We cannot believe the end of the year is already here, but on Tuesday all the Master students came together for a final round of feedback and some beach fun.

In the morning, all the students gathered to give some feedback on each other and to see how they had evaluated the programme and the courses. We recalled some of the most memorable moments  and held a group discussion about the overall programme.  

In the afternoon, we all left for the beach and couldn’t have asked for better weather! On the beach in Bredene, the students could choose from an array of activities, such as surfing, rafting, beach volley and soccer. On the other hand, some of them just enjoyed an afternoon of relaxation in the sand, after completing their in-company project.

We ended the sun-filled day with a BBQ on location. It was the perfect ending to a very inspiring year!   

For more pictures of this day, please check out our Vlerick Masters Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/vlerickmasters

Before their in-company projects, the students of the Masters in General Management and Financial Management played the Imex Business Game. During this web-based game, they competed against each other and get the opportunity to apply all management techniques they have learned during their classes. The students form a management team of a company that is listed on the stock exchange. The students need to define their strategy, take consistent marketing, production, and personnel decisions, and need to make sure that they have enough bank or equity financing in order not to go broke!

Congratulations to the winning teams of the IMEX business game!

A few weeks ago the Masters went on an international study trip to Budapest in Hungary. Now, instead of us talking about it, we thought it be much more interesting to have one of our students talk about it:

After months of hard work, it was time for us Vlerick masters to broaden our horizons. What better destination than Budapest, the (other) heart of Europe? As no less than 150 students from the Leuven and Ghent campus joined, we were definitely in for an adventure.

In all honesty, most of us knew little about Hungary and had no idea what to expect. This was set straight during several lectures at the Central European University (CEU), located in the center of Budapest.

Four professors painted a picture of this intriguing country, each using a different brush when discussing Hungary’s rich history, political climate and economy. They did not shy away to cast a critical eye. Corruption is still prevalent in Hungary today and this poses serious challenges. Nevertheless, the ever-developing business environment offers many opportunities.

Company visits allowed us to discover the Hungarian business world ourselves. We were welcomed by both Hungarian firms and multinationals that entered Hungary. Companies like Nokia and General Electrics showed us how managing across cultures takes form in Hungary.

But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Budapest revealed its beauty during a city tour. We enjoyed more of its couleur locale with a wine tasting and traditional dinner. Some of us got well acquainted with Palinka, an Hungarian specialty that lifts the spirits.. And what about a dinner buffet while floating on the Danube in a luxury boat? Breathtaking views on the illuminated city topped it off.

Our trip proved to be the perfect mix of business and pleasure. Budapest, leaving with great memories and lots of new friends!

Enjoy a few pictures

Today, the students of the Vlerick Masters in Financial Management will be presenting their analyst reports during the Investment Research Challenge on a publicly traded company , either Roularta or Arseus to a distinguished panel of experts. The winning group will be awarded a prize by Dexia Asset Management.

What is the Investment Research Challenge?

The Investment Research Challenge is an equity research competition among student teams from the world’s top university business and finance programs. The CFA Society has introduced the Challenge as a means to promote best practices in research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills.

In Belgium, the Challenge is only held among the Masters in Financial Management of the Vlerick School, but if successful, it may be extended to other universities and/or business schools in Belgium.

How to join this event?

To join the presentations or for more information on this event, please contact Katelijn Cornelis, interim coordinator of the Masters in Financial Management, at Katelijn.cornelis@vlerick.com or +32 9 210 98 66.

Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School has been invited to become a member of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a non-profit organisation of leading graduate business schools around the world. The best known activity of GMAC is the design and management of the prestigious GMAT aptitude test which is taken by circa 250,000 candidates worldwide each year.  GMAT takers typically follow management education degree programmes at the leading business schools worldwide. The School has proudly accepted this invitation to join the governing council, as an acknowledgement of the major contribution the School has made to graduate management education. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is the only Belgian member ever invited to join this prestigious organisation.

Peter Rafferty, Director of International Business, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School: “The GMAC membership is very important for an international business school such as Vlerick, since GMAC is the most prestigious organisation in the business education industry. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School will now be one out of 39 schools outside of North-America to have joined GMAC. This membership will allow us to sit at the top table of business schools in the world and participate in making decisions and doing suggestions on management education.”

David A. Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, GMAC: “All of us at GMAC are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Vlerick and its staff. These are challenging times for management education and having the opportunity to exchange ideas and work more closely with fellow member schools through our conferences, gaining more insight through participating in our market research and accessing the tools and services that we have designed to meet your needs are a few of the ways we hope GMAC can help you meet your challenges.”

The 7th edition of Danone’s international business game TRUST will be one to remember. In Belgium, over 120 students from Vlerick, UA and UAMS, Solvay Business School, Ichec and KUL played this business game and developed a 3 year’s strategy for Danone “Luvenia”.

Three teams from Vlerick were selected to join the national finals on 3 March, competing against teams from KUL and UAMS. The team ‘Tha Known’, consisting of  3 students General Management (Charles Stuyck, Sebastiaan Vanhecke and Emmanuelle Vercruysse) and 2 students Marketing Management (Maaike Joris and Nathalie Monsieur), won the finals, earning them a ticket for the international final in Paris. This is the second time that a team of Vlerick students makes it to the final round and once again we wish them all the best in Paris!

Check out their presentation video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5q7ObtIfsI]

The Vlerick Masters in General Management, Financial Management and Marketing Management are very intense full-time programmes. The students experience so much, and we want to give you an insight into this exciting programme as well!

We started this initiative on the corporate website, so first of all we are going to transfer all of the posts to this new blog before continuing with new initiatives.

We are looking forward to blogging about the Vlerick Masters year, that this blog may grow and that you will give us feedback! Comments are very welcome!