The year 2020 was marked with uncertainty as the coronavirus rampaged across the world and impacted every aspect of our daily lives. However, it was throughout this year that new ways of working together and networking surged. As we stepped in as Representatives of the MaastrichtMBA – On-Campus MBA track Student Body, we have learned how to thrive in times of change and how to deal with challenges, how to listen and how to communicate. However, the biggest lesson of all has been how to build value-based relationships.

Building value-based relationships is about developing lasting connections with people through authenticity and empathy. In a digital age filled with virtual interactions, it has become challenging. However, building and maintaining these types of relationships in such a digital environment is not only necessary, but also vital for successful interactions. And it comes down to basic principles related to listening to others, communicating and empathising while remaining authentic. Doing it remotely and digitally is the new trend and the new normal but the human side remains at the core. The bottom line is that every interaction is relevant and valuable.

Recalling last year experiences, it was indeed a surprise for many of us, including ourselves, that some of the educational modules turned to online learning given the COVID-19 situation worldwide. We missed the human connection, the interesting debates in a live class, the conversations over dinner, the coffee walks during the breaks, and we missed our fellow students. Despite this, we did our best to stay connected and to enhance the MaastrichtMBA experience. In this regard, we have been able to continue expanding the MaastrichtMBA community and to strengthen our collaboration. We are pleased to see that this has resulted in the establishment of the MaastrichtMBA Women Business Network (WBN) with the purpose of providing a new space of exchange for both alumni and prospective students.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite the next cohort of Student Representatives to continue finding new ways of working together to enhance the MaastrichtMBA experience. The networking that is built during the MBA programme is for a lifetime. We wish them good luck in fulfilling their new roles.

Your 2020-2021 On-Campus track student representatives
Floor Oosterlee
Natalia Salazar