You can read my ESMT MBA 2010 Endurance Expedition experience here.
Jimmy Low
Showing posts with label ESMT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ESMT. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
12-Point to Business School Experience - Preparing for MBA
Kelvin Chiu of Chinese University of Hong Kong's (CUHK) MBA class 2013 shares with Business Because his 12 points to make the most of his MBA experience. Perhaps you too are preparing yourself for an MBA experience soon. Read what Kelvin has to share. Perhaps you can share with GMAT Malaysia readers how you are preparing for your MBA experience. Post your comments below.
You can read my ESMT MBA 2010 Endurance Expedition experience here.
Jimmy Low
You can read my ESMT MBA 2010 Endurance Expedition experience here.
Jimmy Low
Monday, February 13, 2012
ESMT goes Mobile
ESMT website on MacBook Pro and HTC Desire HD Android smartphone
ESMT launched its mobile version of ESMT website for those on the go. You will find all the essential information about ESMT and its programs by entering www.esmt.org/en/mobile on your mobile browser.
Main page and full-time MBA page as viewed from my HTC Desire HD Android smartphone
Jimmy Low
Friday, August 19, 2011
BusinessBecause: Because They Know their Business (Programs)
As they say, "birds of a feather flock together." Okay, I don't want to sound cliché-ish. What would be a better place to meet someone in the same boat as you (sorry again ;-)). Just like how GMAT Malaysia started in 2008. A few of us who wanted to do GMAT started meeting regularly and helped each other. Then, we "graduated" from GMAT and helped the next batch. We are almost 4 years old this December and in spite of the founders no longer living in Malaysia, we still continue to help via this blog and replying emails.
Then again, do not limit yourself to us. Get to know others around the world especially if you have decided which school you want to join. Talk to current student body or alumni. They can tell you from their personal experience about studying in the school, living in the city and the fun they had and now missed. London-based BusinessBecause is one of such places where you can meet these alumni and know more about the schools and activities. Do sign up for its free membership and tap into the wealth of resources it has to offer. I have recently been made an ESMT Ambassador, my MBA school based in Berlin, Germany. If you want to know more about the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), feel free to write to me.
Jimmy Low
Thursday, August 18, 2011
ESMT MBA Student Dimitry Krasnozhon Shares his Silicon Valley Field Trip Experience
Starting from this year, European School of Management of Technology (ESMT) in Berlin offers two elective tracks: Management of Innovation and Technology (MIT) and Global Sustainable Business (GSB). As part of their all-expenses paid international field trip, Russian student Dimitry Krasnozhon shares with GMAT Malaysia his impression of the Silicon Valley. For more information on ESMT full-time MBA program, visit http://www.esmt.org/eng/mba-emba/full-time-mba/.
By Dimitry Krasnozhon, ESMT MBA 2011 candidate
Whenever coming across the term Silicon Valley, I was struck by the question of its origin. What stands behind this name is unfamiliar to vast majority of people, although it is impossible to imagine modern civilization without inventions ranging from HP pocket calculator to lasers that came from this area. The ten-day field trip to Silicon Valley was a strong nudge to learn about the history of the place before meeting its business and academic luminaries in person.
The name Silicon Valley was first mentioned in 1971 by Don Huefler, Microelectronics News editor, as a title of article about semiconductor industry developed next door to Stanford University. The reason is surprisingly simple: silicon is the material for producing semiconductor chips, a product which gave the Valley its current technological edge. Silicon Valley is an evident example of what bright individuals with scientific background and business mindset can achieve if given proper financing, creative freedom, all of that backed up by wise state economic policy. As Thomas Mahon, author of “Charged bodies: People, Power and Paradox of Silicon Valley” put it: “the Valley is an economic and cultural frontier where successful entrepreneurship and venture capitalism, innovative work rules and open management styles provide the background for most profound inquiry ever into the nature of intelligence”.
Over the past 60 years Silicon Valley has become a global technology powerhouse giving home to more than 10 thousand companies and employing more than one million people. Which factors led the valley to success? Are they exportable? Can these conditions be recreated in Russia, my homecountry, which once stood at the forefront of innovations in microelectronics, aerospace, and nuclear physics? These questions were of my major concern throughout the trip.
I was particularly impressed by the executive summary that Lisa Sweeney, Director of Stanford GSB Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, gave us. She sees the “Secret Sauce” of Silicon Valley prosperity as a blend of four ingredients: Unique Culture, Free Markets, Stable Legal System, and Reliable Infrastructure. Indeed, the culture is one-of-a-kind in terms of risk and failure tolerance. Venture capitalists invest where others fear, whereas on average only one in 20 companies succeed. The good thing is that if you fail, you can try again. In other cultures usually you do not get the second chance. “Proper” failure is acknowledged in the same fashion as success because it gives valuable lessons. The common philosophy is that a start-up is not a tech company, but rather a learning tool. In this respect, both venture capitalists (Khosla Ventures) and serial entrepreneurs (Krish Ramakrishnan of Blue Jeans Network) echo each other’s words: failure is tolerated if it results from from unsecured financing, product ahead of the market or lack of commercialization skills. However, poor execution and lack of commitment will most likely leave a black mark on the entrepreneur similarly to other more conservative environments. Another striking cultural aspect is the readiness of Valley’s residents to share ideas and collaborate, thus creating an uncommon mix of partnership and competition, which at the end of the day determines the success of the whole valley.
However, this culture would not have formed without Stanford University, the nucleus of high-tech industry in Silicon Valley. Founded by railroad tycoon Leland Stanford in 1887, the university became the main source of engineering specialists for local businesses. In mid twenty century Stanford Research Institute was formed. This research park leased land in Stanford vicinity to high-tech companies on favourable terms, and this is when the real binding between the university and the companies took place. Many high-tech pioneers including HP moved their R&D centers to the park making it a worldwide model for a handful of other high-tech clusters.
During the field trip meetings, none of the speakers explicitly mentioned the role of the US Government in supporting the Valley, leaving us under the assumption that the main benefit currently given by the state is its non-interference. However, state support played a vital role in the early days: military spending represented about 70% of integrated circuits in sixties. Pentagon still remains an important purchaser of latest technologies. In addition, the area has secured a modern legal framework that accounts for favourable tax regime for start-ups, intellectual property protection, and hiring the best talent including foreign specialists. For instance, more that half of Silicon Valley companies were initiated by people born outside of the US.
Finally, the Valley’s infrastructure – utilities, transportation, high technology penetration, backed by mild Mediterranean-like climate create an environment highly appealing for work and life. Throughout the trip I have been reflecting on how this innovation cycle can be replicated in other geographical areas. Which elements are “exportable” and which are not? History knows a few successful examples like Silicon Wadi in Tel-Aviv and Central Taiwan Science Park, but also a multitude of less prosperous examples, such as Sophia Antipolis which has been micromanaged by French government for years and Shenzhen Technology Park. The latter research center attracts brightest local students but according to Margaret O’Mara, Professor of History at University of Washington, they do not intend to build companies in the area upon graduation. The most recent ongoing attempt is Russian President Medvedev’s Skolkovo Science Park on the outskirts of Moscow. There are certainly many legal, cultural, and infrastructure issues that will prevent this project from becoming a success story overnight. The good news is that Russian leadersWhenever coming across the term Silicon Valley, I was struck by the question of its origin. What stands behind this name is unfamiliar to vast majority of people, although it is impossible to imagine modern civilization without inventions ranging from HP pocket calculator to lasers that came from this area. The ten-day field trip to Silicon Valley was a strong nudge to learn about the history of the place before meeting its business and academic luminaries in person.
---
And, I leave you with this song "Going to San Francisco" by 92.7 edit
Jimmy Low
Dimitry and his ESMT MBA classmates in San Francisco
Over the past 60 years Silicon Valley has become a global technology powerhouse giving home to more than 10 thousand companies and employing more than one million people. Which factors led the valley to success? Are they exportable? Can these conditions be recreated in Russia, my homecountry, which once stood at the forefront of innovations in microelectronics, aerospace, and nuclear physics? These questions were of my major concern throughout the trip.
I was particularly impressed by the executive summary that Lisa Sweeney, Director of Stanford GSB Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, gave us. She sees the “Secret Sauce” of Silicon Valley prosperity as a blend of four ingredients: Unique Culture, Free Markets, Stable Legal System, and Reliable Infrastructure. Indeed, the culture is one-of-a-kind in terms of risk and failure tolerance. Venture capitalists invest where others fear, whereas on average only one in 20 companies succeed. The good thing is that if you fail, you can try again. In other cultures usually you do not get the second chance. “Proper” failure is acknowledged in the same fashion as success because it gives valuable lessons. The common philosophy is that a start-up is not a tech company, but rather a learning tool. In this respect, both venture capitalists (Khosla Ventures) and serial entrepreneurs (Krish Ramakrishnan of Blue Jeans Network) echo each other’s words: failure is tolerated if it results from from unsecured financing, product ahead of the market or lack of commercialization skills. However, poor execution and lack of commitment will most likely leave a black mark on the entrepreneur similarly to other more conservative environments. Another striking cultural aspect is the readiness of Valley’s residents to share ideas and collaborate, thus creating an uncommon mix of partnership and competition, which at the end of the day determines the success of the whole valley.
However, this culture would not have formed without Stanford University, the nucleus of high-tech industry in Silicon Valley. Founded by railroad tycoon Leland Stanford in 1887, the university became the main source of engineering specialists for local businesses. In mid twenty century Stanford Research Institute was formed. This research park leased land in Stanford vicinity to high-tech companies on favourable terms, and this is when the real binding between the university and the companies took place. Many high-tech pioneers including HP moved their R&D centers to the park making it a worldwide model for a handful of other high-tech clusters.
During the field trip meetings, none of the speakers explicitly mentioned the role of the US Government in supporting the Valley, leaving us under the assumption that the main benefit currently given by the state is its non-interference. However, state support played a vital role in the early days: military spending represented about 70% of integrated circuits in sixties. Pentagon still remains an important purchaser of latest technologies. In addition, the area has secured a modern legal framework that accounts for favourable tax regime for start-ups, intellectual property protection, and hiring the best talent including foreign specialists. For instance, more that half of Silicon Valley companies were initiated by people born outside of the US.
Finally, the Valley’s infrastructure – utilities, transportation, high technology penetration, backed by mild Mediterranean-like climate create an environment highly appealing for work and life. Throughout the trip I have been reflecting on how this innovation cycle can be replicated in other geographical areas. Which elements are “exportable” and which are not? History knows a few successful examples like Silicon Wadi in Tel-Aviv and Central Taiwan Science Park, but also a multitude of less prosperous examples, such as Sophia Antipolis which has been micromanaged by French government for years and Shenzhen Technology Park. The latter research center attracts brightest local students but according to Margaret O’Mara, Professor of History at University of Washington, they do not intend to build companies in the area upon graduation. The most recent ongoing attempt is Russian President Medvedev’s Skolkovo Science Park on the outskirts of Moscow. There are certainly many legal, cultural, and infrastructure issues that will prevent this project from becoming a success story overnight. The good news is that Russian leadersWhenever coming across the term Silicon Valley, I was struck by the question of its origin. What stands behind this name is unfamiliar to vast majority of people, although it is impossible to imagine modern civilization without inventions ranging from HP pocket calculator to lasers that came from this area. The ten-day field trip to Silicon Valley was a strong nudge to learn about the history of the place before meeting its business and academic luminaries in person.
---
And, I leave you with this song "Going to San Francisco" by 92.7 edit
Jimmy Low
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
ESMT in Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
When you think about MBA, the few typical countries that come to mind are USA, UK, France and perhaps Australia. What about Germany? In fact, MBA is gaining a foothold in Germany. The ESMT European School of Management and Technology in Berlin was founded by 25 German corporations in 2002. The ESMT MBA is a one-year, international MBA taught in English, offers a good balance between theories and practice on topics of technology management and sustainable business.As an ESMT alumnus from Malaysia, I am pleased to share with you why I chose ESMT. Firstly, I wanted a unique MBA, not from your typical countries. In fact, when I told people that I did my MBA in Germany, I got lots of questions about why Germany, what was it like there, etc. The MBA itself becomes an interesting conversation topic. Secondly, I was interested in technology management and there were not many schools that focused on this area. Plus, Germany is known for its high-tech, engineering. Thirdly, 25 German corporations backed the school. And with this, at least 25 post-MBA career opportunities. I got mine from Deutsche Bahn.
Overall, I had no regards coming to ESMT and spending a good year with 39 other classmates from all over the world and with the faculty members. If you like to know more about ESMT, the ESMT marketing director Mr. Rick Doyle will be in South East Asia. Sign up to meet him for a 1-2-1 session at these locations:
Bangkok, 2nd June: http://connect.topmba.com/candidates/application/application-page/?eventID=64
Manila, 4th June: http://connect.topmba.com/candidates/application/application-page/?eventID=63
Kuala Lumpur, 7th June: http://connect.topmba.com/candidates/application/application-page/?eventID=65
Singapore, 9th June: http://connect.topmba.com/candidates/application/application-page/?eventID=66
I will be happy to share more about ESMT MBA. Please email me your questions. Here are some photos of the school and our activities: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.230316737956.136080.750812956&l=dd31a65205
Jimmy Low
Thursday, April 29, 2010
ESMT Scholarships for Academic Excellence and More
In the past open day sessions and emails from our readers, we are often asked about MBA financing options. One of the common ways to finance your MBA study is to get a scholarship from the schools. Business schools want to attract the right candidates from various regions and those with unique experiences and qualities. As you research about the school, do look into their scholarships and apply from one of them.
I am currently doing my 1-year MBA at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin, Germany. The school was founded in 2002 by 25 corporations with the purpose of offering the distinct European business experience in a classroom environment. I am in the fifth intake with 38 other students from 21 countries. Most, if not all, of us including myself, were offered a scholarship to finance our MBA.
A total of 11 scholarships are available for the full-time MBA program. In particular, I would like to share two relevant ones; mainly because they relate to GMAT score and Asian focus where majority of our readers are from. For others, please visit ESMT scholarships website.
For more information on the scholarships, please contact the ESMT Head of Admissions, Ms. Stephanie Kluth at mba@esmt.org.
If you want to learn more about the full-time MBA program and my experience studying and living in Berlin so far, you're free to contact me at my Gmail address.
Jimmy Low
I am currently doing my 1-year MBA at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin, Germany. The school was founded in 2002 by 25 corporations with the purpose of offering the distinct European business experience in a classroom environment. I am in the fifth intake with 38 other students from 21 countries. Most, if not all, of us including myself, were offered a scholarship to finance our MBA.
A total of 11 scholarships are available for the full-time MBA program. In particular, I would like to share two relevant ones; mainly because they relate to GMAT score and Asian focus where majority of our readers are from. For others, please visit ESMT scholarships website.
ESMT Asia Scholarship
ESMT awards one prestigious scholarship to an outstanding male or female candidate applying to either program from an Asian country.
Program: Full-time MBA
Number of scholarships available: two
Value: € 25,000
Eligibility: Candidates with permanent residence in a South or East Asian / Australasian country
Requirements:
Candidates are required to submit a scholarship essay along with their complete application to the ESMT Full-time MBA program. Candidates will be expected to actively promote the school in the respective regions throughout and after their studies, e.g. by participating in the ESMT mentoring program.
ESMT Academic Excellence Scholarship
ESMT offers special-tuition scholarship to male and female candidates applying to the ESMT Full-time MBA program with an exceptionally strong GMAT score and a record of academic excellence at undergraduate level.
Program: Full-time MBA
Number of scholarships available: two
Value: € 25,000
Eligibility: All candidates with a GMAT score of 700+ are eligible to apply
Criteria: Candidates are to provide proof of a valid GMAT score (not older than five years) and a short essay (max. 300 words) stating why they qualify for this scholarship.
For more information on the scholarships, please contact the ESMT Head of Admissions, Ms. Stephanie Kluth at mba@esmt.org.
If you want to learn more about the full-time MBA program and my experience studying and living in Berlin so far, you're free to contact me at my Gmail address.
Jimmy Low
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)