The Cornell CEMS MIM: International Internships, Elite Networking & Real-World Impact

Cornell CEMS graduate Flaminia Granati on a trip with friends she made during her international exchange to Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal. An international exchange at one of 33 CEMS member schools is required as part of the program. Courtesy photo

Manasi Mukund Kabra of Nashik, India, hoped to study abroad during her undergrad, earning a degree in business economics and management information systems at the University of Arizona. The pandemic disrupted those plans.

When researching graduate programs, she found what seemed like the perfect fit: CEMS Master in International Management (MIM) at Cornell’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Not only does the program require both a semester abroad and an international internship, it connects graduates to multinational companies spanning six continents.

Manasi Mukund Kabra

“What makes the CEMS program special is the incredible opportunity to meet people from all over the world and build lifelong global connections,” she tells P&Q. “It’s not just about academic experience, it’s about sharing ideas, learning from diverse perspectives, and forming friendships with peers who bring unique cultural and professional insights.”

Kabra spent her exchange semester at CEMS partner school University of Cologne in Germany, the same city where she completed her international internship at Ernst & Young. For EY, she worked on transfer pricing and global tax strategy projects, and she also worked on a project for Citi analyzing recruiting processes, conducting surveys, and presenting strategic recommendations

“Studying abroad is one thing, but working in a professional environment truly immerses you in a culture,” she says.

CEMS is a global network working together to offer the CEMS Master in International Management (CEMS MIM). Though it formed 1988 as the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies, it has since spread across the globe with 33 member business schools, 70 multinational corporate partners, and 8 NGOs and social organizations.

Headquartered in Paris, CEMS partners with only one academic institution per country. In the United States, it selected Cornell’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, which joined the alliance in 2021. Other member schools include the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Stockholm School of Economics, HEC Paris, and Tsinghua University in China.

Cornell CEMS students earn both an MIM from CEMS and an MPS in Applied Economics and Management from the Dyson School. The program is STEM-designated and targeted at recent college graduates or those with a couple years of work experience. Small cohorts of about 30 students foster close-knit relationships, individualized attention, and strong collaboration across cultures.