AMBA & BGA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2023
or even graduates who currently hold prominent positions within a Colombia-based organisation. It is expected that our students will replicate these programmes in their own companies and help develop female leadership where they work. Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 37 MBA students were beneficiaries of this programme.” How is the programme helping to build engagement with the wider community and society? “Some categories are focused on linking other interest groups such as companies or communities, where the aim is to extend the impact beyond graduates and students. Participation in a social project, or providing consultancy to a company that requires it but does not have the resources, undoubtedly contributes to positively impacting the most deserving areas of society. “Specifically, between 2007 and 2022, around 1,200 students and 660 SMEs took part in our Plan Padrinos [ padrino translates as godfather], while between 2018 and 2022, some 51 Universidad Externado de Colombia students participated with international cohorts in projects a liated to our emerging markets initiative.” What would be your advice to other business school leaders with regards to their approach to alumni relations and lifelong learning? “There is a growing number of initiatives being developed by di erent schools to meet the needs of their graduates and students. Alliances between schools to strengthen networking and the development of training activities are examples of this clear evolution. “Our main recommendation is to take a long-term approach when it comes to configuring the relationship between a business school and its alumni. If they are satisfied with this relationship, it is likely they will make a donation to your school in the future. “They could become your main point of reference in terms of promoting your institution and recruiting new students. In a similar vein, they could become one of the main employers of your new alumni, the speaker invited to present to a class or a member of the school’s council and so on. They could end up as a hugely important partner; in fact, cementing the relationship with your alumni is the best investment that any business school can make.”
the programme, in some cases, to increase participation in certain activities, given that a number of the graduates and/or students reside overseas, or in other regions outside of Bogotá. Programmes with international partners were also transitioned to an online format. “One positive e ect was the opportunity it gave us to boost the number of students taking part in certain courses once online or blended formats had been introduced. In the post-Covid period, our aim is to standardise the programming of all activities and increase the participation of all stakeholders across the di erent categories.” One key aspect of the programme is showcasing international scholarships where alumni can continue their professional development – can you explain in more detail how this works? “Thanks to relationships with other schools, courses on current a airs are scheduled annually, generally taking place during one entire week at the recipient school. These courses include a participation scholarship; this is made possible due to the fact that in most cases reciprocal activities are carried out with the schools that have developed the programme. “In other words, a similar programme is developed by our business school at no cost to the participants, provided that their school has previously o ered a programme for our own graduates and students. Clearly, these are win-win relationships where financial resources do not come into the equation and our focus is on the possibility of o ering added value between schools. We are increasingly open to creating this type of relationship, so we welcome enquiries of this nature from schools that would like to collaborate with us.” The programme also offers female students and graduates the opportunity to benefit from a six-month mentoring programme. Can you elaborate on this? “Mentoring focused on strengthening female leadership within the programme gave rise to Mujeres Rompiendo Barreras (Women Breaking Barriers), where each participant is assigned a mentor who accompanies them in di erent areas, seeking to develop their empowerment and leadership skills. “The mentors can be outstanding executives from either the country’s private or public sector who perform their duties in an honourable fashion,
BIOGRAPHY
Maria Bibiana Pulido Riveros is the MBA director and a professor of management and business administration at the Universidad Externado de Colombia. She studied accountancy and business management at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and holds an MBA from the Universidad de Los Andes. The Universidad Externado de Colombia is a private university located in the country’s capital city, Bogotá. It has produced graduates that include lawyers, academics, judges, financiers and journalists, as well as senior government o cials and politicians
Ambition SEPTEMBER 2023 | 33
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