44 students from 27 different countries start today the Transformational Business and Social Impact bachelor (BITBASI), Esade Business & Law School’s newest program. A university program designed to train the next generation of business leaders, the program aims to address the concerns and ambitions of a generation demanding a new business world with a strong commitment to sustainability and the environment, and to the wellbeing of people and society.The class of 2021 is an excellent representation of this with students from a myriad of countries, cultures and backgrounds.

BITBASI is a three-year blended bachelor combining the study of courses in technology, humanities, and business. The university program has been designed with the latest, most innovative learning techniques and methodologies including a partnership with the Minerva Project, an educational organization providing technology and infrastructure to top universities across the world. The online courses of Esade’s BITBASI will be delivered via Minerva's Forum learning platform.

The bachelor offers courses in English on campus and online, as well as a series of experiential modules which include sessions in Barcelona at Esade’s Creapolis and Rambla of Innovation, modules in Berlin and Shanghai, and participating in different real-life projects; from developing digital prototypes to finding solutions of BCorp companies. The students will also have the chance to start and develop their own impact enterprise.

BITBASI students will benefit from the expertise and knowledge of Esade’s top faculty, brave entrepreneurs, experienced business managers and executives, as well as other professionals like external mentors. “We are very proud of the 2021 class; a group of young leaders with an incredible, positive ambition to challenge the status quo and change the world. We are looking forward to helping them channel their passion towards transforming existing businesses, creating new ventures, and most importantly, making a positive contribution to the planet and society,” says BITBASI’s Academic Director, Mònica Casabayó.

During the first days of the program, the students will receive an introduction to the program and Esade’s services, and then start with their first project-based course ‘Designing your web portfolio’.

Developing multidisciplinary skills with innovative learning methods

BITBASI has been developed to help students create and transform existing business models with a triple bottom line: people, planet, and profits. The program will teach students skills for developing an entrepreneurial mindset, as well as new and innovative business models offering solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.

Graduates of the program will be able to join existing businesses, non-profit organizations or economic development institutions, in an ample variety of roles, from Chief Innovation Officers to managers in sustainability or ethics. Additionally, graduates will also be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to set up their own businesses and ventures. Esade has designed this new bachelor to foster the development of multidisciplinary skills, such as critical and analytical thinking, business management, data analysis, creativity, technology design and entrepreneurship.

The new program steps outside the physical classroom to teach students in humanities and emotional intelligence including practices such as Socratic discussions and liberal arts education, history, philosophy, and literature.

Finally, Esade has joined forces with Pentabilities, a system for developing social and personal skills, to measure the students’ social skills and emotional intelligence.