by Elena Aldea, Recruitment and Admissions Officer, Executive MBA Programmes
At the time of this blog we currently have 75 part-time students enrolled on the Executive MBA programme for the September intake, ready to begin their Executive MBA journey. For them and any other EMBA student, Orientation Week is the first step that officially makes them a part of the LBS Community. This week’s events brings together both the London and Dubai students. Both classes get the chance to meet each other, work together and even stay at the same accommodation. This is where the spirit of networking truly begins.
The week begins on Sunday with the registration process. This includes visa and passport checks, having your individual professional photograph taken and receiving your official LBS access card. As well as this, there are also several welcome speeches from the Dean, the Executive and Programme Directors and the day ends with an evening dinner.
As the week carries on you are put into your assigned study group, who you will be working with for your first year. We like to think this is the first step in building your lifelong relationship with your cohort. The week continues with two core courses, Executive Leadership and Understanding General Management, as well as lectures on different academic topics designed to broaden your perspective about your career and reflect better on your post-EMBA goals. This will be covered under the guidance of a coach assigned to every study group, who will be responsible for your personal and professional development throughout the duration of the programme.
There are also fairs every day within the campus that will allow you meet different teams and ask them any questions you may have relating to accounts, IT issues and learning opportunities.
The final day is dedicated to the Alumni Panel. Offering the opportunity to interact with our previous students, build your network further and of course get as many tips as you can about the programme. The week then comes to an end with a social event, allowing both streams, staff members and alumni to come together one last time to wrap the week up.
Ankit Anand, a 2018 EMBA alumni, shares his experience of orientation week:
“The orientation week is an excellent insight into the Executive MBA and helps you mentally prepare for the journey ahead. The week is also a very good opportunity to develop your personal pitch, build a rapport with your study group, network with multiple streams and learn about the amazing experience/diversity within the class. I recall coming out of the orientation week feeling ready to tackle the next set of challenges and excited to experience the remainder of the programme.”
Though orientation week marks you becoming a part of the London Business School community, it is also covers the first part of the core content.