James Tatum, previous student of Dartmouth College and MBA Instituto de Empresa.
As an alumnus of both the American school system, namely Dartmouth College, and the MBA program at Instituto de Empresa perhaps I can provide a shareholder’s view to this fascinating conversation between the Deans...
When deciding on a business school to attend, there are some striking visual differences one gets immediately upon viewing schools on either side of the Atlantic. The two schools I most heavily considered in the United States were Tuck, the business school of my alma mater, and Kenan Flagler, the business school of the University of North Carolina, located in my hometown of Chapel Hill. Both are impressive to behold in person. Kenan Flagler sits atop a hill, overlooking the valley that is home to the Dean E. Smith Center, the Santiago Bernabeau of North Carolina where basketball is a religion. Nestled among soaring pines Kenan Flagler is a castle built of the red brick so often seen in North Carolina. Tuck, with its columned façade, is the regal exclamation point at the end of short lane (appropriately named Tuck Dr.) lined with some of the older buildings of a College that predates the very nation it sits within. The dark rich browns of the woodwork within seem forged by the history of school’s lengthy prestige. The impression is captivating in a country where so few things aren’t intended to impact their newness upon an observer.
In contrast European business schools look like charming places of business rather than castles in the
There are differences within the student culture that color the educational experiences as well, and here I am somewhat reliant on my close friends matriculating at MBA programs in the
The relationships between the alumni and the institutions differ as well. Alumni of European programs maintain an interest in their programs. There are efforts to manage the brand and the ranking is closely followed, but mostly it is a passive relationship. Alumni of American institutions are more like citizens than former students. They actively seek to improve and defend the school either through donations of time and money or through constructive criticism. Brand management plays a role here as well, but beyond that there is a sense of connection to the great people of the past, present and future that walked those halls and an onus to uphold the institution. The ramifications of this extend beyond alumni giving and affect networking, job searching, and the image of the school within the business world. Is this a function of time or can European MBAs quicken the development of this bond between alumni and school?
Much has been said to whether