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Nyenrode MBA Campus Weekend Focuses On Leadership

A weekend of physical challenges and b-school life on the outskirts of Amsterdam

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Visitors had to pull on coveralls on arrival and compete in an outdoor assault course

For those of you looking for an international MBA course which feels both rustic and cosmopolitan, Nyenrode Universiteit might be a great choice. Based around a medieval castle, the rural Dutch campus is nonetheless within arms reach of Amsterdam.

Nyenrode has famously been offering paid-for trips to its campus since last summer to strong candidates. The group is carefully selected to ensure a mix of nationalities, personalities and backgrounds.

I went along with 20 prospective students last weekend to take a closer look.

Despite the peaceful campus, the weekend was far from sleepy. The theme of the weekend was leadership.

Nyenrode says its aim is to appeal to students’ “Hearts, hands and heads” in its teaching approach, and we experienced a range of activities and sessions.

We kicked off with tug-of-war and team races on a frosty assault course.

After that we were whisked into a teamwork lesson with a special twist – a class in “applied improvisation”. There was a flash of terror across the group when this was announced, but after a few attempts everyone wanted to be the next performer!

After being put through our paces in a variety of exercises, we took tie to analyse and give feedback to each other on how we interacted and participated. Essentially the kind of self-awareness that’s essential in a leadership role.

The rest of the weekend was a mixture of taster lectures, top quality food and informal conversations with faculty, alumni and current students. There were also many chances to inspect the campus (including the student bar). On Sunday, everyone was treated to a boat tour of the Amsterdam before the final farewell.

The next campus weekend is from 18 to 20 February, so visit Nyenrode’s website to take on the challenge yourself. It’s certainly more interesting than flipping through another prospectus.

Oh, and another incentive: Nyenrode has quite a cool secret which you only find out if you visit the campus...

Check out some video highlights from my trip below

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Comments

28 February 2011

generous initiative

Nathan Portman

great way to understand the program in depth

Alexandra Dean

9 February 2011

Many thousands of Nyenrode candidates, students and alumni are all over the world. This app provides an additional platform for them to connect with each other, share thoughts and experiences and thus help each other, or relive their experiences!

Use, Connect and Know!

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=149188095138830