The World Bank Partnership with George Washington University
The World Bank Partnership with GW
The World Bank Group, a platinum sponsor of the F. David Fowler Career Center, has partnered with the GW School of Business as part of an effort to collaborate with leading universities worldwide. The partnership will effectively strengthen the talent pipeline and deepen the mutually beneficial knowledge exchange between the school and the World Bank Group. While the partnership is led by GW Business, the offerings are open to all GW students.
With Duques Hall four blocks away from the World Bank Group (WBG), this partnership builds on what students and faculty have already done: engaging with leaders facing real-world challenges around the world and building practical skills in global development finance.
This partnership will help bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world development. Through experiential learning, it will give students a clearer pathway to apply their skills to complex development challenges and see how impact is delivered in practice.
Ramit Negpal
VP and General Counsel at International Finance Corporation (IFC) & World Bank Group University; Relationship Manager for GW
What Does GW Business Offer the World Bank Group?
Students at GW Business are not only taught business strategy and analytics, they also shaped by the curriculum’s focus on ethical business solutions. Through its undergraduate and graduate programs, students engage in business with a unique hands-on approach, learning complex technologies and applying them through real-world projects. This shapes them into business leaders who can provide ethical solutions to challenging business problems.
The global perspective is a priority for GW Business. Countless study abroad opportunities are offered every semester, exposing future global leaders to a variety of cultures. GW Business’s Global MBA program emphasizes the global aspects of business through its Consulting Abroad Program (CAP), a required course that takes students to different parts of the world to work with multinational companies on complex business problems. This partnership might also prepare GW business students for the World Bank Group’s Explorers Program—a global initiative that places high-potential early-career talent in field-based assignments that provide practical exposure to real development work. Participants work alongside multidisciplinary teams and gain experience across areas such as economics, finance, infrastructure, sustainability and public sector development.
With hands-on global experience and exposure to new technologies at GW Business, students become experts at solving complex development problems globally, aligning with the World Bank Group’s mission and purpose. GW Business students become ideal candidates when the World Bank Group seeks innovative ideas to aid in economic development anywhere.
GW has a diverse, multi-talented, energetic group of people who are passionate about the future, care deeply about the sustainability of our planet and job creation.
Kostantinos D. Kollias (M.B.A. ‘98)
Global Head - Equity Portfolio at IFC
What Does the World Bank Group Offer GW Business?
The World Bank Group is a valued partner at GW Business, providing pathways to collaborate through research, guest lectures, site visits and mentorship. The partnership will also directly engage students and faculty with global development work through these channels.
Guest lecturers are a crucial part of bringing opportunities in the nation’s capital into the classroom. Through this partnership, there is more opportunity to engage with thought leaders in global development on a more intimate level. This offers valuable interactions between students and world leaders; a core aspect of what makes GW unique.
Site visits and mentorship programs complete the experience at GW Business, being just steps away from any business sector. Under the F. David Fowler Career Center, students are often brought to sites of interest, where they network within their intended industry and learn more about the firms they visit. The World Bank Group partnership will bring students who are interested in global development closer to the industry. Mentorship programs will also provide more personalized guidance for students navigating the complexities of the business world.
This partnership opens the door for our students to engage with some of the most important global challenges in real time. It creates meaningful opportunities to connect what they are learning in the classroom with the work of leaders shaping international development, finance and policy.
Sevin Yeltekin
Dean of the George Washington University School of Business
Get Involved with the Fowler Career Center