Vlerick enters the global top 15 in the latest Financial Times ranking

The Masters in International Management and Strategy provides an in-depth education on all management aspects in an international context, with a special focus on business strategy and sustainability. The current cohort comprises 42 students from 16 countries with diverse study backgrounds in engineering, business, law, pharmacy, etc.

Without a doubt, the most impressive achievement is the programme’s top position for the effectiveness of its career services and the strength of its alumni network (2^nd and 4^th worldwide) in providing career opportunities and support throughout students’ professional lives. The successful careers of our graduates are equally reflected in the excellent value for money rank, which is based on alumni salaries and tuition fees.

Career advisor Emilia Konttinen explains: “The programme is aimed at students who want to grow into international, strategic positions in global corporations, operating in various sectors such as consulting, finance or private equity. As career advisors, we put a lot of effort into guiding our students throughout their job search process – from the initial stage of career orientation to personalised advice, training for assessments and job interviews, and providing ample networking opportunities through our extensive alumni and corporate network.”

The Masters in International Management and Strategy also scores very well on international course experience (8^th worldwide). The one-month Global Immersion Tour immerses students in a different culture and business environment by visiting companies and attending lectures in several cities. Next, students spend up to two months abroad on a Global Consultancy Project for a company or a social-profit organisation. In this highly actionable component, students apply what they’ve learned to a real business challenge, providing recommendations to the company. Finally, students can opt for an exchange with one of our top-notch partner schools, such as Imperial College London in the UK, Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden, EDHEC in France, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and ESMT in Germany, and NOVA in Portugal.

Programme director Professor Kerstin Fehre points out that these international experiences are also important for students’ future careers. “We invest a lot in creating international career opportunities for our students. One example is the European Strategy Tour, which exposes our students to employment opportunities in various European countries by visiting companies in Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This tour allows them to explore the various possibilities for working in strategic management positions, different industries and cultures, and to experience the vibe of the different cities. Ultimately, it’s a question of getting inspired to take the leap.”

Finally, a relatively recent criterion for which the programme ranks highly (13^th worldwide) is the proportion of the curriculum dedicated to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and climate solutions for how organisations can reach net zero.

Professor Fehre explains: “Over the past years, we observed an increasing demand from our students and companies for sustainability-related topics. That’s why we not only offer separate courses on the topic but also integrate discussions on sustainability throughout the curriculum. This way, we can integrate various views on the topic and highlight the necessity for a sustainable strategy.”

The school’s efforts to also walk the talk on sustainability are rewarded with a 13^th position worldwide for carbon footprint rank. This criterion considers the net-zero year for carbon emissions that Vlerick has set for itself as a target and reflects our commitment to embed sustainability systematically throughout the school.

Finally, a happy Professor Fehre concludes: “What pleases me most is to see that the satisfaction rate of our alumni with their overall programme experience is among the highest in the ranking. This shows that our efforts to keep the programme up-to-date and relevant, by capitalising on our close connection to business and by listening and acting upon students’ feedback, are highly valued.”