Top MBA schools of 2009

London Business School:

Location: London

Offer a rich portfolio of masters and non-masters programmes to suit students and executives at every stage of their careers.

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Wharton School :

Location: Pennsylvania

With its unmatched faculty and academic programs, Wharton is the most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world.

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Harvard Business School:

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Harvard Business School has been to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.

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Insead:

Location: Dubai and France

As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and transform organisations.

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Standford University:

Location: Stanford

Stanford opened its doors in 1891, and more than a century later, it remains dedicated to finding solutions to the great challenges of the day and to preparing our students for leadership in today’s complex world.

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Indian School of Business:

Location: Hyderabad, India

The Indian School of Business evolved from the need for a world class business school in Asia. With a diverse mix of students from different industries, experiential and holistic learning, international faculty and students, and strong corporate involvement, life at the ISB is a unique experience.

Luxury Management Remains in Style

Rupal Patel took a break from her career as a patent lawyer in Chicago to enroll in an MBA program with a luxury specialization this fall, trading in the Windy City for the sparkling shores of the French Riviera. A student at the International University of Monaco’s business school in Monte Carlo, she is spending the year taking classes with titles such as “Luxury Consumer Behavior” and “Managing Luxury Brands,” and is planning on a career in anti-counterfeiting.

Despite the hit the economy is taking on the luxury industry, Patel is optimistic her degree will give her an edge in the job market when she graduates, she says.

“I think being focused and having a specialization, especially in luxury, makes a person more marketable in this economic climate,” Patel says. “The ultra-wealthy will always buy luxury goods, regardless of the fluctuations in the economy, so that kind of gives us some hope.”

Patel is one of a growing number of students who, despite the uncertain times, are setting their sights on a career in the luxury sector. In the past decade or so, more and more schools, many based in Europe, have started to offer MBA degrees in luxury-brand management. The programs, which give students the chance to specialize in sectors such as fragrance and cosmetics and wine and spirits, have become increasingly popular as top luxury brands have seen double-digit increases in profits in recent years.

But with sales of big-ticket items such as Champagne, designer handbags, and watches expected to slide this year, the outlook is not quite as rosy. Analysts at Bain & Co. said in a recent report that global luxury sales could slide by as much as 7% in 2009, while analysts at UBS are predicting a 5% revenue decline. Despite these gloomy forecasts, applications to luxury MBA programs are on the upswing, with students betting the luxury industry will bounce back, according to a number of schools that specialize in the area.

RISING ENROLLMENT

Applications have also doubled this fall at the International University of Monaco’s Monaco Business School, which started a master’s in luxury goods and services and an MBA with a specialization in luxury management several years ago. There are 38 students in the master’s program and about 12 MBA students concentrating in luxury. Sandrine Ricard, the associate dean, says the school started the programs in part because a growing number of companies were demanding managers with more specialized skills and understanding of the luxury market.
In addition, more mainstream brands are starting to develop luxury product lines, further fueling the demand for expertise in the sector, Ricard says.

“You can have the best product ever, with top quality and a very high price, but that still doesn’t make it a luxury product. There’s something a little magic about a luxury brand,” she says. “You have to be initiated and understand how it works. It’s a lot more specialized and complex than it seems.”

By  Alison Damast

                                                                                                                 

Management Programme for Entrepreneurs

Nadathur S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) has announced admissions for the third batch of its Management Programme for Entrepreneurs & Family Businesses (MPEFB) course, beginning February 9, 2009.

The course content has been enhanced this year and it is designed to support learning needs of those starting a business as well as those looking to upgrade their management skills.

Admissions for the course are based on multiple criteria. The candidate should be a graduate and is required to submit a 150-word statement of purpose along with the application. Applicants are expected to be in the age group of 25-45 with track record as entrepreneurs. The batch will have 60 students. The academic year will run from February 9, 2009 to February 5, 2010, over four terms. Last date for registration is December 7, 2008. For more information, visit www.nsrcel.org.