The Cornell CEMS MIM: International Internships, Elite Networking & Real-World Impact

Manasi Mukund Kabra of Nashik, India, hoped to study abroad during her undergrad, earning a degree in business economics and management information systems at the University of Arizona. The pandemic disrupted those plans.

When researching graduate programs, she found what seemed like the perfect fit: CEMS Master in International Management (MIM) at Cornell’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Not only does the program require both a semester abroad and an international internship, it connects graduates to multinational companies spanning six continents.

“What makes the CEMS program special is the incredible opportunity to meet people from all over the world and build lifelong global connections,” she tells P&Q. “It’s not just about academic experience, it’s about sharing ideas, learning from diverse perspectives, and forming friendships with peers who bring unique cultural and professional insights.”

Kabra spent her exchange semester at CEMS partner school University of Cologne in Germany, the same city where she completed her international internship at Ernst & Young. For EY, she worked on transfer pricing and global tax strategy projects, and she also worked on a project for Citi analyzing recruiting processes, conducting surveys, and presenting strategic recommendations

“Studying abroad is one thing, but working in a professional environment truly immerses you in a culture,” she says.

WHAT IS CEMS?

CEMS is a global network working together to offer the CEMS Master in International Management (CEMS MIM). Though it formed 1988 as the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies, it has since spread across the globe with 33 member business schools, 70 multinational corporate partners, and 8 NGOs and social organizations.

Headquartered in Paris, CEMS partners with only one academic institution per country. In the United States, it selected Cornell’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, which joined the alliance in 2021. Other member schools include the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Stockholm School of Economics, HEC Paris, and Tsinghua University in China.

Cornell CEMS students earn both an MIM from CEMS and an MPS in Applied Economics and Management from the Dyson School. The program is STEM-designated and targeted at recent college graduates or those with a couple years of work experience. Small cohorts of about 30 students foster close-knit relationships, individualized attention, and strong collaboration across cultures.

Despite its reputation in Europe, CEMS remains relatively under the radar in the U.S.

“It’s kind of this gem of a program that people haven’t really discovered,” says Stephen Shu, professor of practice of behavioral economics at Dyson and academic director of CEMS/MPS.

The program covers three semesters over 16 intensive months. That includes a required summer internship outside the host school, core coursework in applied economics and management, as well as a global consulting project with a multinational company. In the second term, students go on a required exchange semester at one of 33 partner schools worldwide. Meanwhile, students from those institutions simultaneously come to Cornell.

“At any point in time, half the cohort is from students from LSE or Bocconi or whatever other member school, intermixed with Cornell students. It’s a very global program,” Shu says.

For students like Ramona Liu, who completed her international exchange at HEC Paris, that global exposure is one of the main draws.

“During my exchange semester, I also traveled to Finland, the Netherlands, and Spain – three countries I had never visited before. Each country amazed me with its unique language, climate, and scenery, offering a diverse set of experiences that broadened my perspective,” she tells P&Q.

“One person who had a profound impact on me was a classmate I met during her exchange semester at Cornell. She’s Chinese but grew up in Finland and studies at Aalto University. She is incredibly independent, full of creative ideas, and clear about her career goals. We remain close friends, frequently chatting despite being on opposite sides of the globe.”

REAL-WORLD PROJECTS WITH REAL-WORLD IMPACT

At the heart of the CEMS program are the corporate projects in which students collaborate with multinational companies to tackle business challenges. Past projects have ranged from redefining the supply chain for sustainable food production to analyzing how traditional luxury retailers can adapt to digital trends and emerging markets.

In one project, students worked with an NGO to redefine a food supply chain to incorporate fermented proteins.

“These teams are very international. Each person comes from a different school and a different country,” says Shu. “The project required students to work with our ag school to understand things like the corn supply chain, and they had to learn about wineries and pharmaceutical companies. How could those be retrofitted to incorporate fermented proteins? And then they had to develop a point of view for a global consultancy.”

Flaminia Granati, originally from Rome and a 2025 CEMS graduate, worked with four CEMS students to develop a climate risk measure for equity investments for a leading international bank.

“Through the research, formulation, and testing of the model we created, I put into practice my theoretical knowledge, expanded my analytical skills and gained unmatched capabilities in investments and portfolio formulation,” says Granati who completed her exchange semester in Lisbon, Portugal, at NOVA School of Business and Economics.

“That project was pivotal to my career aspirations. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in finance through the semester-long project, coupled with the specific courses I decided to take both at Cornell and at NOVA SBE, such as Investments, Decentralized Finance, Econometrics, and Financial Statement Analysis.”

THE STRENGTH OF THE CEMS NETWORK

The CEMS alumni network includes more than 21,000 graduates from around the world, many of whom go on to work in consulting, finance, consumer goods, and tech. More than half of graduates join multinational firms.

“The CEMS network is super strong,” says Shu. “Just like you have ‘McKinseyites’ you have ‘CEMSies,’” Shu says.
Of CEMS alumni, 97% are employed or continuing their education, 47% are working outside of their home countries, and 83% have worked abroad an average of five years in two to three different countries. Some 51% have worked for one of CEMS’ 70+ corporate partners.

“Through CEMS, I had the opportunity to create strong friendships with students from France, Italy, Poland, Finland, Germany, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Austria, and beyond,” Granati says. “The program was unique in every way and provided a strong network of friends with the same interests and goals.”

FROM ASPIRING CONSULTANT TO FINANCEER

Unlike an MBA, the program is designed for recent graduates with zero to two years of experience, many of whom are still exploring their career interests.

“It gives them another year to explore,” Shu says. “They’ve gotten through undergrad, now, they can really pursue more of their interests.”

That’s just what happened with CEMS graduate Tristan Say of Hamburg, Germany. Though he had a bachelor’s in maritime management and experience working in Singapore and Hong Kong, he was looking for a graduate program that could help him break into consulting and add that “something special” to his CV.

But, after completing his corporate consulting project with Siemens Healthineers – attending weekly check-ins, completing milestone deliverables by deadline, and doing all the things professional consultants do – he realized the industry wasn’t for him.

“I learned a lot from a methodological standpoint – how to prepare for meetings, how to lead meetings, how to speak to clients, and how to convey things in a good way,” he says. After graduation, he pivoted to finance as an M&A analyst at Deutsche Bank.

Say credits the program for expanding his international network and getting invaluable professional exposure.

“I liked the opportunity of an integrated exchange semester and to be able to study at least two high-profile universities,” he says.

“I’ve had an opportunity to meet and get to know people in highly influential companies in finance, consulting, entrepreneurship, and larger corporations. The corporate partners and events are super helpful. Some companies have separate application vacancies only for CEMS students.”

 

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