One Week Study Trip – Two Executive MBA participants share on their international experience

On September 2023, 41 Executive MBA in Business & IT and ExecutiveMBA participants visited Berkeley during their one-week study trip.

During the trip, our Executive MBA participants received valuable insights from the Silicon Valley Eco-System while being inspired by different stories from our guest speakers in different stages of their life and company’s life-cycle.

After the international experience we talked to two of the participants and asked them the same questions to get a glimpse of their experiences from different perspectives, this is what they shared with us.

Fabrizio Nisi

Sr. Category Portfolio Manager at Siemens AG
Executive MBA in Business & IT participant (Class of 2023)

1. What has been your biggest highlight of the Study Trip so far?

The unique US studying experience I lived for a week has been one of the most exciting parts during my Executive MBA journey. Living the American campus life, getting in touch with seasoned professors, exciting guest speakers from local businesses made this international module a truly unforgettable time for me as a student.

2. What is the most valuable learning of the Study Trip from the company visits or learning sessions? 

Discovering the start-up spirit of local companies, their disruptive business models and get exposed to their venture capital journey has been one of the enlightening learnings out of the three company visits during my Californian week. Their hands-on, resilient, and innovative mindset is from my perspective the key success for them to stay competitive in local niche markets while laying the foundation for a continuous business growth outside of California.

Olivia Hsu

Executive MBA participant (Class of 2024)

1. What has been your biggest highlight of the Study Trip so far?

No theory. No academia. Every success and failure play out in real life. We were right there, soaking it all in.

Our guides, whom we habitually call professors, pulled us out of textbooks and into the real world. This is the priceless lesson every Executive MBA student dreams of. The entire journey is the biggest highlight of my student life, indivisible and unforgettable.

2. What is the most valuable learning of the Study Trip from the company visits or learning sessions?

My key takeaway is understanding the dynamic interplay among entrepreneurs, corporations, venture capitalists, and their ecosystem. It’s all about mastering the art of funding innovation or deciding to nurture it within a corporation. And let’s not forget the invaluable connections we have built along the way.

Like Fabrizio and Olivia, start your Executive MBA journey and be part of next year’s international experience as an Executive MBA participant – The application period for our Executive MBA and Executive MBA in Business & IT are open for the summer intake 2024. Learn more here.