Заметки магистра #3: MBA program at NU. Talk to the Director of Business Development of GSB

Dear followers,

Please let me introduce you to Mr. Richard Castleberry, who is the Director of Business Development & Recruitment (formerly Assistant Dean of Marketing) for the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business (NUGSB). I was given an opportunity to ask the most important questions about their MBA programs to the person who knows the NUGSB from within. I hope that the information below will help you to understand the nature of MBA studies and to define the applicability of knowledge developed during this program to your future career.

Could you please describe MBA program at NU? What are the similarities and differences of similar programs in other Kazakh universities?

One of the greatest differences is our strong strategic collaboration with the Duke University. Last year Duke’s full-time MBA program (Daytime MBA) was ranked #1 in the USA by Business Week! Everything, including the entire curriculum, is made in collaboration with Duke. We have professors flying from the USA to teach in the program. Even our full-time faculty members in Astana have to go through the same rigorous interviewing process as if they were employed by Duke University. Thus, our teaching staff and our students in the program are both of the highest quality.

We have the Executive MBA and Full-Time MBA Programs at the NUGSB. There is a difference between these two. The Executive MBA program is created for higher level individuals, including top managers. It is structured in a way that allows continuing working full time and attending weekend residencies. People from all over Kazakhstan participate in this program. The Full-time MBA is more intense, and has fewer breaks. It is generally for individuals with less work experience, working professionals in the earlier stages of their careers.

What are the application requirements for this program and how do you select the candidates?

Application requirements will vary depending on the program, whether it is executive or full-time. For the Executive MBA, where the individuals hold senior positions, we do not require the GMAT or GRE exam. We also offer simultaneous Russian translation for our Executive MBA students so there is no minimum IELTS score requirement.

For the Full-Time MBA, we require at least a 6.5 IELTS exam. We also require taking the ALEKS test, an alternative business math test. So, Full-Time MBA applicants are not required to take the GRE or GMAT exam. The GMAT and GRE tests are only offered in Almaty, and we consider it much more convenient for the people all over Kazakhstan to take the ALEKS test here on campus.

Also, applicants will need transcripts of any undergraduate or master program that they have done and letters of recommendation. There is also an interview with individuals from both NUGSB and Duke.

Is it true that only the employees of top companies, or only the graduates from foreign universities can get a place in your MBA program?

No. Absolutely not! In fact, we’ve tried to make our MBA programs accessible to everyone.

We’ve been very fortunate to have had 25 state grants during the first two years our Full-Time MBA Program has been going. For those individuals who were accepted into the program, but were not qualified for a state grant, we offered school scholarships up to 60% off the total tuition fees. Then, whatever amount was left could be paid via 6 payments over the entire length of the program. This year, the awarding of scholarships will be different, but we expect to offer significant school scholarships to all Full-Time MBA applicants that are accepted into the program. As for the Executive MBA, we are presently discussing significant discounts for companies and individuals to assist them during this challenging financial period. Due to the current economic situation here in Kazakhstan, and in accordance with President Nazarbayev's 5 reforms/100 steps' initiative (a number of which involve developing human capital), we are working diligently to make the Executive MBA accessible to more mid to top level managers, and entrepreneurs here in Kazakhstan.

How many students are studying in the program?

For the full-time MBA we have around 32 in each cohort. Currently, we are recruiting for the 2016 programs. The Executive MBA will start in June and the Full-Time MBA will start in September. The Executive MBA is a 20-month program and taught mostly on the weekends. The Full-time MBA is around 14 months in length.

How many years of work experience do people in the Full-Time MBA have on average?

We don’t necessarily have a requirement that you have to have work experience. However, we highly recommend that you have work experience. In general, we tend to have people with at least 2 years of work experience in our Full-Time MBA. People come from lots of different backgrounds and you don’t need to have two or three years of business experience. In fact, it’s quite common to have engineers or lawyers in an MBA program.

The admission committee looks at your whole application package. Let’s say, for example you have one year of work experience, that may be fine, but the other areas all of a sudden become more important.  We want to know that you are going to be a good fit for the program. The admission committee looks at all elements of the admission package.

Can students continue working while studying in the Full-Time MBA?

I will be honest, for the Full-Time MBA, it will be very tough! Even though, you are in each class for about 3 hours per day, you are expected to be working on assignments and projects during the other times.

Could you please list the personal characteristics that students develop during MBA studies?

I think an MBA does a very good job of opening and broadening your horizons. For example, seeing things from different people’s perspectives. Time management is also very important. The way the course is structured gets you more organized by nature.

Of course, in general, you are going to get a solid foundation that you will need whether you are going to have your own business or whether you are going to be a top manager in a big company. Because anyone leading an organization is going to need to know a little bit about marketing, a little bit about human resources, a little bit about a lot of areas. You need to able to understand all elements of the business.

During each academic year the Graduate School of Business organizes various talks for which the best professionals are invited from all over the world. Could you please share which guests were invited during this academic year and who are you planning to invite soon?

As part of our MBA programs, we have a distinguished guest lecture series bringing top people from all over Kazakhstan to the NUGSB. For example, in the past we had Tim Miller, the general director of TCO, and it is just one example of the kind of people we have visiting the NUGSB regularly.

We are also fortunate to have Nazarbayev in our name. Top individuals from all over the world who visit Prime Minister Massimov, or even President Nazarbayev himself, tend to come to our university, too. For example, recently we had talks by Shinzo Abe, the Prime-Minister of Japan; and John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State. We also have a very broad network of contacts within The Graduate School of Business that come to speak to our students. At the school level, for example, we recently had a team from General Electric who spoke about leadership effectiveness. This is a supplement to everything else we are doing in our programs.

You joined NUGSB in 2012, could you please describe what changes have happened in the university since then?

There have been so many changes. Kazakhstan itself and Astana is such a dynamic place, although a lot of people outside the country do not realize this really. It is something that the media is regularly trying to convey, and I think it is important that Kazakhstan and Astana are able to deliver that message.

Within the university, of course, we have got a Medical School that recently opened in September. Eventually, we are going to have a School of Mining and Earth Sciences, which will start if not next year, then maybe the year after. There obviously has been a number of new programs. For example, the NUGSB has not only a Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA, and a number of short-term programs, but it is also engaged in the Master of Engineering Management program.

The Schools and programs of our university are getting more well-known, not only within Kazakhstan, but outside the country, as well.

Now, I would like to ask you for some personal opinion on what are the key characteristics a successful leader should have?

I think a successful leader should have the ability to see the big picture, good conceptual skills, and also should keep in mind the day-to-day “how we are going to get there” elements. Certainly, a successful leader should work well with people. Let’s be honest, our greatest resource in general is always going to be our people. A great leader is someone who is able to influence people without necessarily using or needing authority.

What are the key steps to build a successful career?

I think one of the important things is that you need to start early. Networking is also hugely important. The more developed your network is the more likely you will be successful. Also, the more you develop yourself, the more marketable you will become.

Please explain in your own words the following:

- The leadership is …being able to influence and motivate individuals without using formal authority.

- Being successful is … someone who is content, happy with his or her life.

- Best motivation is …a job, for which you are happy to wake up to every day. Positive outlook on life can be another example of good motivation.

Mr. Castleberry is a very optimistic person and a positive thinker. Talking to him gave me a lot of energy, and it led to different positive thoughts. I realized myself to be very happy being a part of Nazarbayev University. I hope that after reading this interview, you will become more inspired and certain about your future career path.

With love,

Di