Opportunities for Business Education

Written by Riviera Reporter

"Actually, I never got to go to B-school … "

That admission is often made in a tone of regret. There are excellent opportunities for business education available here. Phil Heinlein looks at two possible options

Why did Britain’s MG Rover go belly up? Some commentators have pointed out that it wasn’t helped by being one of the increasingly rare companies that never really took management training seriously. It was a firm where the guy who’d joined at 16 and risen through the ranks from the shop floor or a back office could be preferred to the man with a business education. But these days, as the environment of management, in the era of IT and globalisation, becomes ever more complex, that just won’t do. Management calls for the application of organised knowledge.
“Working with bright, energetic, competitive people”
Here on the Côte d’Azur we are lucky. One of Europe’s top business schools – the CERAM – is based in Sophia Antipolis, offering a full range of courses from undergraduate degrees to doctorates. But is a business course advisable as a first degree? Doesn’t it mean a rather narrower education than that offered by an old-style arts degree? “That’s not necessarily true,” says Dorothy Foster, headmistress of the International School of Nice. “I think the key point is that business education has changed enormously. It’s no longer just about bookkeeping and stock taking but covers a vast range of subjects and offers a real possibility of intellectual development. If one of our students is really keen to work in business, I’d certainly encourage him or her to do business studies.”

So what’s it like to study as an undergraduate at the CERAM (the Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherche Appliqués au Management, to spell out its name in full)? I asked first-year student Jean-Philippe Issaly. “Well, to start with you feel pleased with yourself, to be honest. Entrance is by a competitive examination and it’s tough. That means you’re working across three years with bright, energetic, competitive people and that’s great. There’s also a very international atmosphere here. Around 40 per cent of the faculty are from abroad and 1 in 4 of undergraduate students. As to the programme, it’s exactly what I wanted: there’s a year of general management studies, then a year that’s more tailored to your specific interests and finally a year of advanced study. You do three internships across the programme and we’re encouraged to go abroad. I’m thinking of Korea and Mexico. On top of all this we’ve got the advantage of being in Sophia Antipolis so we get to meet a lot of working executives. And it’s great to be on the CERAM’s garden-style campus . I’d hate to be stuck just off a main road in Nice!”

The CERAM has nearly 2000 students but they are organised in separate units according to their programme. What of those who aren’t undergraduates? “We offer a lot of possibilities,” explains Executive Director Alice Guilhon. “Along with our MBA we’ve got MS and MSc programmes which are customised to meet the needs of those who’ve had some experience and want to develop their knowledge in a systematic fashion. These cover a whole range of areas from international finance and strategic project leadership to human resources and knowledge management. It’s such a varied menu that I’d suggest anyone interested should get in touch and we can see what would suit them. These masters’ programmes last for twelve months and the teaching is largely or wholly in English. Those who choose to spend part of their time abroad can opt for schools from Shanghai to Stellenbosch, from Oxford to Atlanta. Our ‘old masters’, as we call them, are part of a worldwide network of CERAM alumni who are always ready to help each other. I should also mention, by the way, something that’s very special to our school. That’s our system of in-house training to enable working managers to deal with innovation. It’s had a great impact locally.”

“A very rewarding experience”
Of course, not everyone is able to study full time, even if there is a school like the CERAM on their doorstep. “That’s obvious,” says Barbara Wilson, local coordinator for the Open University Business School. “Apart from financial considerations in some cases, there’s often the sheer impossibility of giving up a job for a year or more.” Barbara recalls the UK-based OU’s origins. “It’s a legacy of the Sixties. To start with, it was basically intended to give a second chance to those who’d missed out on higher education earlier on, offering courses in anything from archaology to zoology. It’s been a remarkable success – the world’s leader in high level distance learning. The Open University Business School was launched in 1983 as an answer to the increasingly obvious deficiencies in British management education, offering a range of professional courses to working executives. Today it ranks in the top ten of the UK business schools and it accounts for around one in five of the country’s MBAs.”

So what’s it like to be an OUBS student? I put this question to Mark Gray who’s doing an MBA and who’s just six months off the finishing post. “A brief background: I was born in England but raised and educated in South Africa. I got married and moved back to England, continuing my career in electronic engineering. Didn’t like it. Anyway, I joined Philips Semi-Conductors in Sophia as a project manager, and I’ve done well. As my responsibilities expanded, I became aware that I needed greater management skills than those I had acquired through my technical training and experience. An executive MBA seemed the thing to go for. The CERAM would’ve been a possibility, they’ve got a good name here, but full time was not an option so I looked into the OUBS. I’m very pleased with the course. What’s especially good is the way they integrate what you study with your day-to-day management experience. You also learn a lot along the way about yourself, I’d say. Of course, it’s tough – you need self-discipline and to be able to give up around 10 hours a week to study. It’s been a very rewarding experience, though. And what will I do next? Maybe a doctorate and then, I’m hoping, back to S.A. where I’d like to pass on my knowledge to local managers. That’s an ambition in the spirit of the Open University, I’d say.”

“Always ready to advise”
“Indeed it is,” says Barbara Wilson. “Mark is typical of many of our students: highly motivated, determined and clearly aware of how his OU studies relate immediately to his work. Don’t forget, of course, we’ve got a whole choice of other courses – diplomas, bachelors’ degrees and so on – which suit some people’s needs. I’m always ready to advise on this.” And a last point to note – at least if you’re Indian or moving to the subcontinent: according to a recent study “an MBA makes you 50 per cent more attractive to Indian women looking for a husband”.

To find out more:

CERAM Sophia Antipolis – Tel: 0820 424 444
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Website: www.ceram.fr

Open University Business School (Côte d’Azur office), Barbara Wilson – Tel: 04 93 77 06 28
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Website: www.oubs.open.ac.uk