Despite cultural similarities and rules, studying at a European business school can be a very different experience depending on whether you choose Britain or Belgium, France or Finland, Spain or Switzerland. The FT asked international students and graduates, admissions tutors and faculty about their experiences — and what to bear in mind when choosing schools.
“They will prioritise it over work and that shows when you’re in group projects with Europeans and Americans,” she notes. “It’s a healthy boundary they have, and I have embraced it.” The emphasis on etiquette in France struck Shema Kazubwenge Emmanuel, a Rwandan at Essca School of Management. “The French focus on work-life balance, with longer meals and a more relaxed pace, was a refreshing change from the fast-paced lifestyle . . . in Rwanda,” he says.