This week, IESE’s Sao Paulo campus will welcome approximately 35 MBA students for a two-week module focused on conducting business in Brazil as well as opportunities throughout Latin America. The module includes both intensive classes designed to give participants broad knowledge of the business landscape in this emerging economy as well as the new "Brazil projects" which will delve deeply into the country’s market.
To complement the insights from the classroom, students will gain hands-on experience by working on consulting projects in small teams for companies like Aoka, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, Latam Airlines Group, Coca-Cola FEMSA and IBOPE Media. The challenges the students will be tackling are real concerns for these firms, and therefore the overall aim is to develop actionable solutions.
"Brazil Projects" has been running since the beginning of July. MBAs taking part in this initiative received company briefings into the challenges participating firms are facing and were asked to develop a Background Research Report. Students currently working in-situ with the firms’ management will finalize their work during the fall term back in Barcelona when they will submit a final report.
For Antonio Wanderley, Chief Marketing Officer at IBOPE Media, "One of the biggest challenges in the country today is talent development. With this project with IESE we are investing in career development opportunities for MBA students who will work helping us dealing with challenges in our company".
Global, Experiential Learning
According to IESE Professor Paulo Rocha e Oliveira who is in charge of the module, "The benefits of this experiential learning are multiple. Not only do participants apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real business situation, they also have to deal with the reality of conflicting data and uncertainty, complex politics, different markets, infrastructures and distribution problems. Overall, it’s a great opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the region."
The Sao Paulo module is one of four overseas electives, with New York, Shanghai and Nairobi also hosting MBA students seeking direct insights into business in those regions.