Welcome to the 4th issue of i-MBA Scope! This is also the moment to welcome our new classes, the Full Time and Part Time 21 students, whom recently started the first mini-mester of their MBA journey. We are very proud to welcome new talented individuals to the MBA International community and wish them all best of luck in their studies, professional lives and personal endeavors.
A total of 66 individuals were admitted to the 2018 intake, all with relevant professional experience, strong academic background and representing a variety of industries that mark the future development and growth that Greece so much needs. A special welcome also to the students with roots outside Greece, and to those coming directly to Greece and AUEB in order to study for their MBA. The below charts show some of the basic statistics of the new classes.
This forth issue of i-MBA SCOPE tackles the timely issue of sustainability and environmental sensitivity of businesses, which are today’s central strategic imperatives alongside with new technological developments. The latter not only challenge existing business and industrial models, and the way we are used to work and live, but also must evolve with focus on the needs of our planet and the future of the individuals that will inhabit it. It is time for new technology to act upon the negative effects and externalities that the use (and misuse) of older technology also has brought along.
In the first article, Irene Daskalakis, Communications and Partnerships Expert at the World Bank, Luxembourg, and i-MBA class of 2007 graduate, discusses how multilateral development banks and private investors can engage together in order to leverage opportunities and simultaneously contribute to truly sustainable investments in developing countries.
The second article is an interview with Sophie Lamprou, co-founder of the Impact Hub, Athens. Part of the network of over 100 Impact Hubs in more than 50 countries, the Athens Impact Hub was established in 2013 as a place to work, network, organize events, and scale innovative ideas around any topic that will make change in a participatory, ethical and sustainable way.
Finally, in the Career and Alumni Corner, Prokopis Gavriil, Environmental Manager at Piraeus Bank Group and currently second year Part Time i-MBA student, provides an overview of the sustainable finance landscape and the principles for responsible investment. He concludes with how the increasing global demand for sustainable finance is changing the investment landscape on a global scale. Further, Apostolos Zavitsanos of Skywalker Greece discusses how different industries, important for the Greek economy, can leverage sustainability in order to evolve and grow.
The newsletter also contains suggested links to topics related to sustainability and circular economy, as well as information about recent events, in particular the 2018 Career Day that again, with important participation of major recruiters in the country, reflected the strong relationship with the job market that the MBA International prioritizes for optimal career development of students and alumni.
With best wishes for a fruitful and productive academic year 2018-19,
Asc. Professor Klas-Eric Soderquist, Director, MBA International program
