OneMBA European Residency: Wrap Up
First admission: I’m actually writing this post on Monday, March 29 back in the United States, rather than this past Friday or Saturday, the final days of the OneMBA European Residency. The last few days were so packed — and I wanted to make sure I did/saw everything I could in Turkey — that I could find time to write.
The last time I blogged, I think I commented on the incredible Turkish professors we had an opportunity to experience during the residency. And, Friday was no exception. The class learned about “Big Business Organization in Turkey” from Professor Behlul Usdiken of Sabanci University, and they later heard from Mr. Cuneyt Yavuz, the CEO of Mavi Jeans (a very successful Turkish company). Professor Usdiken set the stage for the Mavi Jeans CEO by explaining how business has traditionally operated in Turkey, and how it’s changing with the increasing growth of a Capitalist society. Family businesses have really ruled that economy (and still do, to a large extent), and nepotism is a regular and accepted practice even in the largest of companies. My thought was, “Wonder what the SEC would think of that?!”
After lunch, the students once again had the opportunity to visit some Turkish companies: a bank, a furniture company and a gold company were some options.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Friday was the team exercise in the late afternoon/early evening. Each team was given a recipe and list of ingredients for a traditional Turkish dish and then sent to the world-famous Turkish Spice Bazaar to purchase the ingredients. The students then met at a former mosque-turned-private restaurant to assemble their dishes. This was a team competition of sorts: Congratulations Team 8 for creating the most authentic, delicious Turkish dish!
Directly after the exercise, the group stayed on at the restaurant for their final dinner together (during this European residency). We were treated to a traditional Turkish meal, including the entertainment of traditional dancers. I’m pasting below a photo of the the lovely meal as well as a video of the dancers.
On Saturday morning, the group completed the residency with a few final wrap-up sessions before concluding with lunch. Most of the students planned to stay in Turkey for at least one additional day in order to further experience the city of Istanbul and the culture on their own.
The final verdict on the residency? It was incredible! If you’re reading this and interested in learning more about the unique global OneMBA Program, please visit http://www.onemba.org and see for yourself what this is all about!
