The culturally rich and diverse cohort of the Full-time MBA

09 March 2020

Full-time MBA participant, Jacopo Serra, talks about the different nationalities, cultures and industries represented in his MBA cohort.

When people ask me “how is the MBA going?” without any doubt, the first thing that comes to my mind is how incredibly amazing it is working with people from so many different countries. Before studying the MBA I lived and worked in London for two and a half years, and I always considered myself a global citizen. However, the WBS Full-time MBA has exceeded my expectations in terms of diversity and learning opportunities.

An insight into different perspectives

One of the best opportunities I have had through my MBA journey so far was not only actively participating in discussions with people who have different backgrounds and coming from very diverse countries, but also leaving the discussions enriched with new and fresh viewpoints. I think this is one of the most valuable aspects when you are trying to learn something new that you are not entirely familiar with. With such a diverse cohort, it is a constant daily process of exchanging ideas that opens up different perspectives you may not have considered before. Just to give you a flavour of the cohort, my syndicate group in term one included eight people from seven different countries: Italy, England, Russia, India, China, Singapore and Ghana.

In addition, the cohort also has such an incredible diversity in terms of industry background, including army, healthcare, airline, financial services, automotive, telecommunications and more. Therefore, the opportunity to discuss and learn the dynamics of so many different industries is definitely one of the best elements of my MBA experience so far.

Boosting cultural and social experience

Try to think for a moment of 119 people and 40 different nationalities in the same room, each with a traditional type of food, drink, dress sense and culture. This is precisely what happened in term one - a multicultural event with food and drinks from all the countries represented in the MBA cohort. This is just an example of how the MBA can boost your cultural knowledge by giving the opportunity to talk with so many different people about business, but also about the cultural and social aspects of different parts of the world.

What are the cultural differences between North and South India? What are the main relationships between Latin American countries? What is it like living in Bahrain? These are just a few examples of some of the new things I learnt during these events. This cultural exchange also happens during lectures, working together in the syndicate rooms or just over a coffee in the MBA lounge. In my experience, learning from peers has been as valuable as learning from the professors, as everyone brings their own past experience and provides an insightful perspective into their life.

Part of a global network

Being part of a worldwide cohort also gives you the incredible opportunity to create relationships with people from all over the world, which in many cases last for life. We all know that after the MBA everyone will pursue different professional paths and live in different countries, yet the bonds and the relationships created over the year will make you feel like you’re part of a global family for life. The worldwide network you are part of once you start your Warwick MBA will definitely stay with you forever and it will likely enable you to travel and visit places you’d never expected to visit, with the possibility of opening up new business networks and professional opportunities in new industries and countries.

Find out more about the Full-time MBA.