In fall quarter, the majority of my units were Graduate School of Business (GSB) classes, despite my engineering degree. I felt like I was learning a new language on day one when a lecturer casually asked, “Who here wants to build a unicorn?” — talk about a culture shock for an engineering student.

I laughed at the absurdity of the question… then noticed nearly every student had their hand raised. Soon, I was bombarded with unfamiliar terms: “Angel investor” (some kind of otherworldly figure?), “Series” (the sum of a list of numbers, like in math class?), “Sand Hill Road” (huh?).

I spent the first few weeks cringing; usually, I am happiest working with fellow architects, engineers and construction professionals to make buildings more sustainable — doing my part in fighting the climate crisis. 

By mid-quarter, I started to adjust to the business school lingo. A “key takeaway” from my GSB-heavy quarter is to focus on your audience when pitching — particularly when dealing with global-scale problems like the climate crisis. I learned to list the economic and social benefits of my technology, not only the environmental benefits. This sounds basic, but mission-oriented storytelling and business pitching are drilled into GSB students, yet “soft influence” classes are nowhere in my engineering curriculum — and it shows. 

My GSB classes exposed me to grand plans for reversing climate change, from carbon dioxide removal technologies to a constant buzz about carbon markets — which are systems for trading carbon credits to help organizations reduce their emissions. Through the “Winning Writing” and “Strategic Communication” classes at the GSB, I became critical of the rhetorical techniques and word choices of guest lecturers, CEOs and other campus speakers. I winced every time I heard the word “impact” — it’s a vague term that my communications classes at the GSB taught me to eliminate.

I found myself using my newfound GSB skills in places I hadn’t expected, like in lectures taught by leading climate engineers, where my classmates seemed disengaged. The lecturer’s ideas were probably fascinating, but due to their lack of presentation skills, they couldn’t connect with us. I found myself wondering how many great ideas have failed to take off due to the skills that we engineers are never taught, such as “elevator pitching” and “stakeholder engagement?”

My master’s program has a public speaking/writing graduation requirement – a candid acknowledgment that engineers have a reputation for being bad at communicating with people outside their domain. Instead of encouraging the next generation of engineers to strengthen their communication skills, many of my engineering classmates dismiss these courses as unnecessary. 

In contrast, active participation in class discussions is encouraged at the GSB, and often required for top grades. This fosters spirited debate between students and professors on the validity of carbon capture credits, or on the use of the Oxford comma. Everyone is willing to be proven wrong, and everyone has a chance to voice their opinion.

If Stanford truly wants to meet its mission to “accelerate solutions and amplify impact,” it must create an interdisciplinary culture. This doesn’t just mean creating project-based programs across schools or interdisciplinary degrees. It means providing simple, organic opportunities for students from different disciplines to connect, collaborate and form friendships. Below are some recommendations.

For GSB administrators: Make GSB classes more accessible to non-GSB students. It was only by word of mouth that I learned how to apply for a GSB class. I then had to submit a form, get instructor permission and hope I made it off the waitlist. I understand there are enrollment caps to keep a small teacher-to-student ratio, but if these key communications classes were extended to engineers and other STEM majors, more people could share their ideas with the world.

To my peers in engineering departments: Get out of your labs and learn to communicate.

Despite initial emotional distress, I learned how to effectively share my technical narratives with wide audiences and the people who could help realize my vision. Even more important were the lessons outside of class: I got to see what matters to non-engineers and understand how our ideas could intersect. Every engineering student should take public speaking/communications classes before graduation. 

To my colleagues in the GSB: Step outside of business and the GSB, and into technical fields. The most successful companies work cross-functionally and collaboratively. Eventually, you will have to learn the basics of engineering, computer science, biochemistry or other disciplines. It’s worth it to risk being a fish out of water like I was, and learn to problem solve when presented with new and highly complex theories. 

I started fall quarter thinking I would do my part to fight climate change as an engineer. I dismissed the idea of an MBA, presuming its lack of technical skill made it a “fake” degree. However, I was wrong. We need diverse skill sets and backgrounds to make a difference in catastrophic, universal problems like climate change, biodiversity collapse and public health crises. I’m now a devoted promoter of GSB classes. Who knows? Maybe an MBA is in my future.  

Adeline Leung is a second-year Masters student in the School of Engineering.