The graduate programme in Management – the first programme of our University entirely taught in English – has a very practical approach: projects to be carried out in teams, initiatives with foreign universities and internships in companies. With a view to increasing collaboration with foreign universities and business schools, the course has applied for EFMD accreditation, an important step that may allow access to a network of over 900 academic institutions in 92 countries.
"We are living in the era of Consumer Empowerment, of initiatives that start from people, that involve stakeholders as partners in the construction of the communication product to be more in line with market expectations. We chose to involve students because they are the protagonists: they represent our main stakeholders and are themselves producers of content and ideas," Professor Gambetti said.
There are many reasons why the students decided to join the group. Among them there are those who, like Federico B., had already worked in the field of communication in the past and decided to put themselves to the test with the other course mates: "I liked the idea of making a contribution to my university to create content and engagement". Emilia, on the other hand, is at her first experience: "I took this opportunity to develop skills that I wasn't very good at".
"It's also a way to understand how the world of communication works," Filippo said, while for Clara, who is part of a student association, "it's useful to get to know the internal organisation of the University."
Beyond these more personal motivations, there is the awareness of attending a course that is really worth telling. "Our course – Federico C. said – deserves a spotlight. It should be valued because it is highly competitive on the university market, even at international level.
And knowing how to tell the story well to help potential students make the right choice is important. "Being able to attract prospective students by telling them about the activities we carry out every day is a small recognition that makes us proud of the work we do" ,says Filippo.
Talking among students, that is the aim: "The students trust the word of those who are attending the programme", Filippo said. "A 'truer' communication than you would find in an institutional brochure," adds Giorgia. The undertaking is definitely challenging. "Living an experience is different from recounting it. Making others participate in what you have practised requires effort, but the satisfaction is great when you obtain the desired result through the creation of communication content," Professor Gambetti said. "It seems trivial, but thinking about what to create and how to create it, is not trivial at all", Filippo said.
The communication plan is on a quarterly basis. The part on which the students are concentrating at the moment concerns the Business Labs, the workshops through which the students acquire in-depth knowledge of a specific business context through practical experience. In the pipeline is the production of videos – first-hand accounts of company visits and interviews with some of the managers of partner companies.
"Some of the guys in the team already knew each other, which is why it is a very cohesive group. Perhaps it is no coincidence that they chose the Friends theme song for the short video clip introducing the team", Professor Gambetti said.
