, President Biden and President Putin are discussing bilateral relations and a range of topics between the countries. Streets are closed, military presence is everywhere, and the whole world watching shows the high pressure situation that it is. Although I think I’ll never have a motorcade driving me to a meeting, this event is a reminder of situations where we can use skills such as negotiations and international management that we’ve learnt at IMD.
A couple of weeks ago, we had Professor Kohlrieser teaching us how to negotiate and deal in high pressure situations. Today, we have just finished our exams and have a little break to decompress. Next in the schedule is the start of International Management and Digital Analytics. It is truly motivating to know that IMD is giving us the toolkit that leaders in society use on a daily basis.
This afternoon our social committee has setup an international potluck by the lake where we can explore each others cultures through food & drinks! In our class we have almost 40 different countries represented, some with different backgrounds as well. Myself, I was born and raised in Canada and my parents are Filipino. I really wanted to make Poutine or Filipino Pork BBQ, but cheese curds and other ingredients take more than a day to source in Switzerland unfortunately.
Nevertheless, its a good seg way into our International Management sessions with Professor Niccolo Pisani. We’ll get to learn about analyzing the international business environment and how to drive value across multiple borders. Very fitting timing with the President’s meeting in Geneva and even Euro2020 going on currently. I’m excited to learn how to manage these topics and apply them post-MBA!
The one thing I’ve learnt before the course begins can be broken down into three things:
- Food binds us together
- Leadership capabilities can be nurtured
- Europeans love to honk their horns during Euro2020, which doesn’t let you sleep
