In the aftermath of Brexit, Paris has blossomed into a pivotal financial hub in Europe, a development leveraged by Vlerick Business School through its strategic placement of the European Executive MBA’s sustainable finance module in the French capital.
Vlerick’s European Executive MBA recently took its students on an immersive journey to the heart of Paris’s business scene. The French capital, known for its history, culture, and cuisine, has emerged as a new European financial hub. As David Verdas, Director of the Center for Sustainable Finance at Vlerick Business School, puts it, “Paris, after Brexit, has become one of the financial capitals of Europe.” (00:39)
Vlerick Business School is headquartered in Belgium. But Vlerick’s European Executive MBA is based around multiple immersive trips throughout Europe. Placing the program’s sustainable finance module in Paris, France, was a strategic decision. It allows students to tap into the city’s newfound stature in the financial domain and absorb and interact with the city’s vast cultural and historical offerings. Scheduling this week-long Paris Immersion Trip the same week as the Viva Technology conference and a Vlerick alumni event, ensures that students have plenty of opportunities to network.
Vlerick’s European Executive MBA promotes an educational paradigm where students evolve as problem solvers.
The curriculum ensures participants engage deeply in peer-to-peer interactions, creating room for a profound understanding of global finance scenarios. This interactive learning mode pushes participants beyond memorization and encourages practical problem-solving, decision-making, and analytical reasoning. Further enhancing the learning experience is the program’s emphasis on blending online modules with immersion trips to key European cities.
The European Executive MBA includes six trips, of which, Paris is the second. The other five locations are Copenhagen, Dublin, Zaragoza, and Madrid, and the capital of the European Union, Brussels.
These trips are designed to be intensive, compressing vast knowledge and experience into five days. The idea is to take all the theoretical knowledge absorbed in traditional classrooms and see it in action.
The Paris module, in particular, zeroes in on sustainable finance. As the financial capital of Europe post-Brexit, Paris offers a holistic overview of sustainable finance, from corporate finance to philanthropy, asset management, investment decisions, and corporate loans. The module provides lenses of sustainability in all these aspects of finance.
Bjorn Cumps, Programme Director of Vlerick’s European Executive MBA, emphasizes, “It’s the interaction between real-life knowledge, that action-based learning, bringing an academic angle and exchanging information with your peers, that really makes this an immersive trip.” (01:44)
For professionals who want to travel, yet don’t want to be away from work or home for extended periods, this format is ideal.
Getting your Vlerick European Executive MBA degree is only the beginning of a lifelong journey. Upon graduation, you are welcomed into an expansive global network with over 25,000 alumni. It’s a pulsating community of industry leaders, visionaries, and changemakers.
Yearly events, such as the Global Alumni Winter Reunion, ensure that the flame of camaraderie never flickers. Alumni-exclusive clubs further amplify this sense of belonging, fostering spaces where memories are shared, experiences exchanged, and innovative ideas germinated.
But the Vlerick experience transcends beyond just networking. It’s a continuous odyssey of knowledge. Opportunities exist to delve deeper into one’s field, explore new horizons, and remain at the forefront of industry advancements through lifelong learning. With Vlerick, you’re both getting an education and securing a partner dedicated to your professional evolution.
Modern leadership demands more than management skills. The Vlerick European Executive MBA recognizes this and is tailored to mold participants into future-ready global leaders who understand profit versus purpose dynamics.
For example, the Paris module of Vlerick’s European Executive MBA is more than just lectures and company visits. It’s a safe space where participants openly discuss their experiences and challenges in sustainability transformation. They share their frustrations and pain points, and together, with the guidance of experts and peer-to-peer exchange, they find solutions.
This open dialogue, set against the backdrop of Paris, enhances the learning experience, making it truly unique.
By intertwining rigorous academic modules with immersive experiences across Europe, the program offers its students a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and real-world insights. The Paris immersion trip, focusing on sustainable finance, perfectly encapsulates this ethos. As students walk the historic streets of Paris, they engage in meaningful dialogues about sustainability and network with industry leaders. Vlerick doesn’t just shape leaders; it shapes visionaries ready to make a sustainable impact in the world of business.
Would you like to delve deeper into the Vlerick MBA experience? Reach out to a Vlerick Ambassador to explore their personal journey and gain first-hand insights.
