Here's what you should know about WU's EMBA Global Team Project

In today’s increasingly globalized markets, the ability to collaborate internationally has become one of the most essential business skills an executive can have.

Whether the goal is to expand into new markets, increase savings through an improved supply chain or develop a competitive advantage through innovation, professionals need to be able to access the markets, resources and human capital available in different countries and time-zones in order to seize the many opportunities available to those who operate on an international level.

For executives looking to develop the skills that can help them master the challenges of working with a truly global team that crosses borders and cultures, WU Executive Academy’s EMBA Global Team Project (GTP) offers a valuable hands-on learning experience.

Read on to learn more about this exciting opportunity for executive MBA students looking to develop their skills in international business.

The GTP brings together students from the USA, China and Europe

The Global Team Project, designed to prepare executives to meet the challenges of bringing cross-border projects to fruition, is a key component of WU Executive Academy’s EMBA program.

The initiative brings together 120 students from three leading universities in Europe, Asia and the USA: WU Executive Academy in Vienna, Lingnan College of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, and the Carlson School of Management in Minnesota. These students are put into teams with special attention paid to making sure each group includes participants from different industries and sectors, ensuring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives.

EMBA teams collaborate online to complete their projects

These small teams then spend six months developing a complex business project using cutting-edge communications technology like Skype, Connect and telepresence to work collaboratively across different continents and time-zones, all while receiving guidance and advice from experts and professors in the EMBA program to help them on their way.

Once their projects are complete, students present their ideas to a jury of experts at the Carlson School of Management during their international residency in the USA.

Some Global Team Projects gain real-world success

Not only can the Global Team Project help students develop and refine important international business skills, preparing them for further cross-cultural and cross-border collaborations, but students’ projects can also function as a jumping-off point for real-world business initiatives.

One such example is the presentation tool iVoting, developed by Global EMBA alumnus Harald Trautsch and his GTP team for their capstone project. 

Rather than take a more theoretical approach, Harald and his team decided to develop a working prototype of their iVoting system, which they presented along with their business plan during their final presentation in Minneapolis.

iVoting allows presenters such as businesses or schools to integrate live polling into their presentations, with the audience using their smartphones to vote on questions, and the results being automatically displayed within the presentation. The system requires no extra hardware and is available free of charge, and is now used by businesses such as American Express and Nokia.

The success of iVoting is a great example of the benefits of global collaboration, and a valuable illustration of how the skills necessary to work across borders and cultures can greatly advance students’ ability to thrive in the world of international business.

Are you interested in taking your career in international business to the next level?

Contact WU Executive Academy to learn more about our Executive MBA program.