B-School Buzz: the "Obama Effect" on MBAs, Luxury Remains Strong, CBS Goes to Africa

Stacy Blackman's Weekly Roundup of B-School Intelligence
The "Obama Effect" -- What impact will the change in administration have on the MBA world? Deans at Duke, Northeastern, Johns Hopkins and other top schools offer their take on how factors such as the crippled economy, immigration, and the student visa crunch will play out once president-elect Obama is in the White House. (QS Top MBA)

Luxury MBAs stay strong during downturn -- Despite the hit consumer markets have taken, interest remains high in MBA programs focused on managing luxury brands. The number of these programs -- where students can specialize in sectors such as fragrance and cosmetics or wine and spirits -- has also grown in the past decade, with several based in Europe. Why go high-end now? Students are betting on the cyclical nature of these markets, which they expect to rebound by the time they graduate. (BusinessWeek)

Web makeover for MIT Sloan Management Review -- The new site, sloanreview.mit.edu, represents a dramatic change from MIT SMR's previous online persona. Look for a sharper focus on managing for continuous innovation, new competitive strategies, new work processes, and new leadership methods.

HBS's deferred admission program has competition -- IESE Business School has launched a new initiative that gives top undergrads a head start on their careers. The Young Talent Program offers pre-admission to IESE's highly-ranked MBA program, along with work experience at a leading firm. (IESE News)

Columbia Business School supports women-owned businesses in Africa -- The school has joined the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative in its efforts to support female entrepreneurs and strengthen business education in Africa. CBS's participation will focus on building capacity at two African partner schools, the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya and the University of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The spiritual side of business school -- No, really. Programs across Europe are helping students in their search for meaning and personal fulfillment, not just in the development of hard skills. Psychology courses, outward-bound activities and monastic retreats are oversubscribed at school's such as HEC Paris, France's INSEAD and Judge Business School at Cambridge. (Financial Times)