Here's where you go for a high-tech future

If you are looking for an MBA with an emphasis on IT and telecommunications then the Theseus International Management Institute located in Sophia Antipolis, a technology park between Nice and Cannes in the south of France, may be the solution.

The intensive 10-month MBA programme is taught in English and includes all the components of a traditional MBA, with a multi-disciplinary approach that takes into account the latest advances in IT and telecoms technology. It was launched in 1989 with backing from a number of companies including Aerospatiale, France Telecom and Hewlett-Packard.

"Our MBA programme focuses on the synergy between new information systems and business management. We prepare enterprising individuals to be successful leaders in the new economy," says the dean of the MBA programme, Francis Bidault. Students are predominantly from Europe (62 per cent) but there is also a smattering of students from Asia, Africa, the US and South America. Unsurprisingly given its technical focus and the fact that more than a third of the students have an engineering background, 79 per cent are male.

Admissions manager Eddy Travia says it's a truly global MBA. "We not only have participants and professors from across the world, but our leading-edge teaching and strategic research projects are based on international networking. Plus, our small class size provides you with personal attention from colleagues, friends and faculty."

Stephen Sloan, an American on the course, says: "I was attracted by the intellectual approach of the curriculum, the European experience and the feeling that this is a place where you can think about the future and learn to integrate new technologies into the thought process."

Alex Kodarin, a Canadian student, adds: "I came to Theseus because I appreciated the intriguing concept of combining technology and business. The school has enabled me to get out of work mode and into think mode."

The course attracts a variety of people from different career paths. "Some graduate students wish to switch from a technical career to a managerial one; others are looking to complement their business know-how with state-of-the-art knowledge of high-tech trends," says Eddy Travia. However, he adds that many recent graduates are entrepreneurs who want to launch their own businesses in sectors such as telecommunications IT and pharmaceuticals.

The Institute is also keen to stress that students get a return on their investment. "Our MBA is structured to provide you with knowledge, enhanced career prospects, a higher salary, valuable contacts and personal growth," Travia says.