Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at MBS
You are here: The Mannheim Experience » The School » Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at MBS
A Diverse Network
Mannheim Business School embraces diversity in ways that few organizations can match. Mannheimers, i.e. our program participants and alumni, come from more than 110 countries spread across all continents, reflecting the world’s myriad cultures, religions, identities, genders, and sexual orientations. In addition, Mannheimers have a wealth of knowledge and experience from their academic and professional backgrounds, which they bring to their classes and network events.
Since our graduates are tomorrow’s leaders, and diversity in business leadership is increasingly critical for overall, long-term business success, we continuously work on making our network even more diverse. Among other things, we strive for a higher proportion of female participants in our programs, thus supporting women in achieving their full potential. Our Women in Business and Women in Tech scholarships are a way of showing this commitment.
An Inclusive Environment
Inclusive leadership is not just a buzzword at our school – it is something we foster in our participants. In order to prepare them to lead culturally diverse teams, we apply the Multi-Competence Team (MCT) concept in all of our programs, assigning participants to heterogeneous teams in which they conduct group work as well as their master projects.
Team-building workshops and MCT coaching sessions encourage participants to develop personally and hone their leadership skills. This enables them to learn from each other, overcome biases, appreciate each other’s differences, and benefit from a diversity of views and approaches to solving problems, which promotes the kind of collaboration and innovation needed in today’s organizations.
A Place Where You Belong
At Mannheim Business School, we want to make sure that every Mannheimer does not just feel included but also empowered and valued. We put a lot of effort into creating an environment in which participants and alumni can be true to their authentic self, feel welcome to contribute, and know that they belong.
We are also committed to making the selection of speakers lined up for our network clubs more diverse, to ensure that a greater spectrum of voices and viewpoints are heard and that all Mannheimers feel represented.
We take a holistic approach to creating a sense of belonging at Mannheim Business School: small and close-knit program cohorts, a large variety of clubs, regional chapters worldwide, and regular events that are open to Mannheimers across programs. These all nourish the Mannheim spirit.
Are You Passionate about Diversity Too?
If you want to enhance diversity in your (future) company or are simply interested in the topic, we invite you to get involved in our Diversity Club, Women in Business Community, or Pride@MBS Community for the LGBTQ+ members of our network and straight allies.
Many of our events in these communities are co-organized with other clubs, such as the Technology & IT Club and the Financials Club, to make sure that they are firmly embedded in the network.
Find out more about our network clubs here and sign up for the Diversity Club or one of its communities here. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming Diversity Events
Past Events - Diversity Club
The Diversity Club comprises two similarly significant network communities - the Women in Business Community and the Pride@MBS Community.
- Women in Business Community: Share best practices and experiences with outstanding women.
- Pride@MBS Community: Out in Business? Connect with other Mannheimers and the LGBTQ+ networks of leading companies. Straight allies welcome!
Here some highlights of past events and speakers:
- Alexandra Kammer, Diversity Manager and Florian Dyballa, CEO and Co-Founder, both from Aivy | Overcoming Unconscious Bias in Hiring
- Elizabeth Ascherl, LingoFacto, MBS Alumna | Power and Pizazz: How Extraordinary Women Communicate
- Carolina Astorga, Agata Niehage and Silvia Fischer, MBS Alumni | Challenges in COVID19 Times
- Dana von der Heide, Co-Founder at Parcelperform | Scaling startups is hard - being a female founder in Logistics Tech is harder
- Laura Hausmanns and Atli Saevarsson, EMBA alumni |The Best & Worst Career Advice for Women in Business
- Johanna Leisch, Founder greenling and MBS alumna | MBS Women in Business Community | Experiences from the First 100 Days of Founding a Startup
- Pride@MBS Community: Participation at MonnemPride in 2022, 2024
- Black@MBS with Mannheimers Pamela Dekpo, Rukayyat Kolawole and Joshua Oluwagboye
Contact Persons
MANNHEIM BUSINESS SCHOOL (MBS)
Located in the heart of the German and European economy, Mannheim Business School (MBS), the umbrella organization for management education at the University of Mannheim, is considered to be one of the leading institutions of its kind in Germany and is continuously ranked as Germany’s #1.
MBS MERCHANDISE SHOP
