Students can opt for one of two courses:

Course 1: Leadership & Diversity

Participants will develop a deep theoretical understanding of the issues that confront managers who lead diverse organisational units. In addition, students will explore their own strengths and weaknesses in managing diverse others. Through business cases and experiential exercises the course strives to explore knowledge in leading diverse people in global organisations. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills to manage diverse units.

Further details can be found in the course overview.

Course 2: Sustainability and Competitive Advantage

This course will address the topic of sustainability from a strategic perspective, with a particular emphasis on decision-making and trade-offs. Participants at the end will have a comprehensive understanding of sustainability issues, the relevance for policy makers, the role of corporations and the implications for decision-making. The ultimate goal of this MBA class is to empower future decision-makers with sustainability thinking skills.

Please see the course overview for further details. 

Classes are scheduled from Monday to Thursday, 9 am – 12.30 pm, CET (except on the first day of the course) and end with a final exam or presentation on the last day.

Dr. Meir Shemla is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and the Academic Director of the MBA program at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM). He received his PhD in Work & Organizational Psychology in 2011.

His work focuses on the impact of team composition on team performance, and he has particular interest in how diversity in teams can be leveraged to increase innovation and performance. In his work he also explores the consequences of diversity policies on organisational performance and talent acquisition. Other research topics he is exploring include the role of followers in successful leadership and the effect of emotions in teams.

Prof. Paolo Taticchi, OMRI is Professor (Education) in Strategy and Sustainability & School’s Deputy Director (MBA, Global Engagement, Executive Education) at UCL School of Management.

Paolo’s research on corporate sustainability is internationally recognised. Paolo’s last book is titled “Corporate Sustainability in Practice” and was published internationally by Springer in January 2021. He is regularly invited to give keynote talks at world-class academic, governmental and industry events. His TEDx talk titled “Business Strategy & Sustainability: Change to Survive and Thrive” has received thousands of views.

Outside of the academy, Paolo has significant consultancy experience in the fields of strategy, education, and sustainability. He has worked in this capacity for firms of various sizes, and in a range of different industries. Today, he advices influential organisations in the UK, Italy, US, Canada and India. He is also one of the advisors of the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition.

His projects, quotes and opinions have been featured over 200 times in media outlets like The Financial Times, Forbes, Sole 24 Ore, Sky News, Mediaset and CNN.

In 2018, Paolo was chosen by influential website Poets & Quants as one of the world’s top 40 business school professors under the age of 40. In 2021, Paolo was indicated by Italian’s leading business daily Sole 24 Ore as the most influential Italian under the age of 40.

Nomination and registration
CISU-MBA is open to international (E)MBA students enrolled at the WiSo Faculty's partner universities and takes place on an exchange basis. Students require an English language proficiency at a level of B2 (CEFR) or higher.

Students need to be nominated directly through their home university's international office (or equivalent).

The application process may include a telephone interview. After nomination, students will receive a web link where they will be asked to enter their personal details.

Nomination period: 15 February – 31 March 2022
via the WEX nomination portal

To take part in the programme, students have to pay an administrative charge of €330.

After successful completion of either course, students will receive an academic transcript showing the course title, the ECTS earned and the final grades.

Each course is worth 5 ECTS. We strongly recommend that students ensure that their chosen course is approved for credit transfer by their home institution.

The workload of the courses is not limited to in-class activity. Students are expected to work on projects, assignments and/or case analyses outside of class.

CISU-MBA also offers students cultural and social events. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other and discover Cologne as well as its surroundings.

To welcome our international students, we arrange a get-together for all participants and faculty at the beginning of the course. During the programme itself, students can take part in interesting trips and company visits, subject to speaker availability.

Please note that we will share the full details of this year's social programme nearer to the event. 

Details regarding accommodation (possible special rates etc.) will be made available at a later date. Students are responsible for booking their accommodation themselves.

All participants must have adequate health insurance for the duration of the programme. We also recommend having an additional accident insurance.

Students' insurers may provide them with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Students that do not come from an EU/EEA state should request the relevant information from their health insurance company. Students may have to take out an additional insurance policy.

After the confirmation of their personal details on our WiSo Exchange Platform (WEX), students will receive an official letter of acceptance from ZIB WiSo, which can then be downloaded from their WEX profile. This document is proof of acceptance to the course and the student's formal invitation to Germany. Non-EU students in particular may need this for visa purposes.

Please note that students are responsible for organising their own visa in a timely fashion (some procedures take months to complete).

The programme will follow a 2G policy. This means that all participants need to be fully vaccinated (Geimpft, as defined by the Paul Ehrlich Institute) or recovered (Genesen) during the programme.

Students will receive more detailed information about relevant COVID-19 regulations closer to the event.

Students are responsible for staying informed on entry regulations to Germany from their home country. For general information about national travel and entry restrictions, please visit the Federal Foreign Office website.

Email: wiso-cisuuni-koeln.de