Participants in the Executive MBA – Class of 2015 will soon tackle this tough assignment as they approach the fourth and final program module, which is about Africa.
ABB, which currently has operations in Johannesburg, sees how the African market is growing and wants to develop strategies for establishing itself in Angola and Mozambique with the help of our participants. Starting in late October, the participants – split into groups – will begin working on the ABB assignment, which was initiated by one of them.
The assignment entails participants developing their own strategy for the two markets, taking into account their potential, trade situation, ability to perform, the political situation and other risks. Participants will also make proposals regarding the required resources and types of organizations, as well as cost-benefit analyses.
After just over three months of in-depth study at home in Sweden, in early February they will take a field trip to Africa, where they will work closely with ABB in the relevant countries. Experienced supervisors will be available to assist them throughout the assignment.
The Africa assignment will test participants’ knowledge with a challenging business assignment and incorporate everything they have learned over the course of the 18-month program. They will also improve their knowledge of and familiarity with Africa, a continent with enormous economic growth potential with which many people may have had little prior experience.
“As far as I know, our Executive MBA is the first with a focus on Africa,” says Program Director Tony Åkesson. “We are extremely proud of this initiative, and it is a testament to our goal to be innovative and on the leading edge. This initiative is made possible with the support of Lund University and its extremely well-established contacts on site, as well as its access to several experts on Africa,” Tony concludes.