IESE, best for executive programs, according to the FT

There are two categories in The Financial Times business school rankings: best Executive Education programs and best Global MBAs.

IESE has once again been ranked by the FT as the best university in the world for Executive Education, with Esade number 11 and Eada number 54. In the ranking of the best universities for Global MBAs, which is led by Harvard Business School, IESE is number 13 and Esade number 24.

IESE has continued to lead the ranking this year thanks to its performance in the following categories: program preparation and innovation, effective teaching of new skills to managers, course participant follow-up, international approach, and quality of faculty.

The faculty

IESE Business School was founded in Barcelona in 1958. It is part of the University of Navarra and its mission is to educate executives. Currently directed by Franz Heukamp, IESE has campuses in Madrid, Sao Paolo, New York, Munich and Barcelona (the home campus). The school offers a range of different programs, including masters, PhDs, and executive education programs in both Spanish and English.

IESE has agreements and collaborates with academics and business leaders around the world, particularly Harvard Business School, with whom it has had a relationship for more than 50 years.

IESE also supports entrepreneurs, both students and non-students, in a number of different ways. For the past 20 years, IESE has had a venture capital fund, Finaves, which provides seed capital investment for student-run companies in their early stages. IESE's Network of Private Investors and Family Offices, for its part, provides a link between investors and entrepreneurs, whether or not they are students at the institution. Since its creation in 2003, the network has generated more than 40 million euros in direct investment.

Attracting students

Barcelona boasts several competitive study programs with a significant proportion of students coming from abroad. Private and public-private business schools, especially IESE and ESADE, and other specialized educational institutions, have a large number of international students. Furthermore, the scientific research sector in Catalonia is also highly international, as is expected in a sector noted for its excellence.

Moreover, the city is very attractive for international talent: Barcelona is ranked 21st in the QS Best Student Cities globally, and 7th in Europe. The Barcelona metropolitan area has a strong research base and excellent, highly international Masters and PhDs in a number of institutions and academic disciplines. Particularly noteworthy are courses in biomedicine, physics, business, and economics.