Every year, more than two lakh students plan to study at leading Business schools. So did Pruthvi Erandole, who moved to Paris in September 2018 to study for an MSc in International Business at SKEMA Business School, France.
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Let us see what he has in store to share with the MOWE readers.
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“International Business is a two-year programme designed for future global business leaders that teaches students about general management skills required in the multipolar world order. The course is vast and vague but focuses on teaching business survival techniques and knowledge required for the global economy. On a broad level, the course teaches:
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- How firms decide to go abroad and manage their internationalization process.
- How industries change and firms compete on a local as well as global level.
- How markets are managed, and financial decisions are made.
- How to cope with legal issues and diversity in the workplace.
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The courses consist of multiple subjects that focus on interpersonal development to industrial skill requirements for goal-specific projects. For example, the courses like HRM included understanding ethics and governance of a workplace; International Business Strategy focused on business building techniques; International Negotiation – a course which focuses on trade-specific deals used by the companies and teaches us to tackle similar situations. We also had multiple case studies for various courses where we read about world events and monitored the movements in the market. Till now, one might have understood that the course requires a fair amount of understanding of corporate needs and global development. It has a lot of scope with some impressive job profiles such as Marketing Manager, Policy Analyst, Business Development Manager, Sales Manager, and Economist.
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While applying to SKEMA, I had a checklist while applying for admissions, and they outnumbered many points like:
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- Two-year course work in place of one, providing time to grasp, learn the subjects, and to explore the country.
- Practical coursework experience.
- Chance to explore new niche domains of International Business like Negotiations and Corporate Governance.
- Depending upon the course, the university chooses to provide early-bird discounts and scholarships as well as minor discounts on a one-time payment of tuition fees.
- University’s extended help and investments for student start-ups and business plans (Depending on the pitch of the plan and its potential).
- Organization of meetups and after-work programmes with other member organizations like Erasmus that helped in networking.
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There are also other organizations as well like the Maharashtra Mandal and South Indian Communities that help in networking, internships, and jobs. They organize multiple events and celebrate festivals all year round.
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France is reasonable to travel to but expensive to live in. When I came here, I was worried about the expenses and the language barrier. However, I was able to manage both of them by taking a part-time job and learning the language. I recommend to anyone who is planning to study in France to at least learn the basic language before coming here. Also, to explore the country, try interacting with the locals, but, do so cautiously because theft and other violent crimes are recurrent here. The second most worrisome factor is finding accommodation in the right area. It’s really important that anyone who is planning to study here should first finalize the place that one is going to live in. Unlike other countries, not all areas are safe for residence. Before booking accommodation, please check with Indian groups or Skema Business groups on Facebook for advice.
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I plan to do an internship in France and later I’m willing to move to other parts of Europe for job purposes. I hope my experience elsewhere in Europe will be as thrilling and amusing as Paris is”.
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