MBA blogger Salomé Thériault is studying at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux, France.
Salomé Thériault is an MBA student at Laval University in Quebec City, specializing in marketing. The 22-year-old Acadian from New Brunswick did her undergraduate studies at Mount Allison University in English but opted to take her MBA at Laval partly to return to her mother tongue. This is her seventh blog in a series.
I'm in France at a grande école (as the French call some of their higher education establishments) to complete my MBA and to obtain a double masters. I wanted to do a semester abroad and my home university of Laval brought up the double masters option, which appealed to me.
I had some doubts about France, however, but the pros outweighed the cons. So here I am at Kedge Business School in Bordeaux working to add a master of management.
Yes, I know that France, on a global platform, doesn't have the greatest higher education programs and being here hasn't improved my views of the country's system. North America might be lacking in primary and secondary education compared to Europe but we definitely set the standard high for undergrad and graduate programs.
I could go on and on, listing all the things I do not like about the French system. But really, who am I to judge? I will definitely not be the one changing how higher education is implemented in the country, nor will I make the system less bureaucratic. So instead, I will focus on the positive outcomes of this experience.
So far, I love my courses. We're looking at important and modern business issues. One of the lessons is how humans try to implement managerial tools on everything that sounds or looks difficult, making humans a tool for business and not vice-versa. Another example consists of the global carbon footprint issue. We've become aware and alarmed by the environmental consequences generated by the business world.
Another great learning experience for me is that I work and share my opinions with students from all over the world. I won't lie; it can be very challenging at some times since culture and working methods differ from country to country. Yet, it definitely makes one more tolerant of other views.
Debates are also more interesting since subjects are global. It is also great to listen to new opinions on particular issues and learn about cultures you don't know so well. This experience has made me realize how people, including myself, have so little clue about what is truly going on in the world.
As my final thought, I must admit that France still has a sophistication and savoir faire that probably no other nation has. Which is why I will most definitely cherish my remaining months here.