Is it smart to get an International MBA during the COVID Pandemic?

The answer is simple, YES! Driven and passionate current IMBA student, Driss DCHAICHA, first experienced the effects of the pandemic from his home in Morocco. His love of science and technology drove him to get a degree in engineering, and after 5 years of professional experience in the aircraft and automotive industries, he believes that now is the perfect occasion to earn his International MBA from emlyon business school. “The disruption that COVID created was an opportunity to be in the front seat of all the ongoing change,” said Driss. We wanted to learn more about his decision to join the program, and how his experience in the IMBA was going in the wake of the COVID pandemic. What drove you to earn your IMBA from emlyon business school? “Choosing emlyon business school was a very straight forward decision. During my research for business schools in Europe, I came across several leading business schools, but emlyon was the only school that truly checked all the boxes: It is triple accredited The IMBA has an 11-month structure that matched my career plans And the international diversity of the cohort is a big plus. But what really made the difference for me was the entrepreneurial spirit of the school as whole and its ability to effective pass on that entrepreneurial DNA to its students. Deciding to put my career on pause for a year was the difficult part of my MBA decision process, but choosing emlyon was definitely not.” What convinced you to enroll in the IMBA during the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic? “The uncertainty around the COVID situation made me take a step back and evaluate my decision to pause my career and to go back to school. I am convinced that businesses will be eager to acquire talents with fresh perspectives on the business world, so getting an International MBA at this point in time makes perfect logical sense. My goal is to evolve into leadership positions and reach the top rungs of management consulting at a large company, and this really motivated me to stop everything and go back to school to get my MBA. I’ve always had a great admiration for MBAs, mainly for their leadership and charisma, and that drove my desire to obtain mine early on in my career.” How has your experience in the IMBA program been thus far? “I’m very happy with my IMBA experience. The content of the courses is very hands-on and forward thinking. I’m constantly being challenged to be my best and grow in my leadership abilities. The staff is also amazing! The Program Director, Rhoda DAVIDSON, has been more of a mentor than an instructor, and the rest of the staff continually supports us to ensure our success in the program. Finally, the international environment of the program has definitely enriched my perspective both towards the business world and on a personal level.” What advice would you give to other students considering the IMBA program during COVID? “I encourage anyone interested in joining the IMBA program to do so because it's truly a transformative experience. In the words of Tina Seelig, ‘Never miss an opportunity to be fabulous.’ My advice to any prospective IMBA student is take chance on themselves and be fabulous, even during COVID!”