On March 28, the WHU Full-Time MBA Program once more welcomed a diverse class of 36 students from 20 different countries across the globe such as Argentina, Iran, Mexico, Tunisia, and Vietnam. A reflection of the program’s #1 ranking (in Germany) with the Financial Times is seen in the level of gender diversity, with women representing an impressive 43% of the 2021 cohort. As always, the new intake features a wide range of academic and professional experience with an average of six and a half years of postgraduate work experience, from a broad spectrum of industries including automotive, education, retail, and tourism.
This year the new class kick-started their WHU MBA experience online via Zoom, in response to the temporary closure of WHU Campus Düsseldorf against the background of the COVID-19 measures taken by the school. The day started with an official greeting from Deputy Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Professor Dr. Jürgen Weigand, Academic Director of the MBA Program, Professor Dr. Martin Fassnacht, and MBA Program Director, Gerold Gnau.
The students later received a taster of the many entrepreneurial activities on offer as part of the WHU MBA experience, with the student-led initiative WHU Entrepreneurship Roundtable. Leadership and entrepreneurial thinking are key to the curriculum at WHU, so March 30 signaled the beginning of a busy week for the new starters with the start of the Future Leaders’ Fundraising Challenge.
This immersive leadership course sees students working together in teams to develop ideas and manifest them into physical and digital products, while generating real-world impact by raising donations for charity. The weeklong exercise challenges them to think strategically, instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and skills they will develop throughout the rest of the program. Since the inception of the challenge in 2016, Full-Time and Part-Time MBA students have raised around €300,000 for leading charitable organizations.
We welcome the new MBA students to the WHU community and look forward to welcoming them on campus in the near future!