This week we check out the latest happenings at MIT Sloan through reading the MBA student newspaper, Fifteen.
Josh Van Aalst ’10 reports the success of the first business school mixer, the Stimulus Project, held in late March at Estate in the Back Bay. When Van Aalst and Chris Walti ’10 first decided to put their idea into action, other Sloanies jumped to assist and help promote the event to other business schools in the Boston area. This excitement and eagerness to help led Van Aalst to state, “The experience of promoting a new venture like the Stimulus party to MIT Sloan’s peer schools highlighted the strength of the entrepreneurial culture at MIT.” Working with counterparts at HBS, Boston University, Boston College, Tufts, and Babson, the MIT Stimulus Crew organized the event that drew a crowd of around 460 students for a night of networking and partying. Due to the event’s success, the Stimulus Crew is planning another mixer for early September to kick off another year.
Fifteen also highlights the adventures of the South East Asia Study Tour, a trip organized by Taariq Lewis (MBA ’09), Chris Mitchell (MBA ’10), and Maxwell Sadler (MBA ’10) for the 15.277 Private Equity and Venture Capital in South East Asia course. Over the course of the trip, students examined the investment environment of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore as well as tackled mini consulting projects for four firms. Students gained insight into Vietnam’s economic growth while also recognizing the issues that Vietnam faces as a developing country. Touring Saigon South, a massive project that will add over 100,000 units in housing stock for the first time in decades, students saw the great need for investment in major infrastructure. After Vietnam, the students moved on to Singapore where they visited the Google Singapore office and a high school for gifted students. Malaysia was the last stop on the trip. In Kuala Lumpur, students met with Sri Idris Jala, the CEO who turned around Malaysia Airlines from record losses to great returns in just two years. Students came away from the trip with new insight into the economy and investment opportunities and challenges in South East Asia.
Stay tuned next week for another edition of Campus Chronicles! Happy reading!
