With our global economy, it’s more important than ever that MBA students get hands-on exposure to international business.
In today’s interconnected world, international business experience isn’t just an advantage — it’s a necessity. Global business drives economic growth, creates jobs, fosters innovation, and builds culture bridges. For MBA students aspiring to lead in this global landscape, hands-on international exposure is invaluable.
The numbers tell the story: Fortune Global 500 companies generated $41 trillion in revenue in 2023. Six of the top 10 are US based while the other four all have strong ties to America. Over 90% of North American companies have shifted their production and sourcing to different countries in the past five years. This evolving landscape demands business leaders with a strong understanding of global business who can navigate global complexities with confidence.
MBA students at University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business move beyond classroom lectures and case studies to gain real-world international experience. They have the opportunity to get hands-on experience through exchange programs and consulting projects with clients from around the world.
Berkeley Haas students have a number of opportunities to learn by doing. The Global Focus program allows students to work in the classroom and with international companies to build cross-cultural understanding. Initiatives in the Global Focus program include International Business Development (IBD), an exchange program, and Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM).
International Business Development
The International Business Development program is an elective that has been around for over 30 years. Students have worked with clients in 89 countries in a variety of industries. The course is a semester long, immersive experience where MBA students serve as company consultants. They are presented with a problem, analyze it, and deliver solutions that the clients will implement.
The IBD teams are as diverse as the student body at Haas. The 4 or 5 students on each team bring different strengths to the table. They’re mentored by a faculty member who helps guide them while they solve problems ranging from marketing to operations to many other strategic challenges. They also bring fresh perspectives that a client may not have considered in the past.
During the course of their projects, they work with data provided by their clients. They hold regular Zoom meetings to gather information and keep the client up to date on their progress. Students analyze information and develop and test multiple hypotheses. Toward the end of their projects, they take a two week trip to the client’s country to meet in person. This is where they have the chance to refine their plans and pitch them.
“We were deeply impressed by the IBD team’s thorough research,” says Tatsuya Takahashi, CEO of Z-Works in Japan. He continues, “Collaborating with the students has been a delightful experience, providing us with momentum to pursue our global business expansion.”
Despite situations where students don’t speak the language in their client’s country, they still manage to get the job done while forming bonds with new associates. They sometimes have to get creative to communicate. The group who worked with Tatsuya at Z-Works used Google Translate and Chat-GPT to create a Japanese version of their presentation.
Niveda Kumar, MBA 25, says that the language barrier created challenges, but her group still picked up on the gratitude from their Japanese coworkers, “When we were in-country, you could sense the trust,” she said. “It felt like a barrier had come down between us and the client.”
Although students are there to work, they do get the opportunity to experience the culture and have a little fun. Many Haas alumni also live abroad and often host students as part of their alumni gatherings. The Z-Works group was asked to present to alumni at a bar when they were in Japan. One alum invited them for lunch at his club in a high rise overlooking Tokyo.
“I would say this has been the most rewarding academic experience for me at Haas so far,” says Niveda. “I think if you’re curious about consulting and you’re curious about real international work experience, this is the class for you.”
Alumni regularly have the opportunity to talk to current IBD students about how the program impacted their lives. Brian Bell, MBA 20, helped to develop a venture capital inspired tech innovation process with an aerospace firm in Brazil, “IBD stood out as one of my most loved and rewarding experiences while at Haas,” he says. “IBD gave me the chance to work with our client’s senior leaders and informed my interest in pursuing a career in strategy.”
It’s not uncommon for IBD to reshape career goals. Tiffany Tran, MBA 20, ended up working in the wine and spirits industry after her IBD project with Samai, a Cambodian distillery. “IBD was huge for my learning about the kind of experience I wanted to have in my work life after Haas,” says Tiffany. She is now working for Viña Concha y Toro, a South American wine distributor, “I learned that I wanted to be on the company/brand side, rather than work as a consultant, and also, how important working internationally is to me.”
Traditional Exchange Opportunities
Haas MBA candidates also have the opportunity to study abroad for an entire semester through an exchange program. Full-time MBA students typically go on exchange during the Fall semester of their second year. Anywhere from one to 10 students participate annually. That number depends on the balance of trade between Haas and its four partner schools: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, IESE Business School in Barcelona, London Business School, and Columbia Business School.
These exchange programs can be a deciding factor for prospective students. Sandra Tamer, MBA 19, chose Haas for her MBA after hearing about its exchange program from a London Business School student,"When I asked someone at LBS what her favorite experience during her program had been, she said it was going on the exchange program at Haas," Sandra says. "That was a pretty powerful recommendation. I was so excited when I got my Haas acceptance."
A Large Network for International Business
Another program, the Global Network for Advanced Management, or GNAM, is similar to both IBD and the exchange program but it is on a very tight timeline. It’s more popular with students who are a part of the Executive MBA program at Haas, but full-time MBA students can also participate. The GNAM is a large network made up of 32 leading business schools spanning 30 countries worldwide. Small Network Online Courses are held at your home campus in conjunction with schools around the world as an introduction to the global business perspective.
Actual immersion takes place during Global Network Weeks. Haas students work at a school within the network alongside students from other schools. In just a week, they’re given exposure to perspectives, programs, and faculty expertise of a variety of schools. During their time at their host school, students attend classes, tour local businesses, and meet with experts focused on current business problems. It’s intense but very rewarding.
Howard "Nando" Cooke, EMBA 19, is a surgeon who did his GNAM experience in Ghana. While he was there, he worked with a group of students from both Haas and Yale to help get a hospital up and running. In the U.S., he had already built and sold two surgery practices, so this project was right up his alley. “They built this beautiful facility but had no plans for running it,” says Nando. “Not only did I have the knowledge within healthcare, and the knowledge of having run businesses in the U.S., but now I had a Berkeley MBA background that I could use to help them run this enterprise. I felt really special.”
Your Gateway to Global Business Leadership
For prospective MBA students like Monica Shavers, MBA 23, these international opportunities can be a crucial factor in choosing Haas., “I didn’t get to study abroad as an undergraduate,” she says. “I saw this as a great opportunity for me to get that global experience while I’m in school again.”
In an increasingly interconnected business world, Haas’ international learning opportunities offer more than just global exposure—they provide the hands-on experience, cross-cultural competence, and professional networks essential for future business leaders. Whether through consulting projects, exchanges, or global networking, Haas students graduate prepared to lead in the international business landscape.
Ready to begin your global business journey? Contact us to learn more about how Berkeley Haas’ international learning opportunities can help you achieve your goals.
