TopMBAConnect: So Rick, you’re attending an MBA event here in Sao Paulo, but the Duisenberg School of Finance doesn’t actually offer an MBA! Why are you here?
Rick Rudolph: Well we are a finance school, offering a number of specialised Masters in Finance. For many MBA candidates, their objectives and motivations for pursuing an MBA are often related to advancing their career in the Finance industry, or switching from a non-related field into a job with a Finance company. With the courses, faculty and job prospects that we offer, we are in a unique position to provide a more specialized focus on finance than many traditional MBA programs.
TMC: What do you think of the students in Latin America and how do they differ from the rest of the world?
RR: Latin America is way too big a region to be able to draw general conclusions. Brazil is very different to Columbia for example, which is different to Mexico, which is different to Peru. This is obvious from the people that I meet from country to country. If I did have to identify a trend that I have seen across the region however, it is that Latin American students are very brand conscious, however they are also open minded and looking to explore new options in how to get ahead in their education and careers.
TMC: Do you have many students from Latin America studying at the Duisenberg School at present? If so, what are they like?
RR: We do. We have students from across Central and Latin America, from Columbia to El Salvador, and from Ecuador to Brazil. Most of them have international experience or a desire to pursue an international career in finance, which we are set-up to help them with!
TMC: So it’s been a great trip?
RR: Yes. This is the first trip that Duisenberg has made to the region, and it has been a long time coming simply because Latin America is such an important region for us. I’ve really loved every minute of the trip. From eating steak in Bogota to ceviche in Lima. Not to mention James, Aled and Leo, the TopMBA Connect team - they are just fantastic J
The TopMBA Connect team is located in New York City, a key hotspot for social entrepreneurship, technology and the international business community. 