All winemakers need business skills, and the world wine trade will need an increasing number of highly qualified business professionals. Therefore, the Tokaj School of Wine Business (TSWB) is a great opportunity to link into a dynamically growing and increasingly important segment of the international wine business.
The TSWB, under the auspices of the University of Tokaj (THE) launched its 1-year Wine Business Manager programme. The post-graduate school, led by international wine academic Dr. Attila Fiáth, offers students an internationally high-quality curriculum. The professional value is also augmented by the collaboration with the School of Wine & Spirits Business at Burgundy School of Business (BSB) in Dijon.
International trends show growth in the wine business, strengthening of competition and expansion of off-trade (retail chains, online). Thus, it pursues that business-centred wine courses have significant growth potential: all winemakers will need economic knowledge, and the world wine trade will need an increasing number of highly qualified business professionals. Currently a very small number of institutions in the world offer similar trainings; hardly any in Europe and not one in Central-Eastern Europe.
The foundation of the TSWB is an opportunity to link into a dynamically growing and increasingly important segment of the international wine business. The training of the most influential professionals (commercial, procurement and managing directors of the future) can develop a serious alumni who have significant business potential thanks to their links to Tokaj and Hungary. As the only centre in the Central-Eastern Europe region, cooperation with renowned international partners can be developed as several institutions have already recognised the growth potential hidden in the wider region and are keen to cooperate. In addition, the Tokaji “brand name” is featured and reinforced in a novel area, and this will carry excellent international news value.
An important aspect is that the wine business course is a specialised segment, so it does not represent competition to traditional viticulture-oenology courses either in Hungary or abroad. Indeed, it actually opens opportunities for mutually advantageous cooperation.
Consequently, the primary goal of the TSWB is to create an educational pyramid, the peak of which is an international MBA in Wine Business course. On this we can build a Global Executive MBA specifically targeted at experienced international leaders, working with key international partner institutions.