IMBA Students Immersed in Latin American Culture
Why were students of the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business recently riding a cable car into the Caracas mountains?
Because interacting with our Spanish speaking neighbours is no longer negotiable - it is a business reality.
In keeping with the Lok Jack GSB's language philosophy to immerse students in the culture of Latin America, eleven (11) students from the International MBA Programme Cohort 15 recently returned from a six day tour of Caracas , Venezuela . The group was hosted by the Instituto de Estudios Superiores Administracion (IESA), a triple accredited business school in Caracas . Students sat in on MBA classes at IESA and engaged in case discussions in the presence of CEOs whose companies were being studied.
For a more authentic feel of Latin American business culture, visits were paid to two companies to expose students to the working environment and have them engage the management of the companies. These were:
- HBO Latin America
- Empresas polar (leading food & beverage company)
Several cultural and tourist sites were visited such as Avila Magica, Paseo Quinta Arauco o Museo de Bellas Artes.
"The class interactions, as well as the cultural interactions, were invaluable because I can now truly appreciate the country, the people and the culture which were all foreign to me prior to this trip," remarked Sandeep Maharaj, of IMBA Cohort 15.
This undertaking strengthens the GSB's relationship with IESA and furthers its mandate towards internationalisation. A Memorandum of Understanding is being developed that would allow the GSB to reciprocate by hosting IESA's MBA students and lecturers.
The cultural initiative is rooted in the Lok Jack GSB's commitment to deliver a value added MBA experience and will become standardised on the academic programme.