marielbalo – Page 11 – Global & Experiential Education

Sweden: First impressions and business environment

marielbaloJune 6, 2018March 4, 2020

Blog Post written by Kevin Saladino

After finally making it in from Dublin, Ireland, the biggest shock was the change in weather and the lack of darkness in the region. During our time so far in Sweden, we have experienced 16-hour days with the sun shining far into the 10PM hour. This has necessitated the use of eye masks and some people, (myself included) are having problems getting our bodies to adjust to the new times. It is also unseasonably hot, with temperatures comparable to Florida, my home state.

Travel from the Arlanda airport to the hotel couldn’t be simpler and since I've used Metro in the DC area for 4 years, I am quite impressed with the transportation in Sweden. Though I've been to the country before, I can say that it takes no real skill or luck to make it to the Arlanda express high-speed train and then into Stockholm, where the hotel was about a 5-minute walk away from the station, again easy to find. After a welcome dinner (that included a meal of meatballs, pictured) we had some time to tour the “Old City” area. Before I move on from the food, I want to state that it is VERY good (though expensive) here. Speaking of, the exchange rate is good here for the moment with the USD trading for approximately 9 SEK. We had the opportunity to take some pictures as well as spend some time socializing as a group, getting to know one another on a personal level.

After this point, we made it back to the hotel, where it seems we never look up from our laptops - typing away hastily on our respective projects. Don’t get me wrong, there are times where we are allotted the opportunity to experience the area and the offerings, both culturally and culinary speaking; we have had great tour guides and have been to the Vasa museum, for example. However, the entire class is preoccupied with the project, and that focus requires long hours of practice as well as focus.

We are involved with a consulting project for Volvo, based out of Gothenburg. The pace is unrelenting and the hours are long, however our group is working hard to bring the best product to Volvo in hopes of furthering their initiative, Care by Volvo (CBV), especially since meeting the talented leadership in person. All in all, the class is under pressure, however we are making time to connect on both a professional and personal basis as well as (attempting) to remain healthy. My group, “DRG” and I have been working long days and mornings to make sure that we are both a fluid and a well-sounding team that presents a cogent case. 24 hours to go and we will make our cases to Volvo, as well as have the company declare a winner out of the three teams. More to come.

CAP Peru: Superheroes exist… And they are among us!

marielbaloJune 6, 2018March 4, 2020

Blog Post written by Visola Shukhrat

It is the last day of our CAP Peru… With a big smile and some tears of happiness on my face, I gave farewell kisses and hugs to my classmates and headed to the airport. As I was waiting to board the plane, I could not stop thinking about what a powerful experience it was. The pictures of 20 young professionals altogether climbing the Machu Picchu, watching the sunset while having a city bike tour, supporting and cheering on each others’ teams during final project delivery would appear in my mind as flashcards of a colourful movie. We arrived in Peru as just classmates and were leaving it as a family with strong bonds.

We spent an unforgettable two weeks in the country that has a history of three dominant and advanced civilizations. We learned a lot about Peru as a country, its culture, food, and language. While the primary goal of the program was to learn about industries of projects and culture of a nation, we gained much more than that. The time spent in Peru will flourish beautiful memories in the hearts of each and everyone for a long time in the future.

I would like to devote this post to a person who transformed our CAP Peru 2018 into an eye-opening event with bonds created for a lifetime. The academic knowledge, soft skills development and cultural experience would not be the same without this superhero, our father-teacher-professor Shyam Giridharadas. This superhuman went above and beyond to not only teach us how to be great consultants but also how to become better leaders and to be mindful of those around us. He used to start every class with a couple minutes of centering, when we all closed our eyes, took a deep breath and thought of something positive. This exercise helped us during our presentations. During our time in Lima, Prof. Giridharadas gave special attention to every single student, was accommodating to our needs and wants. One of the most fun and memorable things that united such a diverse student body was the time when he arranged a night of gathering. We all watched a soccer game first and then danced Salsa, Turkish, Kosovian and Uzbeki dances. The night ended with playing mafia.

Prof. Giridharadas has the power to comfort people and make them believe in themselves. I remember the day before our final presentation to the client; my teammates and I were worried that we would be unable to meet clients’ expectations. Professor spent 3 hours with our team and gave us detailed feedback on our delivery. When we finished our last rehearsal, he asked us to stand up and take each others’ hands. We were expecting another moment of centering… However, what he said next left us speechless. He said he was impressed by all the improvements we’ve reached so far. This gave us confidence in ourselves and motivation to work more. As a result, we delivered a project that satisfied our clients to the fullest.

As we all gathered for the last time, we sat in a circle and reflected on our trip. Some classmates cried while expressing their feelings about the trip. I felt so happy to be around such a fantastic bunch of talented young professionals. If I could repeat this trip, it would be with Prof. Giridharadas and these people.

Sweden, Marketing, GWSB Sweden Study abroad, Summer 2018.

Blog post written by Kevin Saladino.

As a student, the concept of a “Study Abroad” program has always appealed to me. Though I did not have the opportunity to do so in undergraduate school, nor in my first master’s program due to a locally based cohort, my chance has now come thanks to my involvement in the professional MBA.

As a business owner, I believe it is important to be able to work with people in person. When I was informed that GWU offered the program to Sweden and to consult with Volvo, I made the effort to sign up for the journey.

Being a remote student for the most part is a difficult experience in and of itself and in preparing for a study abroad it is no different. I have made the required trip to meet my classmates and to attend class, though now that I have met them it is even more difficult to be away thanks to the level of detail required in our work. My group meshes so well and everyone in it works very hard, is professional and strives to deliver a stellar product for Volvo. I am anticipating not only more challenge, but also the ability to grow more as a student and as business professional.

I chose this program because as a business owner, I seek to know more about how businesses in other countries differ, operationally from those located in the USA. In addition, I wanted to meet (and possibly work with) executives representing a foreign firm. As an aside, I am a fan of Volvo and their engineering; this trip seems like it would be a slam dunk.

Because I am an online student, I find I am missing in-person interaction and the cohesiveness of groups. I hope to gain more experience with working with others and in an in person consulting environment on large projects such as the Sweden study abroad program. I am also anticipating the ability to polish my speaking skills and will have the opportunity to interact with a differing culture and country-another one of my goals in the program. Volvo is a mature and well respected firm that has years of expertise and speaks to me on a personal level. Even though the automotive industry does not exactly mesh perfectly with my finance background, I am seeking to gain more experience with a larger firm, helping them attain their organizational goals.

CAP Peru: Demystifying one of the seven new Wonders of the World.

Blog post written by Visola Shukhrat

Finally, the day has come, and we are here, in the country of one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. I can’t wait to explore every magical corner of it.

The day after we arrived in Lima, we had a group luncheon at the local private museum “Museo de Larco” where we had our first in-person meeting with our clients. As we sat in the garden of the museum trying gourmet Peruvian food, we learned about our clients’ culture and lifestyle, and got some tips on communicating with locals. The next three days we spent meeting with our clients and visiting information sessions at McKinsey & Company, Endeavor Group, and Banco de Credito del Peru. We came prepared for our first formal in-country client meeting with questions to ask. We were lucky to meet with Enrique, who is involved in communication with local communities and the government. His insights helped us to better understand the government structure and political and economic situation in the country, which helped us direct our project in the right direction, and specifically tailor it for a mining company in this country. During our visit to the bank (Banco de Credito), I was astonished to learn about the innovation center there. The office looked like a dream place to work, where employees wore casual clothes, sat on bean bags, and had post-it note stickers all over the walls. The manager of the bank gave us a presentation about their innovative projects in Fintech that they are working on to serve their clients better and become number one bank in Peru.

The highlight of this week was a trip to magnificent Machu Picchu. As the plane landed in Cusco, my heart started beating faster. Our guide warned that it was because of the altitude of 11,150 feet above the sea level. However, I am sure it was due to all the excitement that I was anticipating in this fantastic town that I’ve been dreaming of visiting since childhood. No words or photos can describe all the natural beauty of magnificent Machu Picchu. Located high atop a ridge in the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu has a long history of ancient Inca civilization. We got a chance to learn about mind-blowing engineering work, religious beliefs of Incas, and their culture and traditions. We spent 5 hours roaming around mysterious architectural treasure that was ruined more than four centuries ago and enjoying the view from the vista point.

During our trip to Cusco, we also visited Sacred Valley where we explored one of the oldest cities where Inca people lived. We listened to songs in a local language, pet cute llamas, tried Alpaca meat and spent an evening stargazing.

Next week is the most important one, because we will be presenting our final project to our clients. I look forward spending next five days collaborating with my amazing teammates and delivering our product to our honorable client.