MBA Fachartikel

This exclusive interview were given by François Collin - the Executive Director of CEMS

General information about CEMS:

CEMS is a global strategic alliance of leading business schools and multinational companies: 26 world-class academic institutions (17 full members and 9 associate members) collaborate together with more than 50 corporate partners to offer international, postgraduate students a unique blend of high quality education and professional experience.

Founded in 1988 in Europe, the network has grown steadily, largely due to the success and popularity of the CEMS Master’s in International Management: the MIM programme, ranked number 2 in Europe by the Financial Times.

Members of CEMS include: HEC Paris, LSE, University of Cologne, University of St Gallen, Esade, Rotterdam School of Management, Bocconi, Stockholm School of Economics, Copenhagen Business School….

The interview:

François Collin is the Executive Director of CEMS. He is based in Paris, at the CEMS European Office.

Questions about CEMS:

1. CEMS is composed of various different partner schools. How do you manage good collaboration?

This network is built on trust… and a lot of coordination and mutual work between the member schools. For example, this week, we have an Academic Directors meeting in Spain, with representatives from all member schools, to coordinate the MIM programme implementation. We have different governing bodies for this alliance: a strategic board, an executive board, various committees,… and also a dedicated team of 7 persons employed by CEMS at the CEMS European Office in Paris, to ensure the success of the CEMS collaboration.

2. There are a lot of cooperative projects in the domain of executive education. What is the difference between CEMS programmes and their competitors?

CEMS is unique by the size and the scope. It delivers a joint degree, currently implemented at 17 member schools in Europe, with 9 associate member schools sending students, and 55 companies supporting it. It took 20 years to build this supranational degree. There is no competitor, and we very much differ from the double degrees or joint degrees achieved by 3 or 4 schools together.

3. The offers of various programmes in executive education are growing constantly. To what extent do you think Masters programmes are concerned in this trend?

There will be still more programmes to come, because the demand is growing! The Bologna process (harmonisation of European degrees) is creating a strong appeal for students to apply for a pre-experience Master programme in another country, because all degrees are equally recognised now.

4. The trend in executive education concerns specific programmes. CEMS currently focuses on management. Are there any programmes in other areas of expertise planned for the future?

We are not going to create more programmes, and we want to concentrate on general management, with our focus on international strategies and cross-cultural skills. The major development of the CEMS Master (MIM) in the years to come is that it will become a truly global degree: it is currently a pan-European programme, and will be implemented within 2 years on other continents.

5. The content and specialisation of the programmes are continually changing. How do you assure the actuality of your programmes?

There is no fixed curriculum and the course portfolio is changing each year. This is precisely the responsibility of Academic Directors at each school to select and develop the most relevant set of courses.

General questions:

6. The Financial Times published their rankings on Monday. CEMS and its MIM programme rank second. How do you continue to assure this high standard in the future?
7. You collaborate frequently with large companies. To what extend are these partners involved in the programmes of the school?

First of all, the rank very much depends on the career success of our graduates. As you can expect, we invest a lot in students selection, and the programme is meant for very bright students with three languages, and the personal skills for international careers.

We also invest a lot in corporate relations, and CEMS is a network with 55 corporate members. They guarantee the business relevance of the programme, and they are extremely involved in students selection and in programme implementation: they deliver skills seminars, business projects, and of course internships. They also have an equal voice with schools in CEMS governance. The CEMS MIM has been designed to be a bridge between the academic and the corporate worlds.

8. In general executive education is placed on the same level as MBA programmes. Do you think that a Masters is a real alternative to an MBA programme?

Pre-experience Master’s and MBAs are have a comparable status and recognition on the market, but the main difference is that they are recruiting students at a different stage of their career: Pre-experience Master’s are meant for career entry, MBAs (post-experience Master’s) are meant for career change. This also implies a difference in terms of pedagogy. But of course, graduates with pre-experience Master’s degrees will not be candidates for MBAs at a later stage in their career. From this perspective, the pre-experience Master is an alternative to an MBA. Let’s not forget either that in many European countries, including Germany, a pre-experience Master is part of the University system and is close to free of charge… which far to be the case for MBAs. And not everybody is willing or able to interrupt one’s career at 30, go back to school and live without revenues for close to two years. So I definitely expect that the rise and the internationalisation of pre-experience Master’s will turn many students away from MBAs.

 9. Some critics argue that postgraduate education does not necessarily bring the professional success that students expect once they have finished their studies. Do you agree with this?

Then I am afraid those students did not go to the right schools! Companies are eager to recruit the students from schools ranked in the Top 40 of the FT Master’s ranking, and they have real promising careers;

Specific questions about the programme:

10. The success of a Masters programme depends upon various factors. What are the reasons for the positive development of this programme?

That’s no secret: student selection. Academic excellence. International learning experience. And proximity with the corporate world.

11. The more that an executive education programme is specific to the needs of a certain target group, the bigger the success. Which target groups are you aiming for with your programme?

The CEMS MIM is only open to the best students at our member schools, with qualifications and aptitudes for an international career. It is a second degree, always delivered in conjunction with the Master degree of one of the CEMS schools. And within the schools, the criteria for selection are: academic results. Languages skills. Personality (entrepreneurial, curious, open-minded).

12. The market for executive education offers a wide range of programmes of which the structure is similar. What are the advantages of your programme for the students in comparison with those offered by your competitors?

The CEMS MIM is the most international programme on the market place, from the perspective of curriculum, student diversity, and faculty background.

13. Finally: What advice can you give futures students?

Work hard at high school and in your bachelor years to be able to enter the top programmes. Learn languages (English is a must but is not enough). And travel the world!

Thank you very much for responding to the questions!

Thanks for you!