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An invaluable investment

30 May 2016

- My employer has a policy not to cover education expenses of employees. That's okay, but it does not stop me from doing it on my own, says EMBA student Trude Tingvoll to Dagens Næringsliv.

Read the article in Dagens Næringsliv from 30th May 2016 or on DN.no behind a paywall (in Norwegian).

Tingvoll, who earned a Master degree at BI in the 90s, has now returned back to education with an Executive Master of Business and Administration, or an EMBA. Ordinarily she is director of business development & alliance management at the pharmaceutical company Photocure. She has self-financed her studies and studied part-time in addition to her job.

- The return on investment on this study can be measured in many ways, in terms of both what job you develop into, but also the experience you get by going through such tough leadership training. You gain a network and friends for life, which can hardly be measured in monetary terms, says Tingvoll to Dagens Næringsliv.

Trude Tingvoll is currently taking a Global Executive MBA. (Photo: Martin Uteng)

- A very important aspect of an Executive MBA programme is the expertise and insight that participants themselves contribute. Participants in the programme represent 15 nationalities and a variety of industries which creates a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange across areas, says President of BI, Inge Jan Henjesand.

More students – less get paid

Figures from BI show that Tingvoll is far from alone in self-funding her education. From the graduating cohorts in 2014 and 2015, about 60 percent of EMBA students received a paid degree from their employer, but from Tingvoll’s fellow students submitting their final assignment in August this year, only 23 percent received funding for their degree from their employer, a reduction in almost 40 percent.

- That the proportion of students receiving an Executive MBA financed by their employer is decreasing, while the proportion of students is increasing, shows BI’s capabilities to deliver an attractive programme in a very tough international competition. BI’s EMBA is the only Norwegian programme ranked among the world's hundred best of the Financial Times, which shows that we compete with the best of the best, says Henjesand.

Leadership responsibilities and strategic skills

- So many changes are happening now, with new business models and rapid technological development. If you do not include yourself in the development then you will be quickly left behind, says Tingvoll to Dagens Næringsliv.

The EMBA student goes on to tell Dagens Næringsliv that what motivated her to take executive education was curiosity.

- The more experience you get, the more humble you become in the face of the complexity of the field. I invest in executive education because I want to take on greater leadership responsibilities and develop strategic skills, says Tingvoll.

Facsimile from Dagens Næringsliv (30.05.2016)

 

Facts about BI's Executive MBA

BI's EMBA is represented on the Financial Times' part-time MBA ranking of the 100 best programmes in the world.

  • BI-Fudan is at 48 place
  • BI EMBA is at 98 place

Ranking of part-time MBA programmes is partly based on students' career development and salary, and the School's academic profile. FT also considers the number of international and female students and faculty, in addition to the international reach of the programme. A research rank based on publications in a defined set of journals is also part of this ranking.

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