By Kalle Lyytinen
Dear all,
It’s a pleasure to welcome everybody to the 28th year of our programs. We are approaching middle age and maturity! Being part of this wonderful scholarly journey for the last 15 years of the program is a testimony of the power of engaging professional managers and knowledge workers to the wonders of scholarly inquiry and evidence-based management. Doing this is never easy and there are ups and downs in the journey. We are always challenged how we execute in the best possible manner the journey and how students learn to move forward in their own scholarly journeys. But like any exploration it is always exciting, interesting, and full of surprises. As I say, “you need to get lost in order to be found!” It is highly rewarding as a travel companion as one can continually note the intellectual growth of the students and see their growing curiosity as they move ahead. Likewise, one can repeatedly see the excitement and joy of the faculty when they learn something new and pose new questions with the students and experience how students continue to bring new insights to the topics. The wonder of discovery and the shared experience of constantly pushing boundaries is the most rewarding part of the program. It makes one feel really privileged to be part of the community and contribute to it.
This raises the question: how can each of us pay back and help the community to continue to flourish? One element of the payback is contributing to the program and alumni events such as those planned for our 30-year anniversary in 2025. Another is to financially support the program activities, especially those that contribute to student experience and help minorities and unprivileged students to attend the program. The third one is just spreading the word and sharing the experiences of the program to your colleagues, friends, and professionals in your social networks. Tell your own stories and experiences of the program or share information about the program achievements in your networks. This helps us reach more potential candidates to the program and helps the program to grow and flourish. My estimate is that 20-30 % of the students in the program come through direct mouth-to-mouth marketing by our alumni and/or faculty. So, if you can do one good deed for the program this coming year, think of 2-3 people in your social network, who might be interested and capable of attending this program (you know the drill) make them aware of the program benefits or direct them to contact us. It would mean a world to us and for the community at large.
I wish you all the best for the coming holiday season and happy new year in 2024!
Kalle Lyytinen
Director of Academic Affairs
