By Rajan Nazran – Higher education Portugal – INSIGHT
It’s not often that I find myself standing at the cusp of genuine academic disruption or in fact wishing to start business school all over again. But a short 45 minute journey from the heart of Lisbon city, and you will be astonished with a world that I believe will be the impetus for a global change in the educational system; the lessons learned here could be a game changer for Global India. Nestled equally amongst beautiful scenery and a golden coast of glistening blue waves and sandy beaches, you will find a James Bond structure ushering from its grounds. A state of the art privately funded $50million investment that not only talks the talk of a new era in educational excellence, but also parades it down the business runway with a proven track record of success. Through its high-tech and light filled rooms, I had the opportunity to meet with the famous Portuguese mind – Daniel Traca, a global Indian himself, visiting Professor at INSEAD (France and Singapore), former World Bank and European Commission consultant and of course an alumni of the dynamic Nova Business School which he is now Dean of. Daniel takes me for a tour of the “real world” driven university grounds and leads me through a remarkable journey where I witness images that are more in keeping with the tech halls of Google than something I would consider to be your stereotypical university. But the deliberate shift in design is something far more enriching than mere architecture. Every element of this university screams positive distribution and intended progress. Nova SBE and Daniel for that matter, are highly unique; the school embodies a new and much needed light in educational change and do not just take my word for it. What is immediately striking is the practical pursuit of excellence and unwavering discipline its students have in providing a real life environment that incubates future leaders and mindsets. Nothing is more convincing of this than when Daniel stops mid-tour to congratulate one of his thousands of students by name who happens to pass by after completing the much coveted 24 hour Hackathon in which he came second. It seems from our in-depth conversations that there is a genuine desire to not only be part of, but to shape the frontiers between business and international relations. There is undoubtably a foresight that is being actively engaged upon – to future-proof the careers for his students. Again it’s not just talk; through the modern lecture theatres you see symbolism of future proofing individual capabilities whilst actively brain-storming on solutions to the challenges of companies, society and the world at large. It would come as no surprise then to also learn Nova SBE is one of the leading establishments in Europe and features next to its famous UK and US rivals with the added price advantage. And with over 40% of international students, it truly is a worldwide experience. I could go on, but the reality is that for any student who is looking at higher education abroad in the fields of business and tech, Nova SBE is a leading choice. Verdict: The area that I personally see Global India benefiting from is via the highly selective Masters Program at Nova. Not only is it part of the Bolognia process, but the introduction of digital business and data analytics also enables the program to be further real-world applicable. A word of warning, despite its cost-effective tuition fees, the university is highly selective and the initial exams can be difficult for the uninitiated!
