4 business schools nurturing the next generation of business leaders

With technologies emerging at a breakneck pace and ever-changing economic landscapes, executives need more than just vision to advance their careers today. You need enhanced know-how, more specialised knowledge, and a whole suite of soft skills.

The right MBA programme can equip you with these. In response to a changing world, many universities have innovated the traditional on-campus business degree to incorporate the latest issues and industry demands. To give you a global outlook, MBAs now take place in several countries, not just one. To equip you with soft skills, projects form a key portion of your MBA, letting you practise your critical thinking, communication and creative problem-solving.

These are powerful skills to have. According to a study by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), 86% of business school graduates believe the skills they gained prepared them for leadership positions. Another study found that 72% of business school alumni reported that their education expanded their professional network. The right MBA confers even more benefits and privileges — like the kind offered by some of the top-ranking business schools below:

ESCP Business School consistently ranks among the best business schools in Europe. Source: ESCP Business School

ESCP Business School

ESCP Business School is one of the top business schools in Europe and is a standout choice for MBA candidates seeking an experiential and international education. According to the Financial Times, ESCP’s MBA is ranked #1 in the world for providing an exceptional international experience. This means you will be immersed in a truly diverse and global learning environment — every interaction is an opportunity to gain valuable insights into multiple countries, sectors and industries. With campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Turin, and Paris, you have the added opportunity to explore three cities and countries throughout your programme.

Another unique feature of ESCP’s MBA? Company Consultancy Projects (CCPs). These projects offer you crucial hands-on experience that other business schools don’t provide. Only ESCP’s MBA students get the opportunity to work with two different companies on real-world projects in two different countries. 

The school takes this practical approach seriously, ensuring that you not only learn concepts in the classroom but also perform an in-depth analysis and make recommendations for actions that can realistically be implemented by the company. This is not something you’ll have to prepare for alone — dedicated workshops will equip you with essential consulting skills, research strategies and presentation techniques. An ESCP professor and/or an experienced consultant will provide tutoring on how to approach an issue with a critical mindset and how to react swiftly in unexpected situations with a creative and open-minded attitude. To learn more about ESCP’s distinctly international and experiential MBA, click here.

HEC Paris is one of the world’s best business schools and is a leader in research and education in management sciences. Source: HEC Paris

HEC Paris

EC Paris was the #1 European business school in 2022 for its unique and complete range of programmes, all of which aim at training socially-conscious future business leaders. This has attracted over 4,500 students representing 111 nationalities — bringing the most talented from highly diverse professional and cultural backgrounds to its 340-acre wooded campus close to Paris and Versailles.

The TRIUM Global Executive MBA stands out for being a partnership of three of the world’s leading universities: NYU Stern, London School of Economics and Political Science and HEC Paris School of Management. It’s the best of many worlds — making it an ideal launchpad for business leaders to navigate an ever-changing, unpredictable world. 

Now more than ever, senior executives need profound insights into decision-making contexts. The programme starts in LSE, with the module “Business in the Global Political Economy.” Led by global academics shaping policy discourse, it offers TRIUM students a distinctive and captivating experience, unlike other Global EMBAs. An integrated curriculum not only covers global business from every angle but ensures TRIUM students are the first among their peers to understand the opportunities and risks of the current business world and that of tomorrow.

This prestigious programme is a valuable opportunity for senior international business leaders seeking to write the next chapter of their careers and build their global network. The cohort’s average age is 40, with 17 years of work experience. Across six on-site modules at multiple locations around the world over an 18-month period, participants can leverage each other’s experience as they explore the intersection of business, geopolitics, society and economics. 

The programme culminates in a Capstone Project, where participants apply what they learn to a real-life strategic opportunity, such as launching a start-up or social venture or restructuring an existing business environment.

London Business School is the #2 business school in Europe (Financial Times). Source: London Business School Facebook

London Business School

Located in Regent’s Park, London Business School (LBS) is in the very heart of the UK’s capital. Here, students can pursue a range of programmes relating to business, including MSc, MBA and EMBAs across accounting, economics, finance, management science and operations, marketing, organisational behaviour, strategy, and entrepreneurship. 

Academic expertise is at the forefront of learning at LBS. In fact, it has an MBA and Master’s in Management programme that have both been ranked first by highly respected publications worldwide. They’re taught on campuses that place emphasis on diversity and inclusivity, making for an environment that encourages networking and connection as well as thinking for the greater good.

“Before LBS, a ‘network’ was just a buzzword — but I soon learned that the people you connect with are those who drive you forward,” says MIM graduate Claudia Broggi.

This is also a business school committed to driving the sustainable development agenda. A key way it does this is through preparing women for leadership roles. “I made the most of that diversity in terms of building my network and developing lifelong friendships – I’m still in touch with my whole class and we visit each other post-EMBA,” says Executive MBA Dubai graduate Alither Rutendo Mutsago-Makanya. “I also look beyond my immediate cohort’s alumni events here in Doha. I appreciate the power of building a solid, social capital – both in terms of career growth, and also on a very personal level.”

More than that, graduates from these programmes are proven to be consistently valued by employers worldwide. For example, 94% of LBS management graduates secured a job offer within three months of graduation, with an average starting salary of US$58,223. It’s truly a stepping stone to success — now and in the future. 

CEIBS was the first business school in mainland China to earn the internationally recognized EQUIS accreditation. Source: China Europe International Business School

China Europe International Business School

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is the top pick for global graduate education within Asia. For one, it is the first business school in the Chinese mainland to be accredited by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). 

It is also ranked in the top 25, by the Financial Times, for its Master in Business Administration (MBA) for 19 consecutive years (2005-2023). In 2022, the Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) programme achieved a #2 worldwide ranking and stood as Asia’s top-ranked stand-alone programme.

Their MBA offers a China-focused module that allows you to study general business management, or you can concentrate on Finance, Marketing, Digital Business, or Entrepreneurship over 12 to 18 months. The EMBA programme develops widely applicable leadership and analytical skills in 20 months. Both programmes are delivered by faculty members from all over the world, who strengthen business insights with their global perspectives.

Students can access support and resources at the CEIBS eLab on the Shanghai campus, which serves as an incubator for entrepreneurial ventures. The MBA Entrepreneurship & Investment Camp and the eLab Incubation Programme are among the opportunities you’ll have to develop greater knowledge and skills in venture creation, investment, and digital technology. This eLab has birthed 100 business ventures so far, with more in the works. 

It’s a journey that’s led to all forms of success for its graduates. Recently, CEIBS Global EMBA alums were listed amongst Poets & Quants’ Best & Brightest 2023. “I applied to the CEIBS Global EMBA during the apex of COVID-19 in 2020. I wanted to invest in myself during a time of great uncertainty, and I wanted to do so alongside students hailing from different industries and cultural backgrounds. I feel so fortunate to now be part of such a close-knit learning community which supports me as I navigate through the ups and downs of work and life,” says EMBA graduate Anita Jiang.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International