IT IS not often that you get to see future CEOs, senior executives, management consultants and investment bankers shooting hoops on the basketball court, competing in the tug-of-war, or scrumming down on the rugby pitch. But each May a select group of the world’s future business leaders gather in Paris to battle it out in the business school equivalent of the Olympics — the MBA Tournament.
The event, hosted by HEC business school, has grown substantially since its inception 15 years ago. “Last year about 2,000 participants, representing more than 70 nationalities, competed,” says Valérie Gauthier, the associate dean of the HEC MBA programme.
But the tournament is more than just a chance for MBA students to make friends and display their sporting prowess. For HEC MBA students, organising the event is a compulsory part of the programme, for which they can earn up to ten credits (of the 120 required for the MBA).
“The learning process in the HEC MBA works round three families of skills: individual; interpersonal and collective,” Gauthier says. “Social responsibility, a commitment to community and a willingness to be involved; all these elements are part of the collective dimension. The MBA Tournament is a great way to motivate and stimulate this aspect within the programme.”
Hosting the tournament is a challenge for the students. The logistics involved in arranging security, accommodation and transport provide an excellent opportunity to hone many of the skills acquired on the MBA programme.
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In future it may not just be sporting honours and programme credits that are on offer. With 2,000 bright MBA students gathered in one place, it is no surprise that HEC plans to broaden the event to include more interaction with corporate recruiters. Making that vital connection with a prospective employer will undoubtedly soften the blow of losing to your business-school rivals at ping-pong.
www.hec.fr/hec/eng/