Study tour – Page 8 – 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.

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.

CAP South Africa: Sawubona, Cape Town!

marielbaloMay 29, 2018May 21, 2024

Blog post written by Sean Soni

Upon arrival to our destination CAP Country, we were greeted with a warm and hearty welcome dinner at Pepenero, one of the local gems in Cape Town. On the way over to the Pepenero, our tour guide showed us the District 6 area, an area which was plagued by apartheid and a highly controversial event which preceded the vacant land. It was a sobering experience to hear the pains of many of the “colored” individuals who were wrongfully stripped of their homes and belongings due to a discriminatory governmental policy.

The dinner was incredibly delicious, however the waiters and waitresses who happily served plate after plate were far more intriguing to learn about. The waiters and waitresses were not South African, but in fact from Zimbabwe, one of the many citizens of neighboring African countries who desperately wanted to be a part of the emerging South African economy.

One of the most intriguing company visits in Cape Town thus far was with Sealand Gear, a sustainable bag designer who aggressively focused on emphasizing down cycle sourcing in their production cycle. This company prides itself in using industrial materials such as old boat sails and other industrial fabrics which are no longer in use to create some of the most unique, colorful and functional bags on the market today. Creating flashy and fashionable bags is not the only thing this company was useful for – they promoted the cultivation of local talent pools and hired and trained members of the underserved communities to empower the communities of Cape Town while making a profit. The CEO’s tour was so convincing that many of our classmates ended up purchasing items after the tour of the Sealand Gear headquarter facilities.

After four days of residing in the beautiful city of Cape Town, our CAP crew is on our way to the airport where we will fly to Johannesburg (described by many as the “New York City” of South Africa). In Johannesburg, we will meet several of the local movers and shakers of the energy industry, aviation industry, and entrepreneurship.

Thus far, I can confidently comment on the food, local customs, and some of the exposure to the less advantaged areas of the country of South Africa. The food scene in Cape Town is extremely diverse and incredibly delicious. You can find local treasures on Long Street such as Mama Africa and even undiscovered twists on the American burger at cozy venues like IYO Burger. In South Africa, it is customary to acknowledge the various ethnic groups as “whites”, “blacks” and “colored” people. Prior to arrival, we read that South Africa is plagued by poverty and a disturbing income gap, leading to the various racial tensions that we read about in global reports. The reality was actually much worse than I expected. One block away from our hotel was one of the many slums which was scattered across the city. Impoverished residents would frequently approach us for money and donations and the huge unemployment rate had a lot to do with this feature of the city. I must, however, end with a positive note – with a country with so many problems, one can only imagine the possibilities of development and human advancement. The wheels in the minds of a majority of our classmates are starting to spin as we see the “real” Cape Town and Johannesburg.