ESADE Business School partners with Aalto University Executive Education to explore innovation and entrepreneurship in Asia

ESADE and Aalto University have teamed up to create the ESADE-Aalto MBA for Executives. The new program combines the entrepreneurial spirit of ESADE with Aalto University’s passion for innovation and will offer participants a chance to discover the Asian innovation market during stays in various Asian cities.

The program was officially presented today at Aalto University Executive Education in Singapore during the Aalto-ESADE event “Organizing for Innovation in the 21st Century”. Event participants included Iván Bofarull, Director of Global Insights & Strategic Initiatives at ESADE Business School, Mikko Laukkanen, Academic Director at Aalto University Executive Education and Sami Salokangas, Vice President, Regional Sector Engineering & Manufacturing Asia Pacific at DHL.

“Today’s organizations are increasingly global and they need executives with the competencies to adapt to a constantly changing environment and lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams”, said Jordi Brunat, Executive Education Managing Director at ESADE. “This new Master’s program will allow participants to acquire a more global profile and to increase their performance in international firms, as well as their ability to manage global teams. It will also provide a high-added-value experience for executives, most of whom are expected to come from the Americas, Europe and Asia”, he added.

According to the Group Managing Director Dr. Pekka Mattila from Aalto EE, “the ESADE-Aalto MBA for Executives combines the strengths of two leading business schools to create a distinctive MBA program for high potential executives”. He also explained that “the programme’s format and the group’s cultural diversity will make it an immersive and intensive experience. Design thinking approach and entrepreneurial take on the themes will help the participants to spot emerging business opportunities both in Europe and Asia”.

Uniting continents through innovation

The ESADE-Aalto MBA for Executives will start in December. It will focus primarily on innovation and entrepreneurship and will introduce the design thinking methodology as a way to approach challenges. The program is targeted at managers with more than ten years of experience who are interested in taking the next step in their international career and have a special interest in Asia-Europe business relations.

The program will run from December 2017 to June 2019 and includes eight intensive weeks held in strategic locations with peers and expert faculty at the sponsoring institutions’ international campuses. Students will spend four weeks in Asia (three in Singapore and one in Vietnam) and four in Europe (one in Helsinki and three in Barcelona). The program in these intensive modules will focus on global business, strategy and innovation, organization and leadership. 

Double degree from two top schools

The new program was developed under the cooperation agreement signed by the two institutions in January 2015 with a view to expanding their training offer and supporting entrepreneurs and executives interested in leveraging design and technology to create innovative new business opportunities.

Further information

ESADE Media Relations
Francina Ribes
Telephone: +34 93 495 20 99
francina.ribes@esade.edu  

Aalto University Executive Education, Media Relations
Kati Kiviniemi
Telephone: +358 10 837 3842
kati.kiviniemi@aaltoee.fi

About Aalto University Executive Education

Aalto University was established in 2010 as a result of the merger of three Finnish academic institutions: the Helsinki School of Economics, the Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design Helsinki.

As a part of Aalto University, Aalto University Executive Education Ltd offers thought-provoking leadership development services (Aalto EE). Aalto University brings to our offering a multidisciplinary approach together with innovative learning methods; this provides a unique combination of practical expertise with the latest research.

Aalto University Executive Education’s strengths lie in its global operating model and diverse offering. In addition to Finland and Singapore, Aalto University Executive Education offers education programs in China, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Baltic countries. As part of Aalto University, it holds three respected business university accreditations – AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS – which places it among the top 0.5% of institutions in the world.

www.aaltoee.com

About ESADE and ESADE Alumni

Founded in 1958, ESADE Business and Law School has campuses in Barcelona and Madrid and a presence in São Paulo, Lima, Mexico City, Bogotá, Santiago and Buenos Aires. It has partnership agreements with more than 100 universities and business schools worldwide. Each year, more than 11,000 students participate in its programmes (MBA and Executive Education, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in business administration and law).

ESADE Alumni, the school’s alumni association, is 60,000 members strong, including more than 17,500 members in management positions at enterprises around the globe. Through its 72 professional groups, the association promotes continuing education, professional development and entrepreneurship. The network includes members of 126 different nationalities located in more than 100 countries around the world, and it has been organising the project ‘Alumni Giving Back’ since 2006 – the first of its kind in Europe – through which more than 1,500 alumni have voluntarily contributed their talent, experience and management skills to 200 third-sector companies. Additionally, the association’s investors’ network, ESADE BAN, was named the country’s best business angels network by the Spanish Business Angels Association.

ESADE Business School also participates in the ESADECREAPOLIS business park, a pioneering innovation centre that brings together academia and the world of business. With a clear international orientation, ESADE is consistently ranked among the world’s top business schools by the leading rankings (Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Economist and América Economía). ESADE is a member of Ramon Llull University.

www.esade.edu