Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, our regular examination of the programs and opportunities that help to distinguish the leading MBA programs. This week we turn to a special partnership between two of the world’s leading business schools, Wharton and INSEAD. Formed in 2001, the Alliance creates opportunities for formal collaboration between the two schools at many levels. Research collaboration takes place through the joint Alliance Center for Global Research and Development, as well as through faculty visits and exchanges. For students, the most popular part of the Alliance tends to be the opportunity for student exchanges between the schools.
Participation in the Alliance exchange program is usually high among both students and faculty. Wharton typically sends 40 to 60 students a year to INSEAD’s two campuses, while playing host to approximately 60 INSEAD exchange students in any year. Although all INSEAD students are required to be proficient in two languages in addition to English, Wharton exchange students are not subject to these requirements, since all INSEAD courses are taught in English.
Because Wharton and INSEAD have linked their credit system, students participating in the Alliance exchange can be confident that their credits will easily transfer back to their home institution. Furthermore, because INSEAD’s and Wharton’s career management services are available to all Alliance participants, students in the exchange are able to continue involvement in full-time recruiting even while abroad. In fact, the strength of INSEAD’s corporate relationships in Europe and Asia makes the exchange a wonderful career opportunity for Wharton students interested in working abroad after graduation, while Wharton’s extensive contacts in the U.S. are particularly valuable to participating INSEAD students.
Through the Alliance, two Wharton professors may also spend a semester teaching at INSEAD’s France or Singapore campuses and two INSEAD professors may teach at Wharton’s San Francisco or Philadelphia campuses. This exchange of professors allows each school to enhance its global education offerings. For instance, in one recent academic year, Wharton professors on exchange to INSEAD taught courses on Financial Engineering, Management/Supply Chain, and Quality & Process, while INSEAD professors at Wharton offered courses on Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Strategy, and Marketing Strategy. Although these are not new topics for either institution, the Alliance believes that there is a benefit to tackling these topics with a professor from another background.
To learn more about the Wharton/INSEAD Alliance, visit the Alliance website or check out the Study Abroad section of the Clear Admit School Guide to Wharton!
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