Smith Students Travel the World

The Robert H. Smith School of Business offers its students a unique perspective on the world with study abroad programs that take place throughout the year. These trips give students a chance to experience new cultures, see amazing sights, and learn about different aspects of the business world all at the same time.

Smith School students pose for a quick picture on the Great Wall of China during their study abroad trip this past winter break.	Students visit Nakheel, a real estate development company located in Dubai, to learn about its business practices.

“Any student going into business must understand the global dynamics of the business world,” says David Wilmes, director of undergraduate study abroad programs. “Study abroad trips are so important because they give students an understanding of the world that they can’t get in any other way.”

Study abroad trips are offered during winter, spring and summer breaks in addition to semester-long trips.

“I wouldn’t trade my semester abroad for anything. Even if you have to take a loan for just this semester, then I definitely recommend doing it. Employers I’ve talked to, especially some U.S. Federal agencies, like to see that I took the initiative to live abroad and that I have that cross-cultural experience,” says senior Sean Moore, who did a semester abroad in Vienna. “They have commented that it’s a great add to my resume. Some have also commented that just knowing that much more German from living in Vienna is very valuable and they have encouraged me to add that to my resume.”

In addition, the study abroad trips are offered to both undergraduate and graduate students. This winter, students were able to visit Dubai, Tunisia, China, Thailand and Vietnam, Costa Rica and more. About 20 to 30 students participate in each program and each trip lasts from seven to 14 days.

It has become a truism to say that all business is global business in the 21st century, and that students must learn and appreciate the complexities and opportunities presented by cross-cultural collaboration in order to succeed in business, says Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs Pat Cleveland of the importance of past global studies programs.

COSTA RICA

The trip to Costa Rica began in early January with about 18 members traveling to San Jose, the country’s capital city.

Kristen Van Eron, a Smith School MBA student who went on the trip, said she went on the 10-day trip to “learn about Costa Rica and how their public health care system works and how it impacts residents of Costa Rica.”

Huy Le, another MBA student on the trip, agreed with Van Eron: “What I wanted out of the class was a better understanding of how we can better provide health care to folks in developing countries,” he said, adding that he and his wife want to establish a free rural health clinic in Nicaragua.

On the trip, the students were able to sight see and learn about important business in a foreign country. They visited Paos Volcano National Park, the Doka Coffee Estate, and the Manuel Antonio National Park, according to Van Eron.

On the business side, the students had many health-care related meetings at the Ministry of Health, EBAIS, AyA Labratories, Baxter, Assembis and CIMA. They “met with an impressive list of people including CEOs, doctors, nurses and general directors. Most meetings consisted of a PowerPoint presentation followed by a candid question and answer sesson. In some cases we got a plant tour, such as at Baxter and AyA Laboratories,” Van Eron said.

“We also visited the University of Peace which teamed with UMD/Smith to provide us with such a wonderful experience. It was great to learn more about University of Peace and its impact,” Van Eron said.

On the trip, students were responsible for being the leader for a specific site they would be visiting. This meant having questions on hand to ask, blogging about the group’s visit and writing a “Thank You” note to the site host, according to Le.

Both Le and Van Eron said they learned valuable information from the Smith School study abroad trip. Le said he “learned how everything tied together in terms of healthcare: poverty, education, sanitation, drinking water, employment and political stability.”

Van Eron said she learned “what a big difference a small amount of money and a lot of heart and determination can make. For example, the CEO of Assembis started the company with $500 and the goal to provide eye care for Costa Ricans who, at that time, could not afford it. It is amazing to actually visit Assembis to see the amount of services and technology they offer and to learn about how many people they have treated and helped since they opened their doors. Another great example of this is the woman who started the Humanitarian Foundation that we visited. She has very little resources to work with, but she has done amazing things with the resources she has. More importantly, she has found that as she helps even a little, for example by paving a small part of a road, she finds the people she helps are more inclined to work hard to also help themselves. They take better care of the community as a result of her being there.”

Van Eron and Le said they would absolutely recommend the trip to other students at the Smith School.
“It was an amazing opportunity. You get access to people and companies that you would likely never get a chance to meet or learn about in such an in-depth way,” Van Eron said. “I have to say it is the most memorable part of my MBA experience. … My favorite part was the Humanitarian Foundation visit--which really reminded me of how fortunate I am. It was terrific to be able to connect with the people on this visit, especially the kids in the daycare center. One of the little girls in the daycare center ran up and gave me a hug and that moment will forever be priceless to me.”

Le said,” You make some really good friends with folks from other cohorts and CR is a beautiful country.”

FRANCE & GERMANY

The students who participated in the Smith School’s study abroad trip to Europe spent 10 days in France and Germany learning about energy policies overseas.

Brian Adams, a Smith MBA student, said that when he signed up for the trip he “expected to learn about the energy policies of the European Union, primarily focusing on the nuclear approach of France and the renewable focus of Germany.”

Similarly, Kevin Nunes, another MBA student, said he “heard great things about the Global Study trips in general, but particularly the EU class focusing on the energy sector. The energy industry is something I had limited experience with, but I was interested in, and wanted to learn more about.”

Adams and Nunes, along with their classmates, traveled to Paris, France, Grenoble, France, and Koblenz, Germany.

“We visited with managers of some of the largest energy firms in the world, toured a nuclear power plant, and got a broad perspective from the International Energy Agency,” Adams said. “We had the opportunity to do some sightseeing as well, including the Eiffel Tower. The cultural experiences at night were valuable as well, because they gave us a better feel for the local culture.”

And from these experiences with these energy firms, Adams and Nunes took away things that they wouldn’t have been able to learn in a classroom.

“Energy issues are here to stay and that reliance on fossil fuels will be the modus operandi for the foreseeable future due to an inherent lack of trust for nuclear power,” Adams said of what he learned on his trip. “Renewable energies are attractive but inconsistent, and correlate very poorly with levels of energy consumption. Without magnitudes of improvement in storage capacity, energy will become a bigger and bigger source of national and international conflict.”

Nunes added that “the energy industry is complex and filled with challenges, but they are challenges we must address. And while the tasks may appear daunting, the sector is growing and filled with opportunities for those willing to work hard to pursue them.”

Adams and Nunes both encouraged their fellow Smith School students to take advantage of the Global Studies program.

“The cost is a little steep, but the value is entirely worth it,” Adams said. “Getting to speak with employees and managers at E.On, Enel, Areva on their home turf – those are experiences that cannot be duplicated in the United States. The industry structure in the EU is significantly different than that in the United States, so it is important to be on the outside (of the U.S.) looking in to get a better perspective on it.”

Adams also added that his favorite part of the trip, learning experiences aside, were the crepes he ate in Paris. “They were incredible, especially at 4 a.m.”

Nunes said this trip was one of his favorite experiences of his MBA program so far: “In addition to learning a great deal about the energy industry, traveling and interacting with fellow students made the experience even more rewarding,” he said.

INDIA

The Smith School’s study abroad trip to India was a 10-day long trip designed to teach students about how businesses operated differently in India as compared to the United States. Students visited Delhi, Agra, Pune and Mumbai.

Shahryar Rizvi, a Smith School MBA student, said he decided to go on the India trip to learn more about these differences: “India’s economy seems to continue to become more and more of a hot topic. I was curious on what was different there than here in the United States. I figured this would be my best opportunity to do it.”

He volunteered early on to be the "video guy" during the trip, which added to his experience in India: “I volunteered for it randomly in our pre-trip session, but it gave me the opportunity to get to know everyone when I would videotape them and take their voiceovers.”

Rizvi said the trip was a mix of sightseeing and meeting with different companies. The students visited many companies on site and also hosted mixers at their hotel to meet with the companies. They also were able to tour many facilities.

“My favorite talks were on innovation, which we learned about at the Tata Training Center we visited in Pune. We learned about the systematic innovation policies they have in place,” Rizvi said. “I learned the most though in our discussions we had throughout the trip. The professor kept going out of his way to make sure we were constantly talking and discussing what we were seeing. This was a very important part of the trip.”

Rizvi recommended the study abroad trip to Smith Students: “I would probably recommend doing two classes abroad. It's your best chance to really interact with other students. You get to learn hands on and meet with a lot of people. It was completely worth it.”

Jessica Bauer, Intern, Office of Marketing Communications