THE GLOCAL MBA—level up your career, change your life

Whether your goal is to advance in your career, launch a new one, build a startup, grow a company, disrupt an industry, or simply have a life-transforming adventure, THE GLOCAL MBA has you covered.

Condensed & abroad

THE GLOCAL MBA will not waste your time or money; we don’t force you to take exams to get in or get out—we help you grow, upgrade your career and transform your life. Our program takes place in Southeast Asia to give you an immersive cultural experience. By focusing only on the hard and soft business fundamentals that you need, we can give you a robust, high quality MBA in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional business school.

THE GLOCAL School of Business is disrupting business education with this fast-track MBA.

A balanced curriculum for a volatile world

Our program, developed and taught by renowned business leaders, is based on 2 fundamental blocks: hard business skills and soft life skills. Our hard skills block includes core modules like those taught at Harvard, Wharton or INSEAD—you’ll learn cutting-edge analytical, financial, strategic and operational skills that you need to excel in your career. But to thrive in today’s global world defined by VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity), you also need soft skills. This is what modern companies and successful startups demand, and it’s what THE GLOCAL MBA provides.

Hard Business Skills

This module introduces the fundamentals of macroeconomics and microeconomics. In macroeconomics you will learn how the global economy works. Key topics include technological change, international trade, exchange rates, interest rates, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy, wage inequality, and unemployment. Microeconomics focuses on the principles of market equilibrium, pricing strategies, firm and consumer behaviour, game theory and competitive interactions.

This module covers the principles of an organization’s performance. Key topics include how to develop a sustainable competitive advantage, create value and define a product mix. You will also acquire the tools to analyze and define corporate growth strategy, long-term goals, competition and industries, digital strategy, externalities, globalization, future foresighting, disruption, and uncertainty. 

This module explores the human aspect of a company. Key topics include: the individual’s behaviour within the firm, the culture and vision of the company, and how to align the organization and its people to meet and achieve these. You will also learn various performance management methodologies that can align employees with the company’s objectives, and new organizational trends such as agile, product-oriented, data-driven and liquid organizations.

This module is intended to not only teach the tools, frameworks and methodologies to identify unmet customer needs and launch a new business to meet them, but also how to use these within an existing company in order to optimize processes, launch new products, services and business models to innovate under uncertainty. Key topics include: customer development, design thinking, lean startup, and the business model canvas. You will also learn how to develop your ideas successfully through different project management approaches (experimental, predictive, iterative, incremental or adaptive).

This module covers the principles of accounting. You will learn the language of accounting and understand its concepts to communicate and allocate resources in an effective way. Accurate accounting information reflects the economic health of a company, so you will learn how to understand balance sheets, financial statements and reports in order to make organizational decisions and map future liquidity and profitability.

This module covers the fundamentals of corporate finance and capital markets. It focuses on the major financial decisions made by corporate managers both within the firm and in their relationships with investors. Key topics include: criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, risk analysis, and capital structure choice. You will also learn how to finance and value startups.

This module will help you understand how potential clients make decisions and what their needs are in order to create value for them, and consequently, create value for the firm. Key topics include: market research, segmentation, product development, pricing, positioning, branding, distribution, communication, and advertising. You will also learn the best digital and offline marketing strategies to create a unified and successful marketing plan.

This module explores the different sales strategies that a company can use, how to implement an international commercialization plan, and how to manage the sales team. You will also learn several tools to optimize the sales process. 

The main objective of this module is to give you the tools to understand how operations are best managed within both manufacturing and service firms. Key topics include process analysis and design, product development, operations strategy, supply chain management, and capacity planning.

This module teaches the basic analytical tools to make smart decisions based on data and statistics in order to manage uncertainty and get useful insights for the business. You will acquire the methods to collect, analyze, interpret, present and organize massive structured and unstructured data, and to create simulation and predictive models to face the data challenges of today.

This module focuses on big data, artificial intelligence, internet of things, blockchain, cybersecurity and other technological trends, and how they affect the global business sphere. You will analyze trends in technology, open innovation and the startup ecosystem, platform business models, APIs strategy and disruptive innovations, and how these impact the current market and individual businesses that need to rapidly adapt in order to survive. You will also learn how to create a culture of innovation and continuous learning inside an organization.

Soft Life Skills

The long-term success of any organization lies in strong policies and governance. Leaders set the vision as well as the cultural and ethical standards of their organization. Corporate leadership requires effective navigation of challenging and complex situations on a daily basis. This module allows you to gain an understanding of business ethics and diversity of viewpoints. Through case studies, you will explore elements of good governance, practice applying ethical decision-making, as well as connect vision, values and ethics.

This module provides the opportunity to explore different leadership styles and strategies. Anchored in conscious leadership, the module combines a focus on self, facilitating an enhanced understanding of your vision, purpose and values, and building authentic connections with individuals and teams to enable alignment across your organization. This module has been designed to enable you to develop a global perspective, ensuring you can effectively navigate across different cultures and contexts. The concept of leadership is explored through a future-focused lens, prioritizing demands and skills of effective future leaders. 

This module brings together elements of leadership and management with a focus on high performing teams. You will learn about the characteristics of strong teams and what it takes to build them. Through exploring frameworks and case studies, you will gain knowledge and practical skills on how to facilitate a collaborative and open team culture, empower others, while effectively managing performance. A specific focus is placed on leading critical conversations and needs-based interventions. 

Emotional intelligence is increasingly seen as a critical quality for any leader. The ability to understand and manage your own emotions as well as those of your team is key to building a high-performance culture. This module is designed to provide you with a 360 perspective on all aspects of your leadership. Through enhancing self-awareness, you will learn strategies to apply empathy to build authentic and mutually supportive relationships. 

This module is designed to support you as a leader and manager by providing you with key coaching skills. Infusing your day to day work with coaching strategies will support you in building authentic relationships, driving performance, building capacity and fostering autonomy. You will explore and practice strategies to support you to build trust and rapport, set goals, track progress, as well as actively listen and ask the right questions. Throughout the module you will have opportunities to coach and be coached.

As we enter a time of great innovation, now more than ever a leader’s success relies on their ability not only to envision the future, but to bring their teams and organizations along with them. Exploration of change management theories and frameworks will provide you with the opportunity to understand key elements of the change process. Deep-diving into case-studies and real-life scenarios will enable you to apply learning and understand your role in effectively leading change from the top while also enabling change from the ground-up. 

Successful global leaders apply a variety of culturally appropriate communication techniques in different situations. This module is designed to enable you to deepen your awareness of your communication style and enhance your ability to connect with a wide range of audiences. The primary focus will be on developing your presentation, pitching and public speaking skills as well as hone your personal brand through storytelling. 

21st century leadership is complex and requires leaders to be adept in high level negotiations. This module will enable you to take your influencing skills to the next level by focusing on how to effectively strategize, position and persuade while building consensus through incorporating multiple perspectives and objectives. You will be challenged to engage in experiential activities, apply strategies and provide constructive and reciprocal peer feedback with peers.

As a leader, the ability to embed strong decision-making processes into your organization is essential for success and survival. This module provides you with strategies and tools to hone these skills. Through learning about different theories, frameworks and simulated activities you will gain insights into common decision-making biases and pitfalls. You will also have the opportunity to enhance awareness of your own approaches to decision-making. This module will also provide you with an understanding of how to leverage effective decision-making processes to build a strong organizational culture.

Today’s world brings with it immense challenges and opportunities. The ability to be agile, think differently, and see potential in every situation has never been more important. As leaders navigate changing realities, creativity is the key to ensuring organizations can adapt, reinvent and thrive in a volatile world. This module provides you with opportunities to leverage frameworks to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Through innovative brainstorming techniques you will explore different approaches to individual and collaborative problem-solving.

Leadership roles can leave many overwhelmed with the amount and variety of high-stake tasks. Effective time management is a critical skill for any leader. Through this module, you will explore strategies to enable you to distribute leadership, and delegate effectively to allow you to remain focused on the big picture and guide teams to achieve outcomes aligned to your organization’s vision and mission. Through exploration of strategies, tools and templates you will be equipped to overcome common pitfalls and adopt systems that work best for you.

Thinking about joining our cohort of young professionals?

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Fast learning while slow traveling for mindful leaders

Alongside your cohort, you’ll learn how to lead, engage, innovate and persuade, while changing your mindset and growing your confidence. THE GLOCAL MBA is intense but it’s also thoughtful. You’ll work hard but you will also have time to slow down, stop, think, rethink, reset and (re)discover yourself.

Two formats to transform your career

THE GLOCAL MBA will give you a professional upgrade and a personal revolution, in record time. 

THE GLOCAL MBA Full-time program

Our full-time MBA is for you if you are ready to fully immerse in 3 months of fast learning and slow travel in Bali (Indonesia), the Sapa Valley (Vietnam) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

 

Deep-dive into our full-time MBA!

THE GLOCAL MBA Part-time program

Our part-time MBA is for you if you want a more flexible experience, including 2 weeks on-site in Bali (Indonesia) and the rest of the program completed online during the following 5 months.

 

Take a look at our part-time MBA!

Both programs have been designed with a unique blended learning model that combines best-in-class business education delivered online via our e-learning platform with in-person classes and once-in-a-lifetime immersive experiences in Southeast Asia. You also have workshops, receive 6 one-to-one coaching sessions, do wellness activities, go out of your comfort zone and learn to think critically and lead boldly. You’ll do all this alongside an amazing cohort of fellow learners who will become lifelong friends and part of your international network.

Sounds amazing? Just wait until you see the rest of the details in our presentation 

In case you were wondering...

Whether you are a leader, project manager, entrepreneur, designer, artist, innovator or digital nomad, whether you work inside a global firm or on your own, regardless of industry, setting or job function, THE GLOCAL MBA is for you if:

  • You want the benefits of an international MBA without wasting money (+€125,000 for tuition and costs of an average MBA), wasting time (1 to 2 years is average length), and wasting energy in the long application process (preparing for the GMAT, GRE or TOEFL).
  • You’re ready to upgrade your career with the most up-to-date hard business skills as well as the most innovative soft skills training, taught by influential business leaders and coaches.
  • You want time to slow down and explore new cultures in Southeast Asia while rethinking your future, leveling up, overcoming your fears, and gaining the confidence and self-awareness to become a mindful leader.
  • You want to meet ambitious, open-minded people from around the world and make lifelong friendships.

THE GLOCAL MBA offers all of this and more. Through practical classes, workshops, coaching and epic experiences, all shared together with an impressive cohort of brilliant international students you will learn, at record speed, to lead, innovate and thrive in today’s evolving and challenging global economy.

The key differences that distinguish THE GLOCAL MBA include:

  • Small cohorts of up to 30 diverse students to maximize the learning experience.
  • The experience of co-living and co-learning in Southeast Asia in order to encourage disconnection, adaptability, critical thinking, openness and collaboration.
  • World-class teachers, coaches and speakers who have real-world experience in big tech, entrepreneurship, VC, wellness and more.
  • A curriculum that is balanced between hard business skills and soft life skills.
  • Short and intensive programming which allows us to constantly update our curriculum so that our students are fully prepared to thrive in VUCA environments.
  • Blended learning that combines online lectures, educational materials and opportunities for community-building with on-site classes, workshops and hands-on experiences alongside your cohort and program directors.
  • No exams to get in, no exams to get out, our program is driven by merit, personal growth and peer-evaluations.
  • 6 one-to-one coaching sessions that guide students in their personal and professional ambitions and the opportunity to continue with the sessions once the program is over through our extension course.
  • Field trips to local companies.
  • Volunteering work with local communities.
  • Wellness activities.
  • Epic experiences where students face their fears and overcome their boundaries.

We take business education very seriously and our curriculum is designed to give you the most relevant knowledge and skills. Similar to Harvard, Wharton or INSEAD, THE GLOCAL MBA teaches you the hard business skills that will equip you to succeed in your career—finance, strategy, marketing, entrepreneurship and more. 

However, being good at numbers and strategy is not enough to thrive in today’s global, always-evolving market which is defined by VUCA—volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. To navigate and lead in this scenario, you need not only to know yourself, but also to know others. This is where our true distinctiveness comes in—THE GLOCAL MBA balances hard business skills with soft life fundamentals. Through one-to-one coaching, small group work, immersive experiences in Southeast Asia and wellness practices, you will practice leadership, teamwork, emotional intelligence, creativity, communication and negotiation skills, critical thinking and more. These are the traits that modern businesses need most and that are essential to be a successful, mindful global leader.

Above all, THE GLOCAL MBA offers all of this in a condensed, intense format, much shorter than a traditional MBA which lasts 1 to 2 years. We achieve this by focusing solely on the fundamentals and tailoring the curriculum to exactly what you need to become a leader.

We use a blended learning model that combines online masterclasses presented on video by world-class leaders (+ live Q&A sessions with them) and educational materials (case studies, readings, summaries, templates, pdfs, problem-solving exercises, quizzes, short essays…) for the Hard Business Skills Block with face-to-face classes and workshops for the Soft Life Skills Block.

The best learning happens when you are pushed out of your comfort zone and that is exactly what will happen every day in THE GLOCAL MBA. Both online and on-site, you will be encouraged to be hands-on and get involved by your program director who will guide you through your lessons, answer questions and push you intellectually. On-site, you’ll get fully engaged and active in epic experiences, group excursions and wellness activities.

Our focus on immersive, interactive, practical learning means that you will not have to pass any exams to graduate. We don’t believe in evaluating students with standardized exams based on memorization, which is an obsolete learning methodology not suited to today’s dynamic, changing reality. Rather than studying to pass an exam, you’ll focus on practical projects and learn from your program directors and coaches and from the constant feedback, support and ideas of your cohort—your smart, open-minded, diverse peers. Their unique experiences and cultures will enhance your learning and challenge the way you see the world. The two-way exchange of ideas will open your mind while giving you confidence to share your own viewpoints. Through practical team projects, you will put your new lessons into practice and build even closer bonds with each other. The result is that you’ll really absorb and retain your new knowledge for life (not merely memorize it in order to pass an exam).

Our academics are grounded in case studies, which let you experience the challenges and choices faced by business leaders in real-world situations. Driven by discussion and debate, the case-based methodology is rigorous. It demands critical thinking, active participation and the willingness to accept new perspectives. There is no right nor wrong answer as you learn to solve complex problems and make hard decisions. First introduced by Harvard Business School—and still the main methodology in the Harvard MBA—the case method is the best way to prepare you to become an effective, flexible, global leader.

If you do our full-time MBA, you will also have the chance to learn by doing with local startups and companies. Your local immersion goes even further in Vietnam where you will live with a family from the Hmong tribe in the Sapa Valley. Their lives are based on rice cultivation and hemp cloth production and for 5 days, so will yours. This unique social aspect of THE GLOCAL MBA will help you abandon your own way of life and see things in a totally new light.

Yes. THE GLOCAL MBA curriculum has been carefully designed. It is intense on purpose, focused on key business fundamentals complemented by comprehensive soft skills training with a healthy dose of immersive cultural experiences alongside your cohort in Southeast Asia.

Accreditation requires a lot of regulation, bureaucracy and strictly defined study plans, all of which means limited flexibility—this is directly against the philosophy of THE GLOCAL MBA. Being un-accredited gives us the freedom to give you the most relevant, tailored and condensed business program possible. Every moment of the MBA is designed to give you exactly what you need to become a future leader, innovator or disruptor within a multinational company or in your own startup. We focus on giving you real, tangible growth, in both your skillset and your mindset—not making you memorize data, check boxes and jump through hoops. Instead of a very expensive diploma proving you can follow standardized rules, you’ll get a private certificate and the confidence to let you define the rules.

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