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European MBAs Bring It On!

Every May, the MBAT competition pits students from Europe’s best business schools against each other in almost twenty sports.

Fri May 27 2011

BusinessBecause

Every spring, MBA students from Europe, to China, and Australia participate in sport competition to prove their physical superiority over rival schools. After the AGSM – MBS Cup, and the MBA Dragon Boat Race, two weeks ago was Europe’s turn with the traditional MBA Tournament (MBAT)!

The MBAT is the largest sporting event for business schools in Europe. Started in 1991 by HEC Paris, this year it welcomed 1500 participants from fourteen business schools across Europe, including SDA Bocconi, SAID Business School – Oxford, London Business School, IE Business School, Judge Business School – Cambridge, IESE Business School, and many more.

Participants, coming from seventy different nationalities, competed in nearly twenty sports: some traditional, such as running, rugby, soccer, golf, squash, swimming, rock climbing, rowing, cricket and tennis, and some more unusual like salsa, and tug of war.

For Bernard Garrette, Associate Dean of HEC MBA, the MBAT is a once-in-a-lifetime experience: “It has become a cornerstone event for each of the intakes that move through our MBA program...Events like these give all of our universities a truly global perspective and a sense of camaraderie that stay with each of us as we progress in our professional careers.”

Frank De Gioia, coordinator of the 2011 MBAT with Michele Catanzariti, thinks that MBA students have a lot to learn from a sport tournament like the MBAT, and in particular leadership, networking, team building, camaraderie, and unity amongst other individuals.

“An experience like the MBAT, where business schools compete for three days in twenty-four different sports, teaches students how to enjoy competitions and challenges, and how to appreciate the contestant’s value”, adds Michele Catanzariti, “It also promotes positive values between the future business leaders: this year we worked with LiveStrong, the charity founded by Lance Armstrong, to spread the awareness of the fight against cancer.”

It’s the kind of competition MBA students will find in the business world: “Teams have been training for months before the MBAT to give their best. Some of them knew they would have to compete with stronger teams, so they worked even harder”, says Catanzariti.

For De Gioia the highlight of the event was the second day “when everything started coming together: people from different schools started knowing each other and there was a sense of unity amongst individuals”.

Catanzariti enjoyed organizing the event: “We worked for over eight months, interacting with students, and the other schools. HEC Paris was responsible for the entire organization of the tournament (including transportation, accommodation, etc.) and it was amazing to see an entire community working together so perfectly”.

HEC Paris won the 2011 MBAT with 74 points and 11 gold medals: “It was really difficult to achieve such a great result”, explains Catanzarita, “especially since we had already won last year, after long time. It was the result of a common effort, but the greatest thing was winning the competition and organizing the tournament at the same time. I think the enthusiasm we put into this adventure has been rewarded!”

“The key has been the teamwork”, agrees De Gioia, “Lot of hard work and effort from everybody at school, including people who didn’t even play the school to make sure that everything run smoothly, and the information flow worked efficiently etc.” 

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Student Reviews

HEC Paris

Student

Verified

7/07/2022

On Campus

Cultural experience

I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.

Sarah

Verified

18/03/2022

On Campus

Internationality and diversity of opportunities

About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.

Student

Verified

29/10/2021

On Campus

Great selection of people

While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.

Veronique

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

Best in France for Grande ecole

A prestigious business school. Languages ​​are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments. The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.

Ghadi

Verified

11/06/2022

On Campus

Diversity and quality of fellow students

Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.

Student

Verified

27/03/2022

On Campus

The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs

The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.

Lb

Verified

26/03/2022

On Campus

HEC Paris awaits you

HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.

Rajarshi

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

A dream institute

Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions. The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!

Student

Verified

19/10/2021

On Campus

Good choice for a career boost

The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.

Student

Verified

7/07/2022

On Campus

Cultural experience

I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.

Sarah

Verified

18/03/2022

On Campus

Internationality and diversity of opportunities

About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.

Student

Verified

29/10/2021

On Campus

Great selection of people

While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.

Veronique

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

Best in France for Grande ecole

A prestigious business school. Languages ​​are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments. The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.

Ghadi

Verified

11/06/2022

On Campus

Diversity and quality of fellow students

Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.

Student

Verified

27/03/2022

On Campus

The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs

The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.

Lb

Verified

26/03/2022

On Campus

HEC Paris awaits you

HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.

Rajarshi

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

A dream institute

Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions. The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!

Student

Verified

19/10/2021

On Campus

Good choice for a career boost

The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.

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