News and Events
The CEMS alliance - diversity in practice
Globalisation strategy produces immediate results at student, academic and corporate levels
PARIS, FRANCE - 21st September, 2009. The new academic year sees the CEMS alliance grow not only in size but also in diversity, with the entering cohort being the first to break the 800 barrier. In addition, the alliance now has a new high of 28 academic members and remains an extremely attractive option for the corporate world. Despite the ongoing crisis, CEMS Corporate Partnerships are still held with over 50 multinational firms whilst alumni and graduates of the highly-ranked CEMS Master’s in International Management (CEMS MIM) continue to be held in high regard by the business world.
The largest and most cosmopolitan cohort
CEMS remains on course to reach the target of 1,000 students in the class of 2011-12, an objective set as part of the globalisation strategy adopted in 2007. The entering cohort totals 821 students, representing a 43% increase compared with 5 years ago. In addition, never before has the student body been as cosmopolitan, with this year’s class comprising 54 nationalities, 18 of which are non-European. This marks a significant jump from the 43 nationalities (13 non-European) of which the class of 2008-09 consisted.
This accelerated growth is a natural consequence of the alliance’s global mission, as CEMS Executive Director François Collin confirms: “Even more impressive than these statistics are the opportunities that await this multicultural, multilingual cohort. International exposure throughout the course will be greater still, with more and more nationalities and cultures interacting and the chance to study in schools and work in companies around the world truly attainable. This was one of our principle desires in implementing a global strategy”.
New members from around the globe
The academic and corporate portfolio of the CEMS alliance is also developing as planned, with the acceptance of two new full academic members. Subject to ratification at the 2009 Annual Events (to be hosted by the University of Cologne), the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario (Canada) and the Koç University Graduate School of Business (Turkey) will be able to deliver the CEMS MIM as of September 2010.
At Corporate Partner level, retention and continued recruitment of companies during the crisis have proven successful, with 4 multinationals (Itaú Unibanco and Santander from the banking sector, and Hewlett Packard and Vodafone from the high-tech sector) having joined the alliance since the beginning of the calendar year.
One of the more recent partners to have joined in 2008, Reckitt Benckiser, is very clear regarding the reasons for working with CEMS: “We know we need the highest achievers to stay at the forefront of international markets; bold decision-makers, innovative thinkers, those who have a truly global outlook and the initiative to drive their careers far. CEMS’ reputation for excellence and high-calibre students makes them an obvious partner for Reckitt Benckiser”, states Bart Becht, CEO of Reckitt Benckiser.
Such a ringing endorsement from the very top of a major international company serves as concrete proof not only of the qualities that the 12-month CEMS MIM instils in its graduates. It also bears testimony to their readiness for positions of responsibility in the professional world. The increasingly international opportunities open to CEMS students should see this positive evolution accelerate further still.
