International Seminar: Dates, Locations, and Course Descriptions The Executive MBA Programs at Columbia Business School offer several International Seminar course options in different international locations. Because we will ask you to rank order your preferences from among these choices, we are providing preliminary information for your reference and planning. Some quick facts: Seminars run to Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Munich, and Cape Town. Each seminar is three credits and counts as one of your elective courses. Students are required to take one of these courses as part of the program. Accommodations, most meals, local guides, and transportation to and from class and events are included. Students are responsible for airfare, any immunization and/or visa requirements, and travel and health insurance. These courses meet in the block week format, which means that the course material is covered in an intense weeklong session at a specified location, often with a postweek deliverable. In addition to class sessions, there may be visits to cultural and business locations in the host city. International Seminar courses are for matriculated Columbia Business School students only. Guests are welcome to participate in the city tours and evening social events. Please note that there will be a daily surcharge for double occupancy at the program hotel. Students requesting a change in seminar within 30 days of the start of the seminar for which they are already signed up will be assessed a $1500 fee to cover expenses incurred from the travel provider. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Permission can be granted only if a student pays the $1500 fee and the travel provider is able to procure hotel accommodations in the desired seminar. Rio de Janeiro International Seminar: Spring 2012 Dates: Check-in: Monday, May 7, 2012; Check-out: Sunday, May 13, 2012 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, May 8 and end Saturday, May 12.) Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 This course is an in-depth examination of Latin America s economy, finances and firm behavior and performance. The emphasis of the course is on Emerging Markets as a major element of the world economy. It focuses on some of the following questions: Why do countries grow? What causes disparities in income between countries? How relevant is the role of education and innovation in economic growth? What is the role played by foreign investment? What does it take to create first class firms and managers in Emerging Markets? The class involves both an academic and on-site learning experience. The learning and value acquired from this course is based on class discussion and hands on experience visiting firms in Brazil, a major emerging market. It is also a case study, perhaps the most significant one of your graduate business education, bringing together many disciplines studied in your MBA program.
The course structure will consist of morning class sessions, followed by company visits in the afternoons. The course grade will be calculated through in-class quizzes and/or presentations, participation in case discussions and an in-class final assignment. Shanghai International Seminar: Spring 2012 Dates: Check-in: Monday, May 7, 2012; Check-out: Sunday, May 13, 2012 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, May 8 and end Saturday, May 12.) Professor: Shang-Jin Wei Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 This course is designed to provide future business leaders with the essential knowledge necessary to evaluate opportunities and risks in the People s Republic of China. The course will use analytical tools drawn from several fields of economics to identify the key strengths that have sustained economic growth for three decades as well as the weaknesses and risk factors. The course will also feature multinational executives, local industry experts, and Chinese business leaders as guest speakers. The week-long course will consist of morning classroom sessions followed by company visits and/or presentations from industry leaders in the afternoons. Pre-course readings will be required as will attendance at company visits. There are short assignments within the seminar week and a final deliverable, also due in-class. Hong Kong International Seminar: Summer 2012 Dates: Check-in: Monday, July 2, 2012; Check-out: Sunday, July 8, 2012 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, July 3 and end Saturday, July 7.) Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 This course is designed to provide future business leaders with the essential knowledge necessary to evaluate opportunities and risks in the People s Republic of China. The course will use analytical tools drawn from several fields of economics to identify the key strengths that have sustained economic growth for three decades as well as the weaknesses and risk factors. The course will also feature multinational executives, local industry experts, and Chinese business leaders as guest speakers. The week-long course will consist of morning classroom sessions followed by company visits or presentations from industry leaders in the afternoons. The course will also include a day-trip to Dongguan or Shenzhen in mainland China, with scheduled company visits in the morning and afternoon. Pre-course readings will be required as will attendance at company visits. There are short assignments within the seminar week and a short final course report to be completed either individually or by small groups and due two weeks after the trip. Cape Town International Seminar Summer 2012 Dates: Check-in: Monday, July 2, 2012; Check-out: Sunday, July 8, 2012 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, July 3 and end Saturday, July 7.) Professor: Trevor Harris Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 This course is designed to provide investors and business leaders with the knowledge necessary to evaluate opportunities and risks in South Africa, which many observers view as the gateway to Africa. The course will provide some historical context and then use tools of fundamental analysis to identify the key strengths, the weaknesses and risk factors of operating or investing in South African companies. The course will also feature executives, local industry experts, and South African business leaders as guest speakers. The week-long course will
consist of morning classroom sessions followed by company visits and/or presentations from industry leaders in the afternoons. Pre-course readings will be minimal but will include the financial statements of companies we will consider; attendance at company visits will be required. There are short assignments within the seminar week and a short final course report to be completed either individually or by small groups and due within 4 weeks after the trip. Managing Brands, Identity, and Experiences: Munich International Seminar Fall 2012 Dates: Check-in: Monday, September 24, 2012; Check-out: Sunday, September 30, 2012 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, September 25 and end Saturday, September 29.) Professor: Bernd Schmitt Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 Prof. Bernd Schmitt s course, Managing Brands, Identity and Experiences, focuses on the need for companies to understand the financial value of their corporate brand and products, to manage brands strategically and to deliver implementations to customers that are relevant, differentiated and powerful so as to build an emotional bond and loyalty. The course will focus on three topics: brand strategy and valuation; visual identity and experiential branding; and organizational branding issues. The course will familiarize you with the best practices in branding (e.g. Absolut Vodka, the launch of the Mini) and also explore successful branding initiatives in financial, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, entertainment and other industries. Drawing on the course location, you will meet with people from the branding industry from companies such as Siemens, BMW, Allianz, & Lowenbrau. The course structure will be a mix of classroom sessions at Munich University, corporate presentations and cultural events (such as the Oktoberfest). You will be asked to complete a couple of individual assignments and home works over the course of the week and be part of a final group project. Istanbul, Turkey International Seminar: Fall 2012 Dates: Check-in: Monday, September 24, 2012; Check-out: Sunday, September 30, 2012 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, September 25 and end Saturday, September 29.) Professor: Bogachan Celen Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 Located where the east meets the west, Turkey is a country poised for growth. Coming off a landslide election which will keep the sitting political party at the helm, there are many questions that await. Will the reigning party work to revise a constitution considered to be out of date? Six years into its bid to become a member of the European Union, discussions are still uncertain and full membership elusive. Will Turkey relent to the requested domestic reforms to gain full membership into the EU? After an impressive grown of 8.9% in 2010, growth is expected to slow to 6% in 2011 and 4.5% in 2012; what political and economic factors will contribute to this growth? Will the financial stability affecting the EU affect the Turkish economy? Will they be affected by the political instability wracking so many of their Middle Eastern neighbors? The course will explore these challenging questions and other issues related to doing business with and in Turkey. The Int l Seminar in Istanbul will include visits to companies addressing the challenges of managing firms in the region, across a variety of sectors. Students will undertake projects that focus on a particular industry or firm and, through corporate visits and additional research, analyze the relationships between firm strategy and local context in this fascinating country.
Shanghai International Seminar: Spring 2013 Dates: Check-in: Monday, May 6, 2013; Check-out: Sunday, May 12, 2013 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, May 7 and end Saturday, May 11.) TBC Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 This course is designed to provide future business leaders with the essential knowledge necessary to evaluate opportunities and risks in the People s Republic of China. The course will use analytical tools drawn from several fields of economics to identify the key strengths that have sustained economic growth for three decades as well as the weaknesses and risk factors. The course will also feature multinational executives, local industry experts, and Chinese business leaders as guest speakers. The week-long course will consist of morning classroom sessions followed by company visits and/or presentations from industry leaders in the afternoons. Pre-course readings will be required as will attendance at company visits. There are short assignments within the seminar week and a short final course report to be completed either individually or by small groups and due two weeks after the trip. Rio de Janeiro International Seminar: Spring 2013 Dates: Check-in: Monday, May 6, 2013; Check-out: Sunday, May 12, 2013 (Class will officially begin Tuesday, May 7 and end Saturday, May 11.) TBC Add/Drop Deadline: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 This course is an in-depth examination of Latin America s economy, finances and firm behavior and performance. The emphasis of the course is on Emerging Markets as a major element of the world economy. It focuses on some of the following questions: Why do countries grow? What causes disparities in income between countries? How relevant is the role of education and innovation in economic growth? What is the role played by foreign investment? What does it take to create first class firms and managers in Emerging Markets? The class involves both an academic and on-site learning experience. The learning and value acquired from this course is based on class discussion and hands on experience visiting firms in Brazil, a major emerging market. It is also a case study, perhaps the most significant one of your graduate business education, bringing together many disciplines studied in your MBA program. The course structure will consist of morning class sessions, followed by company visits in the afternoons. The course grade will be calculated through in-class quizzes and/or presentations, participation in case discussions and an in-class final assignment. International Seminar Selection Process Registration Process The International Seminar Selection System (ISSS) will open on Thursday, October 20 and close on Tuesday, November 1. To access the ISSS, log on to the EMBA Student Services site, click on the International Seminar link, and you will see the link to ISSS. All selections will be processed after November 1. Students will be notified by email indicating which seminar they have been registered for. Upon accessing ISSS, you will be asked to rank all the International Seminar courses in order of your preference: first choice, second choice, third choice, etc.
To make the process as equitable as possible, the ISSS will systematically place students in Seminars according to their first choice until each Seminar is filled to capacity. If there is excess demand for a particular Seminar, ISSS will randomly assign the seats to students who chose that Seminar as their first choice. For students who do not get their first choice, ISSS will proceed through the choices until all students have a seat. The ISSS process is separate from the elective bidding process you will use to choose elective courses. Add/Drop Process There will be an ISSS Add/Drop option. If you register for the course and are not able to attend, you will be able to drop the course and add a different course in which there is capacity. ISSS Add/Drop will open on Thursday, November 3. The first stage will run Thursday, November 3 through Tuesday, November 8. Generally, Add/Drop stages will run in two-week intervals until the published Add/Drop deadline for each seminar. Step 1: Add/Drop - access from ISSS Step 2: Complete form Step 3: Receive confirmation Step 4: System runs looking for open spots or matches Step 5: Results email sent at the end of each stage If you are currently registered, there are three options during Add/Drop: 1. Keep your assigned Seminar If you do not wish to change, you do not need to participate in this add/drop process. (This option is for those who wish to revert to their existing Seminar if they previously submitted a change.) 2. Drop your assigned Seminar 3. Drop your assigned Seminar ONLY if you are assigned one of your choices You must pick at least one other Seminar. You do not have to fill all choices. You will only lose your assigned Seminar if you get one of your choices. Once you are assigned another Seminar, your place on your original Seminar will be given away. Please note that you MUST confirm your choices, and you will receive an e-mail confirmation. FAQ Do I need to apply for a visa to any of these locations? For US citizens, please refer to the Foreign Entry Requirements website for the specific visa and/or passport requirements for each foreign country. For non-us citizens, please inquire with the consulate of your country of citizenship. Where will classes be held? This varies according to trip. Note that each trip consists of a combination of company visits and classroom time.
Can I take more than one International Seminar? We have capacity in the International Seminars for each of our students from the EMBA NY, EMBA-Global, EMBA-Global Asia, and Berkeley-Columbia EMBA programs to do one. Opportunity for a second seminar may arise if there is excess capacity in a course after the add/drop deadline passes. All students will be notified of any excess seats, and a lottery held. If you are able to take a second International Seminar, you would be responsible for all expenses, approximately $4000. Additional tuition charges may apply depending on a student s credit load. May I bring a guest? Guests are welcome to participate in the city tours and evening social events. Please note that there will be a daily surcharge for double occupancy at the program hotel.