We are reaching out farther than ever to recruit interesting international students for our MBA program, as November finds me on a long trip to Johannesburg / Riyadh / Kuwait / Dubai / Abu Dhabi. Jo'burg was beautiful with its springtime weather reminding me of California, and the people there were just as warm and friendly. Their diversity meshes well with our community too. As the only American two-year program represented, UCLA Anderson's table was quite popular at the Access MBA event, and we hope that some of these prospectives will come to L.A. next fall to add more voices from Africa to our MBA class.
Next up was Riyadh -- another city where we have never recruited before. Evidently there is pent-up demand for MBA information in the Saudi Arabian market, since the event was busy all day with candidates from a variety of backgrounds. Their English fluency was encouraging, as was their determination to get a strong graduate education abroad then return home to help the region develop further. Government sponsorships seem quite extensive there so this is an example of public policy which will have great long-term benefits for all. The same was true in Kuwait, where the crowd overflowed with motivated applicants. Many thanked me for coming all the way to the Middle East to share information in person, and my comments in the panel presentation about applying to MBA programs were enthusiastically received too.
Later this week comes our first joint Information Reception in Dubai with the UCLA - NUS Global Executive MBA program. That program combines the forces of UCLA Anderson and the National University of Singapore in modules spread across several cities, and we expect strong interest in that opportunity as well as in our own full-time MBA program in Los Angeles. All of this is part of our international strategy that is building the global awareness of UCLA Anderson students while building appreciation for our strengths in all corners the world.
-- Craig Hubbell
Dear Craig,
Just wanted to thank you for your visit to Dubai, it was an invaluble opportunity to meet with you and get your feedback. I'm sure you understand how hard for us people in the Middle East to come to California, and meet admissions officers (due to the long process of getting a visit visa). I hope next year you will be able to visit Amman, Jordan. I'm sure you will find a big number of Jordanians interested in the MBA program at Andersen.
Posted by: Tariq | December 01, 2008 at 02:36 AM