TLMBA Admissions

My return to China with The Lisbon MBA has been terrific. First of all I met great candidates, got the opportunity to catch up with some of my colleagues from other schools and tried out real Chinese food always accompanied with my German friend Daniel.

It was a short trip but really dedicated to take the utmost of the participation of the Fairs. I got the chance to speak at one of the panels, which was also a great experience. I even was recognized at the airport when boarding from Shanghai to Beijing.

I was really happy with the trip results and look forward to come back again

This is my second time in Sao Paulo with The Lisbon MBA. Last Year, while on tour with the MIT - our partners - I was fortunate to meet Ricardo Betti. Ricardo is an MBA consultant who prepares students for their applications and tries to match their CVs and expectations with existing programs. At the time Ricardo introduce me to Kira Beim which whould become our first Brazilian student.

This year I had in my mind to meet some of the Portuguese companies based in Brazil. I was happy to meet with the board member of EDB (a subsidiary of EDP) and other Portuguese companies on site. I also met with the portuguese consul which is an MBA graduate from NOVA.

Every time I visit a country I try to engage with the local AICEP representation for contacts with the Portuguese companies companies and media. The AICEP office in Brazil was very efficient and scheduled an interview with the LUSA correspondent in Sao Paulo. The interview can be seen here

I arrived Thursday so Friday had a very busy busy day. Friday night I was excited with the prospects of our Fair Saturday so I decide to try a theater show that was on my hotel. The play was about Brazilian music and shows in the Hotel. As I know very little about Brazilian music I took the opportunity of leaving during the break and got some nice rest.

Saturday was the Fair. The Fair wasn't very busy but the quality of the candidates was very good. I got an invitation to participate in the Admissions panel that ACCESS MBA always organize. The candidates asked some bright questions related to MBA and crisis, career prospects and so on.

I hope to see 2 or 3 Brazilian students in our class next year. I feel that the link between Portugal and Brazil should be tightened and The Lisbon MBA is a great opportunity for that.

After a well spent Saturday meeting candidates and potential students for the program I was on my way to India to participate in another event.

After a free transfer from the hotel (rare these days), I was on time and relaxed for the check in to my flight SAO PAULO-MUNICH-NEW DELHI when one of the officers found out that I didn't have a VISA to India. My travel agent had forgot to alert me that I needed a VISA to go to India. So instead of flying direct I had a stop over in Munich to go to the Indian Consulate to take a 10 day VISA. I am always impressed with good service (another rare thing these days) and was amazed with the efficiency demonstrated by the staff at the consulate.

110% professional, gave me correct information, helped me with tips to secure the visa and always with a smile. It was my fist visit to India and despite numerous opinions about the country and people I was going to visit I was feeling a good vibe already.

I wrap it up nicely by taking a cab with a Turkish driver. I love the way the world is going global!

To our first international event of the year we traveled with the entire cavalry. Belen (Executive Director of the Program), Marta (Admissions Officer) and me went to the Madrid Fair looking to attract 2 Spanish students to the program.

We met interesting candidates but in general the attendance level was below expected. The Lisbon MBA is beginning to sound like an option for Spanish MBA students that are not looking for a mainstream MBA and would like to work abroad after graduation.

See picture below of Belen and Marta next to our stand

The great thing about having our first class already here and having classes is the support - and sometimes the push - we are offered everyday.

As Belen says, our students are shareholders and they feel like they belong entirely to the program!

Just Recently I got an e-mail saying - Ricardo, there is a typo on our website, we must correct it fast!

What I like about our first batch is that they understand what we are trying to achieve and are fully supportive and participative!! And of course, because we have a small class it is easy to manage the interactions and keep up with the open door policy!