International Learning Opportunties

One month from today I will be in South Africa. I am so excited I can hardly control myself! No, this isn't a spring break trip. I'm actually going to South Africa on a Tuck sponsored learning expedition with 20 of my classmates. Although I've travelled extensively, I never been to any of the countries in Africa, so I am very excited to learn more about SA's economy and what it takes to successfully do business there. While we're in South Africa we'll be meeting with some incredibly interesting and diverse companies such as: Standard Bank, McKinsey South Africa, MassMart, Eskom, Streetwires, SafMarine, Grassroots Soccer (a really cool non-profit that leverages soccer as a vehicle to teach HIV prevention) and Pilanesburg Game Reserve. It should make for an amazing experience - details to come!

One of the great things about Tuck, is that it provides a number of excellent opportunities to further develop your global mindset as a future business leader. Like many schools, there are a variety of internationally focused electives, exchange programs and other international business learning opportunities. However, there are a few opportunities that I think are really special:

Tuck Global Consultancy 

Second-year students have the opportunity to participate in on-site corporate consulting projects in international venues. This year projects ranged from a Swiss brewery start up (market assessment and feasibility study for an established brewer) to developing a market-entry strategy for a manufacturer in India.

Learning Expeditions 

An experiential course that helps students understand political, social, and economic developments in a specific country. The course focuses on the country’s historical antecedents giving rise to the economic, political, and social structures in the country and the key local and global forces that are likely to affect future development. It also exposes students to some of the leading companies in the country to illustrate some of the core management principles studied at the Tuck School.

Case Writing Opportunities
My good friend Shavonne got involved with business case writing this year at Tuck. Over winter break, she flew to China to meet the key executives (for the case at hand) and gather material. She said the experience she had with the Chinese executives was one of her more influential and rewarding learning experiences at Tuck.