Michigan Ross MAP Embeds MBA Students In 85 Projects Across The World

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan has kicked off its annual Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP) program, which embeds teams of full-time MBA students in companies and organizations across the world to help develop solutions to pressing business challenges.

• Now in its 27th year, the MAP program gives an opportunity for the students to enhance their leadership skills and gain experience working with real companies on a specific project for several weeks.
• Nearly half of the 85 MAP projects this year are international. The students will work in 27 countries outside the U.S.
• The 73 sponsoring organizations range from Fortune 500 companies to startups and international non-profits.

At the conclusion of the program, student teams deliver analysis and thorough, data-driven recommendations to the sponsor and Michigan Ross faculty in a formal presentation and written report.

The projects are in a range of industries and sectors, including technology, smart mobility, social impact, new energy and entertainment, the School said in a blog post.

• Technology leads the way with 21 projects at companies such as Microsoft, Uber, Oracle, and Lima, Peru-based Tekton Labs, where students will design a new artificial intelligence product based on comprehensive user research and testing.

Other projects in the 2019 MAP program include:

• The students will develop a market entry strategy for Faurecia, the Nanterre, France headquartered international automotive parts manufacturer, in MaaS (Mobility as a Service) in North America (San Francisco, California).
• At the United Nations Development Program Samoa Multi-Country Office, students will identify social entrepreneurship and green job opportunities for unemployed youth in the villages of Samoa in fruit processing, waste management, and tourism (Upolu & Savai’i Islands, Samoa)
• At the Groundwork Center, students will formulate a business plan for a project to drive solar installation in northwest Michigan while generating a revenue stream for non-profits working on local, equitable deep decarbonization initiatives in Traverse City, Michigan.
• At RBW Inc, a South Korean entertainment company founded by Kim Jin-woo and Kim Do-hoon, they will evaluate if there is a business opportunity to establish a “K-pop” academy for U.S. consumers and if so, develop a market entry strategy in Seoul, South Korea.
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“We consider our Multidisciplinary Action Projects to be a flagship component of the Ross curriculum. The MAP program enables students to showcase what they’ve learned in the classroom by applying that knowledge to a hands-on experience tackling the greatest challenges facing companies and organizations today,” said Mike Barger, Executive Director of the Office of Strategy and Academic Innovation at Michigan Ross, which oversees the MAP program.

“Not only does this give students a practical and immersive experiential learning opportunity, but it also delivers tangible results to sponsoring companies,” he added.

At the conclusion of the program, student teams deliver analysis and thorough, data-driven recommendations to the sponsor and Michigan Ross faculty in a formal presentation and written report.

This supports a mutually beneficial collaboration between students, faculty, and sponsor organizations as students have the opportunity to gain experience working on high-intensity projects, while sponsors get insightful business recommendations.(Image Source: wikipedia.org)