1. Professor Paolo, what is your role at CUOA and what are the type of programs offered by the school?
Hello Professor Aldo Brunhara, I’m Professor Paolo Bellamoli and I have been working with the international programs provided by CUOA Business School for more than one decade. CUOA has been providing business programs since 1957, when it was founded by the University of Pádua at the Engineering school, and today it is considered to be one of the most important schools focused on Business in Italy, receiving students from several universities in the country. Besides different colleges supporting us, recently we also had the private sector investing and becoming one of our partners with the objective to expand our knowhow in the business area. Actually, CUOA does not offer any undergraduate activities, the school is focused on Business programs, MBAs, Masters, Executive programs and Customized programs for companies. Due to our influence in Italy, the majority of good executives and managers in the past studied with us and today provide knowledge to improve these programs. In the international sphere we have partnerships with several universities around the world and we are working to enhance the content of our courses all the time.
2. Can you go over about the winter and summer programs IBS Americas has with CUOA and explain about the main characteristics of these programs?
The summer and winter programs we have with IBS Americas has a duration of three weeks and during this period the students are motivated to work in different projects with the goal to increase their knowledge in the chosen courses. In this scenario, the international students are definitively a key element, because with different backgrounds and different cultures working in the same project, the student area able to visualize the situation with a broaden perspective. By the end of the programs, the students have experienced such an improvement in their personal and working skills that they go back to their countries with a different vision about the world and the opportunities that can be found. Besides, the 3-week programs provide the chance for the students to visit the most incredible places in Italy and travel to different countries and learn more about the European culture.
Today we have 4 courses being offered by CUOA with IBS Americas, the Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy & Marketing Management, International Management & Leadership and Operations, and Logistics & Lean Management. All the courses are designed with an international perspective trying to demonstrate to the students how each area operates in the global supply chain.
3. Could you tell us how the professors are selected to lecture in these classes?
We select professors with different criteria, but we are focused on choosing the professors that will improve the learning process in each program. The courses have a combination of the academic and professional world with professors with a large networking and experience in the area, and all of these characteristics work together to provide the best programs for the international students.
4. Paulo, can you talk about corporate visits and what companies the students usually go to?
Because CUOA Business School is located in the manufactured belt of Italy we have good number of companies of different fields, from mechanics, food, wine industry, clothes and shoes industries to chemistry and any other type of companies that you can imagine. We tried to provide from 2 to 3 visits to multinational companies and some visits to companies that are famous in Italy and are the best at their fields. I also want to emphasize that visiting small companies is sometimes more interesting than going to big ones, because they provide a better contact with the managers and directors, and they pursue an entrepreneurship identity to innovate in the marketing, which helps students find opportunities.
5. Share more information about the Project Work, that is a great opportunity for the students to improve their communication skills as they need to work in groups and make final presentation to a board of professors.
The Project work is an activity designed for the program that the student is enrolled. The objective is to stimulate the students to look at business processes from a new perspective. Most of the project works are developed jointly with companies and it is amazing to see how students with different backgrounds can have interesting insights to solve the same problems.
Are you enjoying this interview? Click on the link below to have access to the whole conversation and find out what the professors think it is important to take this international program in Italy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2-Jcjr2W5M
Click here to learn more about the CUOA Business School or, if you want to learn about each program separately, check the links below.
– Business Strategy & Marketing Management
– Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
