Two degrees from two leading universities: the University of York and the University of Strasbourg

Professor Leslie Szamosi, Executive MBA Director, and Alina Toader, Country Manager at CITY College, University of York Europe Campus, talked to Business Review about the importance of the Pan-European Executive MBA and the novelty that the Pan-European Executive MBA brings on the local market, highlighting details about the application procedure.

By Anda Sebesi

During the pandemic, businesses had two options: to disappear or to reinvent. How can an MBA reinvent?

Prof. Leslie Szamosi, Executive MBA Director: This has been a trying period for all of us and, yes, the ways that people and businesses function has gone through a dramatic transformation. For the business school market we will (and have) seen some schools disappear which is a natural occurrence when they are not resilient enough to cope with changes, especially dramatic ones.  For those remaining, reinvention will be the key going forward.  Business schools now have to “practice what they preach” as they move forward!

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“Change is the only constant” in today’s business environment and this also holds for MBA programs.  For strong MBA programs reinventing has to be a core part of their DNA.  A program needs to be continually looking at what it is presenting and delivering to students.  Listening intensively to students and businesses is critical to this process.  Our evolution to a dual-degree MBA program with the University of Strasbourg, and the addition of a unit on open collaboration tools and sustainable society, is a part of our own reinvention moving forward post-pandemic.

What is the future of MBAs? Hybrid or online?

Prof. Leslie Szamosi, Executive MBA Director: I would say the future of MBAs is not yet clear but will splinter into three categories: pure face-to-face, pure online, and hybrid.  Our experience is that MBA students very strongly want face-to-face delivery given their needs and what they are looking to get out of an MBA degree!  Having said this, through the pandemic we can also meet the needs of those looking to be online learners are a very high level but they still want some face-to-face interaction. In our case going forward as soon as it is safe, we will continue our face-to-face mode in our 8 teaching countries but also offer a blended (hybrid) program where students will come face-to-face during our three study weeks that take place throughout the program.  What is most critical is that MBA programs need to be ready for competition to come from any corner of the world and be prepared, as mentioned earlier, to continually reinvent what they deliver and offer.

What can you tell us about the Pan-European Executive MBA now available in Bucharest, too in terms of innovation, approach and benefits?

Prof. Leslie Szamosi, Executive MBA Director: Over the last 30 years CITY College has been offering the Executive MBA programme across South East and Eastern Europe, making it one of the best MBA choices in the region. Today, the world-class Executive MBA programme advances to a joint dual degree programme, the Pan-European Executive MBA, offered by CITY College, University of York Europe Campus and the Faculty of Economics and Management of the University of Strasbourg. Students attending this programme from the academic year 2021/ 22 will be awarded two degrees, one from the top British University of York and one from the prestigious French University of Strasbourg.

The Pan-European Executive MBA offered in Bucharest builds on and develops further the strengths of the current Executive MBA programme. In addition to the dual degree, the EMBA programme offers to its students a truly international experience: three study trips – in York (UK), Strasbourg (France) and Thessaloniki (Greece). Moreover, lectures are held by distinguished professors and international academics from CITY College University of York Europe Campus and the University of Strasbourg, as well as other well-recognised universities worldwide, and industry experts with significant professional experience

The Pan-European Executive MBA programme now becomes even more accessible to busy executives who wish to combine work and study, as students may choose between the Executive Mode (face-to-face delivery plus 3 study trips) or the Executive Mode Blended (synchronous online delivery plus 3 study trips).

The curriculum emphasises experiential learning through real-life projects, workshops and career coaching, broadening students’ applied knowledge and skills and building strategic leadership skills. MBA participants may specialise in one management area by choosing one of the six (6) available MBA specialisations: General Management, Marketing, Finance, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Health Care Management, Human Resource Management. The programme is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Chartered Management Institute, UK (CMI).

What about the application procedure for Pan-European Executive MBA that students may follow, including the term of application and other significant details regarding this process?   

Alina Toader: Selecting candidates for admission to the Executive MBA programme (EMBA) is a critical decision. We believe that there is more to selecting a candidate than just considering scores, GPA’s and other merely numerical performance indicators. For this reason, admission decisions for the EMBA take into account three primary areas of evaluation: Professional Experience (length, breadth, and depth of professional and managerial experience; potential for career development and progression); Academic Qualifications (a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or previous postgraduate level studies with a satisfactory level of achievement); Additional Relevant Criteria (potential contribution to the learning experience of the programme; motivation; ability and willingness to commit the required time and energy to the programme; community service and professional activities; support from an applicant’s employing organisation).

For more information about the Pan-European Executive MBA offered at CITY College, University of York Europe Campus as well as the programme requirements for application please visit:

• Website
• Phone: 021.315.27.23
• E-mail: romania@york.citycollege.eu
• Contact: Alina Toader, Country Manager Romania

About Professor Leslie Szamosi

Prof. Leslie Szamosi is a highly sought-after speaker in the area of organizational change and the management of change. He is a Professor and the Academic Director of the MBA program at CITY College, University of York Europe Campus, and a Founder and Co-Director of the Laboratory for Strategic People Management. He is a member of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and is a regular evaluator and assessor of EU-funded projects.