Pilafidis to speak on benefits of experiential business course

Emile Pilafidis, lecturer and Experiential/Management Practicum Coordinator at The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine, will present a paper detailing the benefits of an experimental UCI course that enables second-year MBA students to take on real consulting projects sponsored by executives at top local organizations. Pilafidis’ talk, scheduled during the International Conference on Business in Athens, Greece in July, describes his six-year experience leading the course, which has included student projects on issues like business improvement, new product launches, outsourcing and strategic planning. In his paper, “Experiential Learning in Graduate Management Education: MBA Student Team Projects,” Pilafidis concludes the hands-on learning experience is invaluable for students’ development, career prospects and understanding of complex, managerial decision-making.