Brandeis International Business School

Dear Brandeis International Business School Community,

A new academic year is underway and students, faculty and staff are excited to be back on campus. The Lemberg Academic Center was alive with energy in late August at the start of new student orientation, the official kickoff to the Fall 2024 semester. At our welcome breakfast that first morning, I met with first-year students from Afghanistan, China, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Vietnam. I found their stories so inspiring and I’m eager to witness their personal and professional growth as they embark on their graduate studies. All together, our student body at the International Business School now represents 47 countries — a truly global community!

I have several exciting enrollment updates. The total number of graduate students in our incoming class is up 17 percent from last fall. This includes our largest class of first-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in a decade. We also welcomed five new Peace Scholars and seven new students in our PhD in International Economics and Finance program. After two full weeks of classes, many faculty members have already shared with me that this is a talented, diverse and ambitious group of first-year students.

As for new programs and initiatives, we have successfully merged the Heller School for Social Policy and Management’s Social Impact MBA with our existing MBA program here at the International Business School. This change means all full-time MBA students at Brandeis can now choose from an array of concentrations, including Social Impact and several STEM-designated options. The Fall 2024 semester also marks the launch of our nine-month Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program. The nine-month MSF is designed for students with an academic background in finance or similar field, or two-plus years of relevant work experience. I am also pleased to share that the Business and Economics programs remain very popular among undergraduate students at Brandeis University. Our Admissions team is actively promoting our fifth-year master’s programs with these students.

This week also marks the successful completion of the inaugural Ruderman Executive Leadership Summit. Fifteen Israeli and American business leaders met over several days, with sessions conducted by Brandeis faculty and others. Titled, “Empowering Visionary Leaders for the Next Chapter of Israeli-American Relations,” this event is a partnership between the International Business School, The Ruderman Program at the University of Haifa and the Ruderman Family Foundation. Our initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive — indicating the power and potential of this exciting new program.

We have an excellent event scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 25 that I hope you will attend. Philippe Wells, the newly named Ain Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship, will moderate a panel of student entrepreneurs in celebration of the gift at Sherman Function Hall. The event, titled “Student Innovation and Startups,” will explore emerging business trends and the intersection of technology and the entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more.

Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to our Board of Advisors for their exceptional leadership, steadfast commitment to the school’s mission and robust support for life-changing student scholarships. Together with our alumni, friends, faculty and staff, we will continue educating the next generation of principled, data-driven and effective business leaders, and improving the world through innovation research and ideas.

I wish you a successful fall and hope to see you on campus soon — if you visit, be sure to grab lunch at the new WakuWaku Ramen location inside the World Court. Thank you for all that you do in support of Brandeis International Business School.

Sincerely,Kathryn Graddy
Dean, Brandeis International Business School
Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Professor in Economics