Lunch & Learn Talks: sitting down at the table with the big international issues

“Parla come mangi”, literally “speak like you eat”: it’s an Italian idiomatic expression that means “speak simply”. In this case, we could actually say “learn like you eat”, that is, in a simple, informal and pleasant way. And surely an effective one. This is the goal of the «Lunch & Learn Talks» initiative, launched by Francesco Daveri, the new director of SDA Bocconi’s Full-Time MBA.

The idea stems from a simple finding: within an organized training program, the “unofficial” and more relaxed moments are great opportunities for learning, sharing opinions and building the team, especially if you are sitting at a table with prominent figures in the economy and international culture. «Even though our students are beyond being young and inexperienced, we still have the mission to teach them to fly better», Daveri says. «Not only with the in-class mentoring, but also with new and different tools such as lunch-and-learn seminars to make the program even more flexible. An MBA program has a certain rigidity and structure, as it should, to coordinate what is taught and when. But the world is in constant flux, there are many unexpected turns in economic, social and political life, and they have an impact on companies and their business. The idea is to set up flexible opportunities over a sandwich for whomever wants to participate, not only students but faculty and staff as well».
Here are the “first bits” of L&L Talks:

• Mon Oct 16 – Bruce McKern, Sydney Business School: «Innovation, Chinese-style». China’s president Xi Jin Pin spoke at the last Davos meeting of «innovation driven Chinese growth». What does this mean?
• Thu Oct 26 – Francesco Giavazzi: «The future of the QE in the Euro Zone». Live watching of Mario Draghi’s press conference from Frankfurt. Guided by the most famous Italian economist.
• Mon Nov 6 – Mario Monti, President of Università Bocconi, Former European Commissioner, in charge of the Internal Market, Financial Services and Tax Policy (1995-1999), then of Competition (1999-2004): «The Silicon Valley as seen from Brussels – Forcing high-tech giants to comply with EU competition rules». Bocconi’s President and former EU commissioner speaks about EU antitrust issues.

Next speakers:

• Rachel Sanderson (Financial Times correspondent for Italy),
• Michael Spence (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001),

Daveri’s innovative initiative enriches the MBA season and makes the program more and more dynamic and permeable to the topical issues brought up by major international events.

SDA Bocconi School of Management