Extending my studies abroad - MBA Partnership in International Management

Full-time MBA participant, Israel Zaga, describes his experience taking part in the Partnership in International Management (PIM), at Ross School of Business in Michigan, USA. 

Our Full-time MBA students have the opportunity to extend their studies after completing their MBA, by taking part in the PIM programme at a leading overseas business school. This is an opportunity for our students to experience another culture and further develop their global mindset. 

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama.

Since the beginning of my Full-time MBA journey at Warwick Business School (WBS) I was interested in exploring the opportunity to study abroad after I had completed my MBA. As time goes by and you resume your career, it gets harder to follow that dream. So taking part in the MBA exchange semester at Ross Business School was an opportunity I couldn´t pass up.

My desire to continue developing my knowledge and to experience something completely new helped make this decision, as well as the fact that Ross is in North America, which I knew was going to help boost my professional career in Mexico due to the proximity and the strong ties between both countries.

My time at Ross was amazing for several reasons.

The University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, 45 minutes from Detroit (the most educated city in the USA according to various studies). Ann Arbor is a college town with a young and progressive vibe, home to one of the most famous pizza brand in the world - Domino’s Pizza. There are lots of things to do, from great restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and even some antique stores, all of which make Ann Arbor a great place to live. Also, it’s a very centrally located, near to great cities such as Chicago and Toronto.

Academic excellence positions Ross as one of the best business schools in the USA, with a huge variety of modules to take. It is a diverse business school where you can choose to study strategy, entrepreneurship, finance, organisations, among many other modules. Also, it is home to some of the top lecturers in the world, who are very approachable for all students.

Meeting new people from all around the world, with a cohort of almost 1,000 students from almost every country in the world makes the network extensive, powerful, and fun. The great number of events from different companies, the quality of speakers, and the hundreds of student clubs that are available make it easier to connect and share experiences with your classmates. I was lucky to meet some great people which now I can call good friends.

Last but not least, the sports culture that the University of Michigan shares with alumni, students, and staff is crazy! The experience of ¨Big House¨ is unreal. The largest stadium in the USA, with capacity for 110,000 fans, home of the Michigan Wolverines. The tailgate before the game is a great opportunity to drink a couple of beers and meet new people. The basketball games, and the hockey games, among others, make this exchange a unique experience where academia and sports are of equal value for the University and the whole town.

My MBA experience thanks to Warwick Business School was amazing and if I could do it all over again, I would do it without a doubt! I am extremely proud to be part of WBS, but at the same time grateful for the opportunity to become a Wolverine!

Always Go Warwick and Go Blue!