This programme, offered by the Antwerp Management School, trains the next generation of managers, giving them a global vision and the ability to deal with people and circumstances in different cultural environments. More than being successful, they learn to contribute to tomorrow’s society. In Bhubaneswar, the students learn about creating economic chances for the poor and non-competitive strategies.

Twenty-three international students are currently studying management for four months in Manhattan. They moved there after a stay of four months in agricultural Orissa, and after spending their first four months at the Antwerp Management School. Between trips, they have 10 days off to prepare for the drastic change of scenery and lifestyle.

“We want to immerse them completely in these three contrasting cultures so that they develop a vision of the different global business environments and societies,” explains Bie De Graeve, director of the 3Continent programme.

At the Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar, the students learned about the growth of emerging economies, like India, and how to involve people at the bottom of the economic pyramid in business. But they also stepped outside the classroom to go on study and cultural trips. They met NGOs working in tribal villages, visited mining plants and went with Indian students on a survival expedition in the jungle of Jamshedpur, in the bordering state of Jharkhand.

“The management education is only one dimension of the programme,” says De Graeve. “We hope to open their eyes to the world so they graduate as mature individuals who look further than their personal careers.”

Next year, 35 students of a variety of nationalities will participate in the Master’s programme. The goal is to offer the experience in two years’ time to 60 students coming equally from the three regions. The tuition fee is €24,750 in total. De Graeve: “It’s a considerable investment but still cheap compared to similar programmes in the United States.”

www.tinyurl.com/3continent