A global perspective is vital to Victor Lee. As a director of trade and investment for the provincial government of Alberta, Canada, he drums up business opportunities in Asia-Pacific for energy companies from the western Canadian province. “They need to know about new trends and technologies around the world to stay innovative and competitive,” says the Korean-Canadian.

Keen for an even more global role, possibly in trade and investment, Lee started an executive MBA that spans four continents and seven cities. The global executive MBA (GEMBA), launched this year, is run by the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan. Graduates earn two degrees: a Rotman MBA and a global EMBA from SDA Bocconi.

Each module of the 18-month programme is taught in a different city, starting in Toronto and Milan, followed by Mumbai, San Francisco, Copenhagen, Shanghai and S?o Paulo. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and have real business experience in different markets,” says Lee.