A blog post by: Aristotelis Serkedakis, part-time MBA 2025  student

Our long-awaited journey has officially begun! The first week in the PT MBA 2025 program of the internationally prestigious University of St. Gallen is a fact! Two beautiful days at the University's campus to get to know, interact and bond with the teams have marked the start of our journey. 

The first gem is already present. Our Director of Studies, Amanda Shantz, stands before us and masterfully orchestrates the presentation of the program and the contributing teams. Her presence fills the stage and the entire room, radiating positive energy in all directions. Her eyes sparkle as she tells us stories and inspires us towards Leadership and continuous Self-improvement. She seems excited, and that captivates us all. I already feel like a member of the University, a valued team member. 

The team seems so diverse. Men and women, people from different countries and continents, with different backgrounds and experiences, yet an invisible force seems to unite them into a solid mass, bringing them together in the same place, at the same time and for the same purpose! 

 It is not only a matter of an invisible chance for this extraordinary coexistence of so many different people. Many forces have contributed to this precise initial set-up of the chessboard. Perhaps the personal motivations and ambitions of the "Students", maybe the Professors' love for their contribution to knowledge, the reputation of the University, or possibly the methodical and demanding Selection and Interview process by the University's Marketing and Talent Acquisition department.  The bottom line that the broader Environment and the MBA Teams have been magically set up, and everything seems entirely right and harmonious.

The next few days were more than full. I had been looking forward to them. I had already spent several hours preparing for the Global Business Environment course, even squeezing days out of my summer vacation to cover the extensive material. Four days of intensive, interactive lessons and discussions by the excellent Economist Mr Stefan Legge in a beautiful venue in the centre of Zurich. Words cannot be enough. I had never felt how much influence such a seemingly short training period can have on understanding international phenomena, the Business Environment, and individual, group, corporate or even governmental decision-making. Steffan interacted with the whole class, covering hundreds of cases and solving every question, big or small, funny or serious. The class soon became a feast of opinions, productive thinking, and creative expression, with Mr. Legge's class structure and leadership guiding the course. Best of all? Dr Legge made sure to equip us with the most critical decision-making tools and valid sources of information by educating us on how, when and why to use them; he inspired us to a more global way of perceiving everyday life from a managerial and thorough perspective. 

The first notable event occurred, inviting us to leave our comfort zone. A panel discussion with three special Speakers from the Corporate world was held as part of the course, followed by Apero and further networking opportunities. 

The valuable four days of the course ended with a deep engraving in my mind for future classes. The structure and applications of the course, Mr. Stefan Legge and the overall experience I gained can only be described as unique—another gem already from the program's first week. 

I already feel inquisitive and impatient about what will follow in the next two years, and at the same time, I already wish that it will not end soon. I want to keep the journey alive as long as possible, trying to pause the clock each and every day. I open my MBA Notebook and review my notes, bringing back the faces, smiles, dialogues, thoughts and feelings from those moments. I try to relive each moment. 

One thing is for sure: the first week perfectly matched my high expectations, which are more than a raw learning procedure and about creating a unique and long-standing life experience with great people within an ideal ecosystem.