Business schools Give Ukrainian Students Full-Ride MBA Scholarships

The war has displaced students and caused untold suffering. Business schools are doing their bit to help

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the president of ESMT Berlin, Jörg Rocholl reached out to Ukrainian students to understand what the war has meant for them and what the German business school can do to help. Throughout the past year, ESMT has initiated several projects together with students, including a campaign with a benefit concert to raise money and collect items for a humanitarian organization providing relief in Ukraine, and for displaced persons in Berlin.

Those are part of a wider effort among business schools around the world to support those displaced by the war. At ESMT, with the support of the carmaker BMW, the school has awarded 10 full MBA scholarships to female students displaced from Ukraine. Additionally, the school established the Ukraine Impact Project, a pro bono initiative to help Ukrainian companies expand into international markets and thus survive the war. 

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine could not stand in any stricter contrast to what we as ESMT Berlin stand for: our strong belief in freedom and advocating respect for the individual. We believe that it is our duty to support our Ukrainian students and colleagues, the Ukrainian community here in Berlin, where many displaced persons have come to live, and our fellow Europeans – the Ukrainians still living in a war-torn country,” says Martha Ihlbrock, director of corporate communications at ESMT.

She believes that business schools can support those affected by the humanitarian crisis in a number of ways. “First, they can provide a network of support for the students, faculty, and staff members who have been personally affected. Professors can also use their expertise to advise policy decisions and help the wider public understand the economic implications of the crisis. Additionally, groups within the school can raise money and collect goods to provide support in the country of crisis or for those displaced,” Ihlbrock says. […]

In Milan, the POLIMI Graduate School of Management has partnered with three Ukrainian Business Schools — KSE (Kyiv Schools of Economics), KMBS (Kyiv-Mohyla Business School), and UCU (Ukrainian Catholic University) — to offer courses and content free of charge. For example, POLIMI co-designed and co-delivered classes in leadership and management, operations and project management, data analysis for business, and strategic management with KSE. […]

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