Lead Across Borders. Learn Across Contexts.
Your future in global business hinges on more than mastery of the balance sheet—it demands cultural agility. Prepare to confront challenges that require you to expertly traverse unfamiliar international contexts, penetrate novel markets, and lead multicultural teams whose varied insights will reshape your entire professional framework.
The GBSN Business Leadership Lab gives you that experience now—seven days of intensive, immersive learning combined with a structured venture pitching contest. You’ll work alongside graduate students from the GBSN member community of 150+ leading business schools worldwide in one of three 2026 destinations: Boston, Bogotá, or Dubai.
With 32 structured hours, the program qualifies as elective coursework at many institutions (1.0-1.5 credits equivalent). Receive a program certificate and badge documenting your participation in graduate-level international business education.
Applications open October 15, 2025.
Most International Programs Show You the World.
This One Prepares You to Lead It.
You don’t need another week of site visits and networking dinners. You need the experience that recruiters ask about, the network that opens doors in markets you’re targeting, and the cross-cultural agility that comes from working in diverse teams through real challenges.
What Most Programs Offer:
- ✕ Generic “global immersion” experiences in one economic context
- ✕ Passive observation of businesses and industries
- ✕ Cohorts primarily from your own institution
- ✕ No meaningful deliverable or proof of what you learned
- ✕ Lectures about frameworks you could read online
What You’ll Actually Experience:
- ✓ One of three distinct programs across emerging and established markets with specialized curricula
- ✓ Collaborate in cross-cultural teams through a coached venture competition with expert judges
- ✓ Build relationships with 50 peers from business schools across six continents
- ✓ Present a venture pitch evaluated on VC criteria to industry experts
- ✓ Apply frameworks immediately to market-specific challenges that local leaders care about
The difference?
When you interview for that international role, you won’t just say “I studied abroad.” You’ll say: “I led a team of 8 students from 6 countries to develop and pitch a healthcare innovation solution to a panel of Boston VCs” or “I created an AI governance framework for cross-border implementation that was evaluated by technology leaders in Dubai.”
🌍 Three Destinations • Seven Life-Changing Days • One Global Network
Upcoming Business Leadership Lab Sessions
Three Destinations, One Global Mission
Bogotá, Colombia: Social Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
May 31 – June 7, 2026
Explore how emerging economies drive innovative solutions to social challenges. Work alongside local social entrepreneurs, engage in hands-on projects, and discover how business creates sustainable community impact when resources demand creativity.
Boston, United States: Healthcare & Innovation
June 21 – June 28, 2026
Immerse yourself in one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems. Explore cutting-edge healthcare solutions, participate in design thinking challenges, and collaborate with leaders reshaping how we approach wellness and medical technology.
Dubai, UAE: Artificial Intelligence & Global Leadership Experience
October 11 – October 18, 2026
AI innovation at the crossroads of East and West. Engage with technology leaders, understand AI implementation across different regulatory environments, and develop frameworks for ethical innovation in globally connected markets.
Learning Outcomes
- Cross-Cultural Business Leadership: Develop authentic skills in navigating complex, multi-cultural business environments while building lasting professional relationships across different economic contexts.
- Innovation in Diverse Markets: Master approaches to innovation that work across emerging and established markets, understanding how local context shapes global solutions.
- Sustainable Business Impact: Learn to create business models that generate profit while addressing societal challenges, with real examples from different economic development stages.
- Global Network Building: Join GBSN’s powerful alumni network spanning 150+ institutions, creating career opportunities and collaborations that transcend borders.
Why GBSN Business Leadership Lab?
Unmatched Global Diversity
Our network includes institutions from countries at every economic development stage, providing perspectives impossible to find in traditional business programs.
Purpose-Driven Focus
Every program addresses real societal challenges while strengthening management education’s contribution to community development needs.
Authentic Local Engagement
Rather than observing from the outside, you’ll work directly with local entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders in each market.
Lifelong Professional Network
Build relationships with peers who become your global advisors, collaborators, and co-innovators throughout your career.
Academic Recognition
GBSN will recognize your participation in this transformative global learning experience with an official badge.
More information coming soon! Contact us with questions about this program and how students can participate.