Swiss experience in tourism, banking, finance in IUKB MBA

Management is an art, which requires people working in it having a sound academic background, according to Antonello Cappitta, managing director of the European Institute of Education (EIE) of Ta' Xbiex.

"Management skills are required everywhere nowadays," he told The Sunday Times last week. "It is no longer acceptable for people to just have a first degree to excel in a managerial position.

"Obviously, an MBA will complement other important aspects, such as work experience, which the candidate would have acquired throughout his/her work experience."

In response to demand from the EIE's corporate clients for specialised MBAs in tourism, banking and finance, EIE has tied up with the Swiss Institute Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB), which specialises in these three areas in an interdisciplinary manner.

"We feel that there is a real need for professionals in these fields to have an internationally recognised MBA with a particular focus, rather than a general MBA," Mr Cappitta said.

The EIE decided to tie up with the IUKB to offer these MBA programmes in Malta because the IUKB is recognised by the Swiss government. "This recognition guarantees an automatic recognition of the institution and its awards by all member states of the European Union," he pointed out. "EIE's policy is to partner only with the best and highly recognised institutions and organisations worldwide."

EIE is licensed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment as a tertiary level institution while the IUKB is a recognised university institute by the Education ministry of the Valais canton in Switzerland. "It is on the basis of this mutual official recognition that both parties agreed to talk and finalise an agreement," Mr Cappitta said.

Initial contact with the IUKB was at an international education fair. "EIE has a fully-fledged international office whose-staff, which are co-ordinated by our marketing director, endorse partnership agreements with foreign organisations," Mr Cappitta said.

"They regularly attend educational workshops and fairs around Europe was our first contact with IUKB was with their marketing director, Serge Gay. Following this initial meeting and various visits by us to them and vice versa, we concluded this important agreement and have now kicked off operations." The first intake is in September.

EIE had to submit to a rigorous audit process by the IUKB. "At least once a year, officials from IUKB come to Malta to conduct a quality audit on everything that has anything to do with the academic requirements of their outreach courses here in Malta," Mr Cappitta explained.

"This includes approval of marketing campaigns, professors' appraisal, all correspondence, choice of text books and course materials, and any facilities offered to students. They also conduct confidential interviews with both members of staff and students to ensure quality. Furthermore, IUKB have the sole discretion as to who to accept on their outreach courses."

EIE has been successful in all the programmes that it has launched in Malta, he said. "We have established links with major institutions and organisations, both from the private and public sector, by training their key management staff.

"Through such links, student enrolments have increased at a steady pace on a yearly basis. Numbers are encouraging when you consider the local context, and foreign academics are impressed with the high quality of work performed by our students.

"At every graduation ceremony we always have a student or two who obtains a distinction, which is indeed difficult to obtain."

In terms of the agreement with IUKB, EIE will be responsible for running the local IUKB centre and adhere to the stringent operational requirements that IUKB expects from its foreign partners. The target market is graduates who come from all walks of life and who are primarily involved in management functions of various organisations and from various sectors.

"The IUKB MBA will help candidates to absorb important aspects, such as marketing, finance and human resources, which are required from modern managers in the fulfilment of their managerial work. The IUKB MBA costs Lm4,700, which makes it the one of the least expensive of all MBAs offered on the island.

"Students would get the same degree that other students get in Switzerland, where the cost of living is much higher. The IUKB MBA is a one-year programme specifically designed for managers with a very busy workload. Lectures are held after office hours."

Candidates applying to join the IUKB MBA programme are normally graduates, of any subject, and with work experience. "This combination helps them to absorb important management aspects, which they would have been directly or indirectly exposed to during their work," Mr Cappitta said.

"EIE offers a range of diplomas and degree courses of other recognised institutions to enable students to obtain these minimum entry requirements, and has done so in a successful way for the last couple of years.

"We definitely cater for people who want to start with their first steps up the academic ladder, and which will take them towards the MBA or any other Masters degree which we offer."

For more information visit the Website www.iukbmalta.com, call 2133-2804 or write to info@iukbmalta.com.