For Julia de Funes, a French philosopher specialising in management and human resources, work is not an end in itself, but a means to a self-ideal. I agree with her on this point, given the increasingly technical nature of work, which splinters its meaning and puts many professionals on the road to change. The need to grow and develop is not new. The island of Okinawa, renowned for its centenarians, is also at the origin of Ikigai, an age-old principle that consists of rediscovering a meaningful life balance, particularly with regard to the transmission of knowledge and having time for others. It’s perfectly healthy, when looking at your future once the first illusions of ambition have passed, to question the division of life into two worlds, the world of work and the world of fulfilment.
You feel the need for change? Geneva School of Economics and Management’s Executive MBA is the perfect solution
But why talk about further education rather than a career? Because, over the years, I’ve observed that executive education offers invaluable support for the latent need to rediscover oneself and even to reveal the propensity or the talents that are frequently evoked with a nostalgic “If only I’d known, I’m sure I could have…”.
It’s true that our EMBA leads to management qualifications. But it also enhances discernment, encourages cooperation and sharing, neutralizes the competitive spirit that’s replaced by introspection and the acquisition of empowering knowledge, helps us to analyse ecosystems different from our own, and teaches us how to make decisions.
There are many reasons to embark on an EMBA, and the decision shouldn’t be limited to the financial carrot alone, especially as everyone agrees that it almost always leads to greater responsibility and better pay. Personally, I believe that the EMBA’s main quality is its potential to shed light on the underlying issues of recognition and uniqueness that go hand in hand with being part of a corporation or a company.
AI, the new factor in a career change
Artificial intelligence should only be understood in the sense of ‘intelligence’, since it can neither engineer nor feel. However, in the coming years, machines are set to take over a large number of tasks, and even to replace certain roles. For those who want to take advantage of the new technologies at work, the University of Geneva EMBA offers four strategic modules: running a business, building a global advantage, responsible management, and managing change. Don’t wait for your company to finance your training though. Like most of our graduates, you can plan your career development independently, giving you the freedom to do whatever you want afterwards. Don’t forget, there are always solutions!
Know yourself and know the world
Never have humans had more need of benchmarks to understand the production society in which we live, and which now combines the virtual and the tangible in a digital expression that is strikingly real and yet also deceptive. Ethics, renamed social and environmental responsibility, is one of the hallmarks of the first half of the 21st century.
Ironically, despite being accused of all kinds of evil, companies are at the heart of this movement, thanks to their ability to bring people together and their culture of “teamwork”. To address these decisive challenges, which some claim will soon have a major impact on the survival of companies in many parts of the world, Geneva University’s EMBA offers invaluable keys to understanding and implementing change both in terms of compliance and enriching the organisation and its value proposition. At the core of it, we place your Self-Leadership. Will you be part of this fantastic adventure?
Jean-Yves Mercier
Executive Director
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