The Executive MBA programme at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Barcelona has received the Impuls Award for lifelong learning. This award recognizes the academic contribution of programmes with a 25-year trajectory in lifelong learning, such as the EMBA master’s programme at UB.

We interviewed Laura Guitart, the academic vice-dean of the faculty, on the occasion of the programme’s 25th anniversary.

Congratulations on the recognition and for 25 years of delivering such a competitive programme like the Executive MBA!

Thank you very much! This award allows us to keep the bar high and motivates us to surpass ourselves every day. In the business world, there is a very high level of competition, and our academic offering improves professional training and allows our graduates to take a step forward in their careers.

What added value does it represent to teach the Executive MBA at UB, a university that year after year tops the rankings of the best universities?

It is an immense value, we are very proud to be part of UB. International academic rankings position us year after year at the top. For example, in the prestigious Shanghai ranking, UB is the only Spanish university within the elite of the world’s top 200 universities. In others, such as the Best Global Universities, the CWUR World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking for World Universities, our university is the national leader. And I could go on with others…

This gives us visibility in the international sphere and allows us to attract talent from all over the world. But it also adds pressure because we have to live up to the expectations generated.

How does the Executive MBA help increase the employment rate of students?

The students who enroll already work and usually hold good positions. It should be noted that, to access this programme, a minimum work experience of three years is required. Therefore, in this case, what is intended is to boost the professional careers of students towards even better job positions.

And how does it empower them when facing such an uncertain and volatile context as the current one? What skills are emphasized in this regard?

Any kind of crisis always generates opportunities and they must be seized. The pandemic has made our work more complex for all university collectives, but it has also generated new opportunities that we have been able to take advantage of. You can learn from everything! The students have acquired competencies that are difficult to achieve in a traditional environment.

However, in crisis situations or not, a master’s degree always provides students with more tools to face new challenges. Currently, it is relatively easy to obtain content in most fields, but it is necessary to understand them, know how to use them, and apply them in real environments, as well as communicate, argue, justify… And this requires maturity, which is what we want our Executive MBA students to achieve.

Finally, why should someone who wants to expand their education choose the Executive MBA at UB?

Because it is a programme designed for those who seek to give a twist to their professional career thanks to the unique and valuable educational experience we develop in the EMBA. The programme and highly qualified faculty we have provide the tools to face new challenges in any situation, which allows our students to communicate, argue, and justify their ideas with maturity and confidence.

In addition, as I have already mentioned, UB is a leading institution in international rankings, a position that allows us to attract talent from all over the world, and Barcelona is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, with a very extensive history and culture, and with a privileged location in Europe.