by Anushka Mirchandani, MBA2025
When I joined the MBA at London Business School, I never imagined how global my journey would become. Over two years, I had the privilege of studying in three of the world’s most dynamic cities – London, Dubai, and New York. Each city offered not only a different classroom view outside the window but also a completely different set of perspectives within the classroom. Together, they shaped how I see the world and how I want to contribute to it.
London was where my journey began. On LBS’s historic grounds, I learned to embrace the contrasts – how tradition blends seamlessly with modernity, how East meets West, and how success can be defined in many ways. In our classrooms, debates revealed just how many “right” answers could exist, depending on who you asked and where they came from. This was my first real lesson in thinking globally: to appreciate my own culture while staying open to foreign ones, to understand that what works in one market may fail in another.
Dubai has always been home, but returning for a block week felt different. This time, I walked in with an open mindset shaped by my experience in London. I noticed more keenly the diversity around me, not just in nationality, but in thought and experience. I found myself negotiating with people twice my age and with decades more experience, feeling challenged yet comfortable, uneasy yet determined. Dubai taught me resilience and adaptability, reminding me that growth often happens when you’re just outside your comfort zone.
My exchange semester at Columbia Business School was both competitive and exhilarating. New York, with its endless skyscrapers, didn’t just push me to look up, but also encouraged me to look up to life itself. The city’s relentless pace made me appreciate London’s quiet moments, but it also forced me to discover my own calm amid the chaos. At CBS, I kept a promise I had made to myself: to dive deep into the worlds of luxury and entrepreneurship. I attended countless events, worked on a consulting project for Tiffany, visited Ferrari’s headquarters, and heard from leaders across tech, luxury, and startups. These experiences inspired me to start a beauty-focused initiative at LBS, planting the seed for the school’s first student-led club dedicated to the beauty industry.
Across these three cities, I realised the true gift of the LBS MBA: a global mindset. Yes, case studies and exams taught me the hard skills of finance, marketing, and operations. But it was the people – my classmates, professors, and colleagues – who taught me something even more valuable: how to see the world through different cultural lenses.
The adaptability, openness, and curiosity I developed through London, Dubai, and New York will stay with me long after graduation. My journey reminded me that business is never just about numbers; it’s about people, perspectives, and the ability to grow across borders. And for that, I’ll always be grateful to LBS for holding “global” so closely at heart.