McCombs TODAY

Twenty executive MBA students from Finland’s Turku School of Economics spent May 11-15 with Texas Executive Education getting an in-depth look at U.S. business practices. This year’s program celebrated the ninth anniversary of a successful partnership between the schools.

The program, titled “Competing and Leading in a Changing Business Environment,” focused on strategy, marketing, negotiations, talent management and the current economic crisis. In addition to classroom lectures and discussions, the students enjoyed industry speakers and company visits to Whole Foods and Samsung Austin Semiconductor for a close-up view of business operations in the U.S.

The faculty included Jim Nolen, Jim Fredrickson, Raji Srinivasan (pictured teaching above), Gaylen Paulson, Doug Dierking and Tassu Shervani. “It was great to hear different perspectives on many current topics from top McCombs professors,” said Harri Tiittanen, field sales manager for a Finnish subsidiary at H. Lundbeck A/S, an international pharmaceutical company from Denmark.

The students also enjoyed Austin sights and Texas barbecue. And while temperatures in the mid-90s might have been too hot for some, the overall experience in Texas was highly rated. “I enjoyed the hospitality in Austin, it’s a great city,” said Harri.

Founded in 1950, the Turku School of Economics is one of the largest institutes in Finland for education in economic science. Their Executive Masters of Business Administration (eMBA) program has been officially accredited since June 1999.