In an increasingly global economy, international experience for Indiana University MBA candidates comes from hands-on work in the field as much as the classroom. A group of students, led by Dr. Phil Powell, travel to Peru to help local entrepreneurs tackle business challenges using cutting edge business practices. The Kelley MBA GLOBASE initiative provides a unique social enterprise experience by partnering with Peruvian businesses to make a global impact.


Monday, September 6, 2010

Back in Lima

Ana and I arrived again in this wonderful city last night. The chief mission of this visit is to recruit from Peru talented members of the Class of 2013. Along with meeting with coaches who prepare aspiring MBAs for the TOEFL and GMAT and guide them on which U.S. programs to consider, we will host a dinner of 20 alums and prospective students. After two years of success with GLOBASE, prospective students know we are serious about Peru and its connection to their MBA experience.


While here, we will follow up with companies with whom students will work in March 2011. Our goal is to provide well-organized, well-scoped projects so that students complete a robust consulting experience. We can capitalize on two years of experience, contacts, and knowledge of the city. The plan is to fly the company owners into Bloomington in late January so they can form relationships with the student teams before "getting down to business" (the refreshing way business is conducted in Latin America). Ana and I look forward to SKYPEing in for the presentation to interested students by Matt, Rocio, Sen, and Caroline (the student leadership team) on Thursday - we'll be able to show the city off in real time. Not a bad way to market this opportunity, eh?


This first morning back in Peru, I woke to see how, during this time of year, Lima is shrouded in a fog formed by moisture off the Pacific that is trapped by the Andes. The fog emphasizes a sense of mystery as the new day begins. Throughout the day, though, the fog slowly lifts to reveal a vibrant community alive with new construction, growth, and optimism. This is symbolic of how Latin America is breaking dated stereotypes held by us in the United States. Our GLOBASE Peru teams will plug clients into Lima's new vibrancy and our MBA students will inhale fumes of entrepreneurial excitement hard to find right now in the U.S. Some of our best lessons in the MBA program are learned thousands of miles away from Bloomington. Ana and I feel privileged to be blazing a trail for these opportunities in March.