IBEA brings together four world’s leading business schools: Singapore, Germany, Brazil, and the United States. Each year, the four universities each select ten student participants. Those 40 students form that year’s cohort. Together, they travel and spend a semester in each country.

What distinguishes this two-year program is its close connection to leading global businesses. In each location, IBEA students work on consulting projects. As junior consultants, they work closely with a company on a real-world problem that the company is looking to address. As a result, IBEA gives participants the best possible foundation for a business career.

Danish native Peter Bjerkén believes IBEA helped him land a coveted spot in a graduate program: “I only got that because of the international experience that I had from my degree at ESSEC, that’s for sure.”

France’s Katherine Zuñiga and French-born Chinese Emilie Ung-Sun valued their opportunity to learn about and adapt to different cultures. Emilie sums up her experience: “IBEA taught me how to become a culturally flexible professional and a cultural chameleon by allowing me to work with companies from different continents with many cultural divergences. I feel like I could really work anywhere now!”

International Exposure and Work Experience Increase Employability

IBEA combines classes like consulting management with real-world consulting projects in each location. The projects are diverse and cover different aspects of the businesses, but all have one thing in common. They require the students to consult on an issue their host company is trying to solve.

As a result, the stakes are much higher, but the students get to know the company much more closely than they would otherwise. When applying for internships or jobs afterward, these experiences open doors.

“When I found my job as a financial controller, during the semester at the University of South Carolina, it was relatively straightforward to get through the interview process because I had a diverse background the company was interested in,” explains Peter. “The company is very diverse, and they value the cultural knowledge you get through programs such as IBEA.”

Emilie’s experience echoes Peter’s; she credits IBEA with helping her reach a new milestone in her consulting career. “Thanks to our consulting projects, I got an offer quickly and easily for an end-of-study consulting internship in France and Canada, with a perspective of a permanent job. I had learned the tools needed for the job.”

IBEA Develops Courage and Self-Esteem

While some of the students selected for IBEA have a clear career goal in mind, others are still figuring out their exact career path. Experiencing different countries and cultures not only helps IBEA graduates refine their goals. It also shapes your personality and increases your self-esteem.

Moving to a different country forces you to stretch your comfort zone while having the support of your cohort.

Katherine believes the IBEA program has helped her grow and enjoy leaving her comfort zone. In fact, the experience has been life-changing: “IBEA has enabled and motivated me to move to Greece for my internship,” Katherine says. “I’ve taken on a new adventure in a new country with new challenges. I cannot see myself living a “normal” life anymore, and I am motivated to become even more international and add more countries to my profile.”

Be Inspired to Be Better

With only ten student spots per country per year, landing a place in IBEA is an achievement. Each participant is hand-selected for the program. This selection process ensures you benefit from traveling the world and being exposed to your fellow IBEA candidates.

Living and working together with her cohort was one of the highlights for Emilie: “Professionally and academically, I believe I obtained the best results I could ever have obtained in IBEA because I didn’t want to rest on my laurels when co-living with such impressive people! I wanted to reach their level. IBEA constantly challenged me into a better version of myself.”

IBEA is an academic program like no other. If you are looking for the best possible foundations for a career in international business, this program will help pave your way. Find out more today!