«We Wanted To Continue Our Studies In An International Setup», FHNW School of Business

Nicola and Ioan, why did you decide to join the Swiss-International MBA together?
Nicola: «We both experienced that management skills are crucial for some projects and for bringing innovation to patients. That's the reason why we wanted to embark on this journey. We thought that now is the right time. Like now or never.»

Ioan: «Like Nicola said, working on projects you need to know how to motivate people and to ask the right questions. At the Swiss-International MBA you get the why and the theory behind it. A good skill set for the future.»

What brought you to the Swiss-International MBA?
Ioan: «First of all, it was the international setup. We are both working for a global company. For us, the most important things are diversity and inclusion, to understand different perspectives from the viewpoint of different nationalities. We can learn from other cultures.»

Nicola: «Coming from an international background, it was quite an easy choice. We wanted to continue our studies in an international setup. And, as Ioan explained, I think it's a great advantage to work with different nationalities. You get the best ideas when you work with people of multiple nationalities.»

Was it important for you that the FHNW Campus is in Basel?
Nicola: «Yes, as Basel is the top life science hub in Europe. And being embedded in this ecosystem, especially in our industry, benefits us a lot. Basel was important to us, because it has a multinational community with the pharma companies.»

You joined the programme a few months ago. What do you like most about it?
Ioan: «What we really cherish are the group assignments and the group work. You can arrange yourself with the other participants of the group. And the groups are really diverse, not only in nationalities, but also in terms of professional background. Not forgetting to mention the flexibility with the lectures on Saturdays.»

Nicola: «Yes, I think you mentioned it. The best part is the exchange with the students during the group assignments. We also attended the Residential Week in Switzerland, and it was phenomenal.»

It's obviously important for you to meet and to spend time with other students. How important is it for you that the programme offers online modules?
Nicola: «I think for us, working full-time, it's important to have online modules to be able to maintain a proper work-life balance.»

Have you already benefited from the programme in your professional life?
Ioan: «Yes. To give you an example, when I worked with a global team lately, of course there were different cultures represented. Now as I have the background, I can understand the cultural differences better and understand how to improve our collaboration.»

You are both working full-time. Does the programme have an impact on your current lifestyle?
Nicola: «The setting with the online lectures on Saturdays and the possibility to meet in person during the week offers great flexibility. However, you have to structure and plan more in advance to meet deadlines and maintain an adequate work-life balance.»

Have you known FHNW before? What is your impression of the School of Business so far?
Nicola: «Yes, we’ve known FHNW. We knew that it's very highly respected and has an excellent reputation worldwide. And the impression is very positive. The professors and the peers are very friendly and very competent. Also, I really like the open-minded culture.»

Ioan: «The professors challenge you and they want you to come up with a solution first, before it's backed up by the theory. This boosts creativity and triggers really great discussions among the peers.»

To whom would you recommend the programme?
Nicola: «I would say one group would be people like us. People who have a scientific background and work in a corporate setting or even want to start their own company.»

Ioan: «I would also recommend it to product managers, for instance. How do you sell things? How do you build up a team? How do you keep the motivation high? Working in a global environment, it's really crucial that you have skills in product management and that you know your clients.»

What would you recommend to people who decide to join the Swiss-International MBA?
Ioan: «I think you should be well-structured. If you are not, you will have to learn how to set priorities. You should have the motivation to learn new things beyond your own profession. This experience would definitely broaden your horizon. So, you have to be willing to spend some extra time on studying, but it's really worth it.»

Nicola: «I recommend being curious and staying curious. Be committed and, like Ioan said, be motivated. You should have the passion and the interest to explore areas you are not familiar with.»