Glazed tiles from Europe's oldest porcelain producer in Meissen, dark wooden panels, leather couches and state-of-the-art Internet terminals: The look and feel of the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) at Berlin’s prestigious Schlossplatz couldn’t be more different from the typical German public university.

And that is exactly what the founders of the private university had in mind when they contributed to the renovation of its main building. What was once home to the State Council of the former East German communist government is now a training ground for a new management elite.

"When Germany’s top companies decided to start this private business school, they wanted it to be different. That was our goal right from the start in 2002," said Lars-Hendrik Röller, president of the ESMT. Röller admits that keeping up with the world’s top business schools is a huge challenge but is convinced that Germany needs such an institution and can benefit from it.

Students from around the world

To be admitted at ESMT, students must hold an academic title and have at least three years of job experience. They must also be fluent in English as classes are held in the international business language.

The one-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) is available to students who attend the program full-time. Those who stay in their jobs require two years to complete the program.

About 100 students are currently enrolled, according to Röller: "They come from all over the world and that’s paramount for us because you also learn from your fellow students, not just from your professors," he said.

The core focus of ESMT is international management as well as technology and innovation. It mirrors the core business of several of the companies that helped found the private university 10 years ago. German technology giants such as Daimler, Siemens and Deutsche Telekom teamed up with some of the country’s biggest financial corporations including Deutsche Bank and Allianz to launch the elite business school. And not only that, their CEOs and other top managers also agreed to teach classes.

Scholarships for outstanding students

The curriculum includes internships and informal meetings with top executives. Of course, all this comes at a price: Tuition for the one-year program is 29,000 euros and more than 50,000 euros for the two-year study program. Scholarships are available for gifted students.

Special scholarships are also available for students with migrant backgrounds or for women pursuing on a career as a top executive. "We also have a ’Kofi Annan Program’ for up-and-coming managers from developing countries," Röller said.

Belinda Mkanganwi is one of them. The 34-year-old marketing consultant runs her own company back home in Zimbabwe. In January, she started as a post-graduate student at ESMT and was confronted with the rigorous schedule. Classes run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., after which students join additional work groups and study for the next day’s courses. They are also expected to study over weekends and take exams on a regular basis.

"It’s very challenging and it’s not enough to just prepare," Mkanganwi said. "For just one of my lectures this morning, we had to read a 44-page article, study an essential paragraph in one of our business books and do some extra tutorials. It’s a lot of work because a regular two-year program is squeezed into one."

The Kofi Anan Scholarship requires Mkanganwi to return to Zimbabwe after one year. There she will go back to running her business and taking care of her three children, the youngest just three years old.

Kofi Annan scholars, says Röller, are meant to promote change in their home countries.

Among the top 10 in Europe

ESMT offers a wide array of advanced training for managers and research-based consulting services for companies. A core competency is executive education. While the school continues to lose money with its MBA programs, it generates solid revenue from advanced training programs aimed at executives. About 2,500 executives participate every year.

When the European School of Management and Technology was founded eight years ago, many referred to it as the "German Harvard." But that is exactly what ESMT doesn't want to be. The school's goal is to establish its own profile, and is well on its way. In its recently published Executive Education Ranking, Financial Times listed ESMT among Europe's top 10 business schools and number 17 worldwide.

To improve still further, the Berlin business school aims to increase its capital, which is currently about 114 million euros; the private sector, according to Röller, has promised an additional 50 million euros in funding in the coming years. And the school intends to attract more well-known experts in international economics to its faculty of 34 professors.

Author: Sabine Kinkartz / tko
Editor: John Blau