Notre Dame’s EMBA prepares leaders to succeed in a complex, interconnected world

The global economy is more dynamic than ever before. Even in an age of rising protectionism, the annual value of international trade exceeds $30 trillion dollars--and growing. The American workforce draws skills and expertise from around the globe, and U.S. companies export goods and services in virtually every corner of our planet. To succeed in this fast-paced and fast-changing business environment, leaders need to understand the world beyond their own backyard. They need to know how business is conducted elsewhere, and how geopolitical and macroeconomic forces could affect the companies they lead. The global immersions in the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) at the University of Notre Dame help leaders do exactly that. Students in the 22-month EMBA program attend monthly weekend sessions at the Mendoza College of Business in South Bend, where they undertake values-driven leadership development and hands-on learning opportunities. They have the opportunity to go overseas for global immersion experiences in three very different business cultures: Dublin, Ireland; Santiago, Chile and Singapore. The EMBA leverages Notre Dame’s worldwide alumni network, and Notre Dame Global, a network of partnerships with universities, libraries and organizations in 26 countries. Notre Dame Global has 12 physical locations, Dublin and Santiago among them. Singapore, for its part, is a major global financial centre where Notre Dame has strong alumni partnerships. The three cities were chosen for global immersion experiences because they provide maximum contrast in business context, culture, and market maturity. “Even for domestic leaders, global exposure sharpens strategic insight,” says Brandon Erlacher, the academic director of the EMBA program. “It helps leaders recognize subtle cultural biases in their own decision-making, understand the geopolitical and macroeconomic forces that impact their U.S.-based company and it enhances their ability to lead diverse, cross-cultural teams.”

Ireland’s economy went from floundering to flourishing

For most of the 20th Century, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in western Europe. Today, it is among the richest countries in the world. Ireland’s economy began to turn the corner in the 1990s, when it implemented a series of tax and regulatory reforms. Between 1995 and 2007, Ireland’s ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy grew at a rate of more than 9% per year. Today, the country serves as the European headquarters for some of the world’s largest companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. 

Notre Dame students have had a front row seat to this economic renaissance. The university established a permanent presence in Dublin in 1998 and has built connections with the city’s business community, government and cultural institutions, and three major universities: Trinity College, the University College of Dublin and Dublin City University. “The ambition and creativity of this small island, in terms of education, research and innovation, is palpable,” says Eimear Clowry Delaney, the director of Notre Dame University Dublin. “Students studying with us,  even on a short-term program, experience this energy.” The Dublin global immersion is a required piece of the Executive MBA, and the degree’s core marketing class is delivered there. Students spend a week learning about the Irish economy and some of the ways that it is different from the US economy. “Even when we are all speaking the same language, we don’t always understand each other,” Clowry Delaney says. “Our business culture is distinctive – it’s nuanced – and immersion is an opportunity to engage more deeply with the subtleties of difference. To observe, but also to participate in it. We introduce students to Ireland’s business landscape. We have amazing partners in the city and across the island, and together with them, we co-create fireside chats, panel discussions, and company visits.  We curate a space for people to share experiences, make meaningful connections, to learn from their peers, enabling students to think more critically about business from an Irish, European and broader global context.” For Colin MacCourtney, an enterprise sales leader at Sorenson Communications in New Jersey, the Dublin immersion experience provided a chance to get to know his classmates and put a solid foundation in place for the rest of his EMBA. “It was a really incredible experience,” MacCourtney says. “Going in, I didn’t know any of my classmates. But being in Dublin together broke the ice, and I got to have amazing conversations with a group of people who are outstanding at what they do. You learn a lot. Not just from the professors and the program, but from everybody in the class.”  

How Chile navigated change and became a high-income country 

About 85% of the world’s population lives in emerging and developing economies. And many of these economies are growing fast. There are plenty of opportunities for US companies to grow their business in emerging economies like Chile, but to be successful, you need a sense of what makes the country unique. “We want to provide students with tools to better understand what Chile is, what South America is and how they can eventually use their businesses for a greater good,” says Felipe Gomez, the director of Academic Programs and Communications for ND Santiago. “That translates into understanding cultures differently and better understanding languages and diversity.” With a population of less than 20 million, Chile is much smaller than some of its South American neighbors, but it has a culture of entrepreneurship that has helped make it one of the richest countries on the continent. The country’s economy grew rapidly after it emerged from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who stepped down in 1990. In the decade that followed, the country’s economy grew at an annual rate of more than 6%. According to the World Bank’s metrics, it became a high-income country in 2012. “Chile’s business ecosystem is vibrant,” said Gomez. “It prioritizes the creation and support of small businesses. And it is a very liberal country. We are very open to the world, and we have been ever since we came back from dictatorship to democracy.” The Chile immersion experience is delivered in Santiago, the country’s capital. There, Notre Dame has been partnering with UC Chile for more than a decade. The immersion experience delivers the Executive MBA’s Design Thinking course, which introduces tools and approaches that help facilitate change and innovation. In addition to course work and an introduction to Chile’s entrepreneurial energy, EMBA students spend time serving communities in vulnerable socioeconomic contexts. “It helps to understand how poverty is approached in Chile, which is very different from in the US or anywhere else in the world,” said Gomez. The immersion experience in Santiago gives Executive MBA students a glimpse of a part of the world that many aren’t that familiar with—but which will play an essential role in the future of the global economy. Middle-income countries are those with a per capita GDP between $1,136 and $13,935. In all, there are more than 100 of them, and each one wants to follow Chile’s lead and become high income. As the economies of middle-income countries grow, there will be opportunities for US companies to be a part of that growth as investors, exporters and importers. “Santiago provides a crucial lens into the dynamic markets of Latin America,” says Erlacher. “It offers a unique opportunity to study how natural resources, emerging economies, and regional trade agreements impact business strategy, often with a specific focus on sustainability and community engagement in a rapidly modernizing context.”  

How Singapore achieved spectacular growth

Singapore is a hyper-efficient hub for finance and technology, but it wasn’t always that way. The tiny city state achieved its independence from Malaysia in 1965, and it has experienced phenomenal economic growth in the decades since then. In 1960, Singapore’s per capita GDP—a measure of its economic outcome per person—was less than a third of the average in western Europe. In 1994, it surpassed that mark. Today, Singapore’s per capita GDP is more than double the western European average. “Singapore offers a masterclass in complexity and innovation in Southeast Asia,” says Erlacher. “It is an essential location for understanding rapidly scaling markets, capital risk, efficient logistics and cross-cultural management within a diverse, modern city-state. The Singapore immersion is optional, and is tied to the EMBA’s Global Finance Practicum. Notre Dame partners with the National University of Singapore so EMBA students can explore the challenges facing financial managers in a global arena. Singapore became a global financial powerhouse by opening itself to trade and developing a highly-skilled workforce. “Singapore is fascinating from a global and multicultural perspective because they've come so far in such a short time,” says Kelly Griffin, a mental health therapist and EMBA candidate. “The dynamics of its culture are so drastically different from the United States. And Singapore has a lot to teach us in terms of how they balance the global picture. They are efficient, and they are inclusive, which is sometimes lacking here. They're also very disciplined, and agile in making change.”  

The Executive MBA teaches an ethical approach for an interconnected world

The Executive MBA reflects Notre Dame’s commitment to ethics in business. It doesn’t only prepare students to lead—it prepares them to lead the right way. “Our commitment to integrity ensures leaders are equipped to handle complex challenges ethically,” says Erlacher. “And the curriculum is future ready. We weave AI, data literacy and human-centered leadership throughout the program, ensuring graduates are prepared for a rapidly changing world.” The strength of Notre Dame’s global partner and alumni network is a key that unlocks a unique educational experience. The program’s global immersions provide on-the-ground networking and relationship-building opportunities with local business leaders and alumni. “The cohort approach builds connections between students, and the global reach of the Notre Dame community gives students authentic, high-level access to the business communities of Dublin, Santiago and Singapore,” says Erlacher.  “It is a powerful, values-aligned educational experience that ensures that a degree is not just a credential, but a lifelong source of support and connection”.