MBASA is revamping itself and there is a lot of energy it seems. I like what I am seeing. The new team has taken the leads and is really pushing forward with change. I first noticed that the communication with the students has become more professional with a new newsletter format and frequent surveys and drop-in sessions.
Then I noticed that there is an increased link between MBASA, the student body and the program mangement. MBASA is now entitled to join and participate in the monthly program management meetings and therefore is now able to contribute the student’s views and feedback and direct them directly to the program directors and the Dean. This is a great move forward from the past and it is good step forward for a closer collaboration.
Today I get an email from MBASA informing students that they would like to change the constitution with more modern and flexible statutes in order to allow for implementing changes more rapidly. This is very proactive and I am glad to see that the change process starts at the core. In addition they sent out a survey asking for the students’ opinion on the proposed changes and this leads me to my next point.
MBASA revamped its website. The survey was conducted on their website, which I didn’t know was relaunched recently. Great way of promoting the new website that hopefully will become the center of information. What I like is that there you can also find there the archived newsletters that I mentioned earlier. The clubs are also now being migrated to the same MBASA address so the online representation of the clubs becomes more uniform.
In addition on the right you will find a calendar for all the MBASA and student related events. This is a long awaited move and I am glad to see that it is finally online. Now we just need the calendar link so that we can import it into our calendars and that it becomes automatically updated on our computers as well.
The next thing that I suggest you start a little online shop for MBASA and ESADE merchandise so that we can buy the products all year around. I truly like the ESADE merchandise and I hope that we get to see more ESADE t-shirts, hoodies, caps, etc. on campus. You might want to use the Abacus technology of the current ESADE shop website.
Good job MBASA and keep it up. I like what I am seeing!!!!
On behalf of our fellow MBA student Father José Gette, SJ (18months Full Time MBA Program), ESADE would like to invite you and your families to the Mass that we will celebrate on the Graduation Day, Friday March 26th at 10.00h in room A019. Please note that the Mass will be held in Spanish.
Tanvi B Savla, Louise Ralston and Bas van Ulden, Fulltime MBA 2011 students, made it to the second round of Société Générale’s Citizen Act competition. Their “Bank Better” concept received praise from the jury for originality and thoroughness. They now need your help!!!!!!!
The next round is about getting their fellow students involved in their thinking. To accomplish this, they will be maintaining a discussion forum (Blog) for the next three weeks until 12th March, on the topic of “Do people need to be taught how to handle their personal finances?”. The forum (Blog) will feature a different poll each day and the team will be evaluated based on the number of visitors to the blog as well as number of useful comments people make on it. So let’s hear your thoughts here.
Last weekend I was recommended this film “Earthlings“, which is about humans and how they interact with the nature. I watched this movie and I think that everybody has to see this movie once, particularly considering that ESADE is famous for Corporate Social Responsibility.
I am still non-veg but you still become a lot more conscious about the world around you and what people are capable of! Inspiring the future definitely must look different from these current practices and I hope that CSR wins eventually!
The harsh reality of not being human (this is only part 1 but you see the entire video!):
A message from MBASA for the first cultural event of the year:
Dear ESADE MBAS
Don’t miss out on getting your ticket TODAY, for our first cultural event of the year… happening next week!
Event: Flamenco show and 3 course dinner (price all inclusive)
To clarify the questions that many of you asked me yesterday: You will not be asked to dance or dress up in traditional flamenco outfits :)
Date: Saturday, 6th of February, 21.00 – late
Venue: El Tablao de Carmen in Pueblo Español (close to Montjuic).
Deemed the most authentic show in Barcelona !!!
http://www.tablaodecarmen.com/
Special Esade offer: € 38 including show and three course dinner
(the regular price is € 69 !!)
Tickets will be sold outside the cafeteria on level 2 from 13.00 – 15.00.
We need to collect the money in advance to take advantage of our special offer, so please let us know asap if you would like to attend put cannot make it tomorrow at those times!
Besides the student initiatives, it seems that the top management of ESADE has reacted to the earthquake tragedy in Haiti. They have just transfered €60,000 to four NGOs(ICRC, doctors without borders, Intermon and Caritas) to support their help and relief efforts! Congratulations and hopefully Haiti will get all the help they need, guidance and quick recovery!
Considering that we spent so much time on ESADE campus anyhow I have always liked to break out and work in cafés with free wifi. I figured that it might help you to know there are whole lists with wifi cafés around town, which I am slowly discovering. Wifium.com for example provides a whole set of cafés with wifi (website here, list in .pdf).
Usually I go to Bar Lobo in the Hotel 1898 near Ramblas (Metro: Liceu), which is very stylish however a little expensive. The advantage of Bar Lobo however is that it is quiet, has great wifi coverage with fast internet.
Many Starbucks have free wifi however it is limited to 90mins. In case you like the Starbucks coffee and don’t mind the noise, the network is fast! Note that not all Starbucks cafes have internet access.
With the ever-growing needs for a better IT infrastructure, ESADE figured it is time to use the Christmas holidays to work on the IT. This is great news as it seems that our IT improvement roundtable in November is bearing fruits.
In the month of November the staff members who are related to the IT as well as 8students (4 with IT background and 4 without) sat together and held an IT improvement workshop. We raised all the pressing issues, prioritised them and started working on them.
Throughout the month of December on of the most pressing issues of wifi signal strength have already been attacked and new, stronger wifi routers have been set-up all over the campus. Hopefully this will have effect as of next January, as there was no noticeable improvement as of December 16th, the last time I was on campus.
In addition the printing services have been upgraded. Now the student ID, which can be topped-up with money, replaces the printing cards and simultaneously makes the log-in process to the print jobs more efficient. (Insider information: soon there will be a major push for using the student ID for paying in the canteens instead of using cash. That makes the serving a lot faster and therefore everbody should have the caffein level boosted much faster in the morning. There will also be top-up facilities outside the canteens, as I have heard from reliable sources ;)
The internal social network NEXUS has been launched in the recent days, which also indicates new ways of communication and networking among the students, professors and alumni. This is a great move and hopefully the communication becomes easier and does not need to be hosted on external networking services such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Tip: Nexus could also become a better meeting place for ESADE candidates, newly-recruits and applicants with current students.
Apparently there is major work being undertaken on the Intranet, as the new Intranet “Moodle” is undergoing maintenance as I write. Hopefully the ergonomy of the Intranet improves and the Moodle replaces the old Intranet in total.
As I am part of the think-tank I can assure you that there are many more issues being improved on and that ESADE is working hard on making student life easier from an IT point.
Insider information: there is a good chance that the ESADE application process will improve and that soon there will be an online submission facility of the recommendation letters. This would make the applications a lot easier. It seems that the ESADE is one of the last MBA schools that still has the paper-based only system but that hopefully should change in the coming months.
I wish you a Merry Christmas from Perth, Australia. A typical Aussie Christmas with 37 degrees celsius, swimming pool and a cool wine as refreshment! Couldn’t be better after having been in the snow chaos of the European airports. Glad to be home with the parents and enjoying the sun, while finishing off the assignments.
All the best to you, your families and friends. Have a great time and lots of happiness!
After having fallen in love with Google Wave, despite some of the technical glitches still in the system, I have discovered this little video. It is a hilarious video that re-enacts the famous scene of Pulp Fiction, just in Google Wave. Check it out:
after starting the Facebook Group and talking to many people it seems there is a strong interest among the community to assist in the fight against Barcelona’s pickpockets and thiefs. Since we have launched this website even more people have been robbed, and in incident the thieves have also been arrested, so the trend continues.
In order to extend the reach of this initiative I have set up a website called http://www.barcelonasinladrones.org to gain more public access. Please sign the petition here to show your support and once we have more critical mass we can publicity from TV Channels and newspapers to some of which I have already spoken. However to get their support we need more subscribers. TheESADE MBAhas already become the official sponsor of this initiative.Please contact me if you want to become an official sponsor as well.
Let’s show unity, spread the word and let’s fight the cause!!!
In the last few days everybody has been talking about one thing only: the MBASA Elections.
Representing the ESADE MBA School as president of the MBA Student Association is a large responsibility and therefore several candidates were running for the positions of President and Treasure. On Wednesday night all candidates presented themselves and held a speech why they should be elected and what there plans were. The elections took place yesterday and the results have just come out. Congratulations to everybody and best of success for the year 2010!!!
Movember has taken full grip of The ESADE MBA. The moustaches are glowing and growing relentlessly and are drawing a lot of attention. This in fact is the whole point of the moustaches and Movember.
“While these gentlemen look dashing in all their moustache glory, they’re actually making a difference as well. The moustaches though fun are also helping to bring attention to men’s health issues during the month of ‘Movember’. Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.” (Source: Sarah Hanafy).
“In order to support this great movement it is also important to make a contribution to this worthy cause! You should sponsor the moustaches and make donations for the moustaches of your choice during the month of Movemeber. The collected money will then be donated to the foundation of the best fundraiser’s choice.
Considering the little attention that male diseases get, this initiative is definitely worthwhile a donation and any amount is welcome. If you would like to make a donation, contact Sarah Hanafy or me. Today is also a special day because two participants are matching all the donations up to a €100. Happy donating!
I did not participate this year because of an interview in the middle of the month but that is an archive photo of my last Movember Moustache.
The day has come and today we will find out whether all this training has paid off. It is the day of the Iberia Rugby Cup of ESADE vs. IESE vs. LBS (women touch rugby only). Join this great event as spectator and show us your colors. We need all your support!!
Time: 16.00 to 18.00 (Warm-up starts at 15.00) Location: Universitat de Barcelona Sportsgrounds on Avinguda Diagonal 695 (View the map here) Details: Guys are playing rugby 7′s (at 4pm) and girls are playing rugby touch.
Preliminary Schedule:
16.00 LBS1 v ESADE
16.30 IESE v LBS2
17.00 LBS1 v ESADE
17.00 IESE v LBS2
17.30 IESE v ESADE
17.30 LBS1 v LBS2
Dinner
Time: 21.30
Cost: 25 Euros/Person covers food and Sangria
Location: Gran Via de Corts Catalans, 692 (map)
Late Night
Cost: We have arranged for free entry before 2am.
Location: Opium Mar, Paseo Marítimo, 34. (map )
I would like to post this article again because now there are even more unexperienced motorcyclists buying and driving scooters and motorbikes. There is a hardly a more liberating feeling than cruising around on two wheels and it is definitely a passion of mine, although I don’t currently ride a motorbike here (yet). However not many are very familiar with riding motorbikes and think that it is as easy as riding a bike, which definitely is NOT true.
I peronally have reasonable experience in riding motorbikes and therefore I would like to just quick remind you of the key issues when riding a motorbike, which the majority of students and friends are disregarding as I can see everyday:
When you drive fast and then fall the first thing that touches ground is your chin!!!! Open-face helmets, like the MOMO-Design helmets, might look cool but losing the face from the nose downwards and scraping off the bottom jaw is not cool. I got to see accident photos of that and it is awful to be disfigured for the rest of your life because you wanted to look cool. Buy a helmet with chin protection!
When you are “lucky” the second body part that touches the ground are your hands! One of our classmates learnt about this the hard way! Wear leather gloves, ALWAYS!
The third body part touching ground usually are your feet and you will be amazed how easily those toes are ripped off! Wear proper shoes!
The most difficult driving is driving in walking pace and not full speed. Practice it!
Secondly knowing how to breaking is key! It requires a lot of training for the wheels not to lock up.
Keep the front tyre straight when breaking because the main braking force is on the front tyre. When you front wheel is not straight it will twist and when it twists it will bring you to a “grinding” stillstand, on the ground!!
On the road the positioning in the lane is very important and make sure that you always drive in either tyre track and not in the middle. The middle collects dust and dirt. Secondly you have to defend your lane in order not being pushed off your lane by cars. When you are not determined you can easily follow steps 2 – 6 if you are not careful.
Never break on road markings because they are extremely slippery otherwise you will follow steps 2 – 6 if you are not careful.
I have noticed an increasing amount of seats being cut open, bikes stolen and bikes being pushed over. Park at a place where not a lot of people are walking past but at the same time it is still in the light so not hidden somewhere. LOCK IT!
Enjoy Barcelona on a two-wheeler but don’t be stupid and dress properly! You wonder what this has to do with a MBA? How do you think most people drive to the school?!?! Drive carefully!!!
