Meet Oxford Saïd’s MBA Class Of 2023

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Major: “The MBA Common room has to be the heartbeat of the MBA, it’s the place where our community comes together, where friendships are formed, coffee is drank and networking, networking, networking takes place. We have also introduced Saïd socials this year, a chance for faculty, staff and students to come together of an early evening – a great new initiative from our new Dean, Soumitra Dutta, and these take place in the MBA common room.”

P&Q: Oxford Saïd is well-known for entrepreneurship. What types of programming does Saïd offer to prepare students to run their own companies? How are these offerings different or more robust than what you might find in other MBA programs?

Major: “The Oxford MBA really cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset that runs throughout our curricular and co-curricular offering, with the Entrepreneurship Centre at the School being central to this. The Centre runs the Entrepreneurship Project, which is a core part of our MBA programme, and gives the students a chance to test their business ideas in a safe space. We see more and more students each year chose to continue to move forward with their EP businesses into real businesses.

Outside of the classroom, there are also a wide variety of programmes students can get involved in, such as the Oxford Seed Fund for those who are looking for their first round of funding to grow their businesses, or the new Oxford Venture Builder programme, powered by the Entrepreneurship Hub, which involves an intensive bootcamp and mentorship opportunities. The Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Forum (OSEF) is always a highlight of the academic year, bringing together the entrepreneurship community at Oxford with experts for an interesting day of keynotes and networking. All of this is supported by a huge number of ad-hoc workshops and lectures from often renowned thought leaders, alongside a group of very hands-on faculty who are teaching tangible tools for building a business in addition to meeting with students one to one.

We provide the platform for our students to learn the skills and grow the network they need to run their own start-up. Another thing that’s special about being part of the University of Oxford is that our MBA students get plenty of opportunities to meet and collaborate with students working in a variety of disciplines, from the environment to medical sciences, which creates a great atmosphere for fostering new business ideas.”

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Major: “Time-and-time again the MBAT’s competition gets mentioned as a big highlight (of course Saïd face some pressure here having won it 4 times in a row now!) It’s probably that one big event part way through the year that sees many of the cohort come together. It’s a big mix of collaboration for what I think the MBA community is strong for, but this is where the competitive side comes out of our students too. Finally, I’d say many look back fondly on that first day that they sat in the Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre, they realize they have made it to the MBA, they look around and really start to realize the fantastic cohort they have joined and ultimately the privileged opportunity they have been afforded.

P&Q: The Saïd MBA is designed to tackle “world scale problems.” One way this happens is through its Global Opportunities and Threats (GOTO) program? What is this year’s subject? What happens during the GOTO project? How does GOTO prepare MBAs for what they will face after graduation?

Major: “Global Opportunities and Threats: Oxford (GOTO) is an action-oriented MBA course geared towards understanding how global organisations confront and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. GOTO used to be structured around a different United Nations Strategic Development Goal each year, to provide a thematic context and structure.

However, during the Pandemic it was recognised that GOTO was the perfect opportunity to engage students in the very pressing issues of building back better and systems reset. GOTO is constantly evolving, and this year the focus has moved away from a single overarching themes, and is geared towards providing students with the opportunity to engage with external partners who are actively working in spaces that embody the GOTO principles. What’s been common to GOTO over the years is that students, working in teams, are encouraged to develop business interventions that address a manageable aspect of a so-called “wicked problem”, and which have the potential to deliver real benefits to the world. Whether it’s addressing a Strategic Development Goal, the challenges thrown up by COVID, or – this year – one of the cases provided by our GOTO partners, students are supported by faculty to apply a systems-mapping approach to – as the name implies – finding the opportunity within the threat. It is the opportunity not just for profit, but for transformational change. GOTO provides Oxford Saïd’s MBA students with the skills to become systems-oriented global leaders capable of tackling complex social and environmental problems.”

P&Q: Where are some of your students’ favorite hangouts in Oxford? What do they do and why do they gravitate there?

Major: “Of course, there are famous watering holes aplenty that bring students together, the famous Kings Arms, the Eagle and Child, and others frequented by renowned alumni of days gone by from Tolkien to Wilde, but one could not mention the amazing libraries on offer in Oxford, in particular the iconic Radcliffe camera or even a trip to the Famous Duke Humphrey Library. We encourage our students to get out and study in these places during their intense year in Oxford. I think another couple of favourites have to be getting out onto Port Meadow, this huge expansive meadow not far from Saïd where students will go for exercise, picnics, walks, get-togethers of all sizes and ultimately headspace and fresh air. Oxford has that uniqueness of being a bustling university town with cyclists on every corner, sat in the middle of beautiful countryside and green space.”

“PURPOSEFUL BUSINESS”

Sustainability, diversity, forward-thinking, and impact: They are the hallmarks of the Saïd experience. Think of Saïd as a 27-year-old program wrapped inside a 1,027-year-old institution. Sure enough, Saïd has adopted the formula of the larger university: finding the most talented minds and pushing them outside their comfort zones to create knowledge and perform good works that reverberate across the globe. More than that, adds Laurence Milstein, the Saïd experience is designed to make students versatile beyond business.

“The combination of gaining international exposure at a cutting-edge educational institution, while being steeped in century-old spaces and traditions. Studying at Oxford feels like a rare opportunity to immerse oneself in learning, so alongside my MBA studies, I’m taking humanities courses such as Great Architects of the Italian Renaissance.”

Within Saïd, “Purposeful Business” is a term that student hear often. For Andres Lara Oriani, that meant understanding how an organization could align its purpose with sustainable development goals while turning a profit. As she dug deeper into Purposeful Business, she admits, the Saïd Business school kept coming up.

“From Colin Mayer’s renowned book Prosperity: Better Business Makes the Greater Good, to the Enacting Purpose Initiative led by Rupert Younger (and even Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth), all of the most influential thought leaders on the subject were connected to Saïd. It was clear to me that if I wanted to truly understand this topic, I needed to be at the University of Oxford and Saïd Business School.”

PUNTING AND POLO

Beyond purpose is impact. Among the Class of 2023, Impact Lab is one popular activity. Here, says Shruti Jain, MBAs examine areas ranging from impact measurement to systems-change thinking. That said, Effective Altruism Seminar was another activity that made an impression, says Andres Lara Oriani.

“I know Effective Altruism (EA) does not sound that exciting, but trust me, this movement’s research and community are shaking things up and making a real difference in the world. EA started at the University of Oxford and aims to identify the world’s most pressing problems and the best solutions to them. Why has this been my favorite part? There are two reasons. First, I came to Oxford to expand my circle of knowledge – meaning I came here to learn “what I knew I don’t know”, but also to learn things “I didn’t know I don’t know”. This seminar has allowed me to engage in meaningful conversations with a group of bright students from across the university on topics such as effectiveness, existential threats, animal welfare, longtermism, and the risks of Artificial Intelligence.”

While the mission and the academics serve as the steak, most MBAs would say school traditions deliver the proverbial sizzle. As a student, Laurence Milstein has discovered “real tennis”, where matches are held inside on a space “modeled after a medieval courtyard.” Obanor Chukwuwezam has indulged in squash and polo. However, the real draw has been “punting” – otherwise known as rowing. At sunrise, you’ll find MBAs On the River Thames – or the River Chrewell – taking in the scenery on flat-bottomed boats.

“Punting’ is when a couple of people get on a boat and steer it with a long pole and a little paddle,” explains Anastasia Lite. “It looks a lot easier than it is. I went with a couple of classmates and it as incredibly fun…until our pole got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the river and we got stranded and had to be rescued.”

DRESSING UP TO TAKE TESTS

Matriculation is another tradition that unites Oxford students at every level across the university, past-and-present. Held in mid-October at the Sheldonian Theatre, the Matriculation ceremony basically acts as a welcome ceremony. Here, students don their sub fusc, an Oxford term for an academic gown with a dark suit, skirt, coat, and shoes underneath it (though the tie or ribbon can be white). For many, the centuries-old event is inspiring, a celebration as much as a reminder of how special the next year would be.

“Floating down the Cherwell River in our formalwear felt like scene out of Brideshead Revisited (if they were filming TikToks about Negroni Sbagliatos),” cracks Laurence Milstein.

Of course, Matriculation isn’t the only time that the Class of 2023 broke out the sub fusc. Harkening back to the old world, students also wear their sub fusc to exams. At the same time, they add a carnation to their ensemble, starting with white before moving to pink and red to reflect the passage of time, according to Diego Rojas Arancibia. What happens after the exams are completed? Chances are, you’ll find MBAs whooping it up at the Turf Tavern – still decked out in their sub fusc, says Mia Muskett.

“At times, it can be difficult to distinguish between students heading to an exam hall and those attending a black-tie event,” adds Obanor Chukwuwezam.

Next Page: Profiles of 12 MBA students from the Class of 2023.