As international travel opens, our Full-time MBA students had the opportunity to visit our Middle East centre for the Dubai study tour. The international study tours are a chance to travel with a group of classmates to one of the world’s most dynamic economies. The students study a three-day course in international business and get the chance to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities.
Rukudzo Matiza, a student in the class of 2022 said, “I truly enjoyed the study tour. Engaging in workshops, meeting new people at networking events and alumni dinners, plus taking some leisure time out was great. We visited the Emirates airlines office, took a tour of the Dubai Expo and enjoyed a cultural Emirati breakfast. It has been one of the most memorable experiences on my MBA journey.”
Delayed due to Covid-19, the students had the opportunity to have a tour of EXPO 2020 before it opened its doors to the world. EXPO 2020 will sit in Dubai for 6 months and provide a launch pad for global collaboration. Isabelle Schenk said, “We got a site tour of the EXPO and a personal tour guide explained the details of the EXPO and the different pavilions.”
The students also had a cultural visit to the Sheik Muhammed Centre for Cultural Understanding which is in Old Dubai. Rukudzo said, “It was a great insight into the Emirati culture, looking past the tall buildings and glamour often associated with Dubai.” He continued, “We got an understanding of some of the cultural nuances, what different gestures mean and what certain practices symbolise. The breakfast itself also included a wide array of traditional Emirati foods. The session ended with an open question and answer session where we had insightful conversation around topical themes.”
“Overall, the trip was an amazing experience in terms of learning more about Dubai, and even more importantly getting to know each other. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a tough time, so this was a really great chance for the people who took the elective to have the full MBA experience,” explained Rukudzo.
Lisa Samberg, Head of MBA Alumni Relations accompanied the students on their trip to Dubai. She said, “It was wonderful to have some dedicated time with the students from the Class of 2022 as everything I have done with them so far has been online. The trip gave me an opportunity to build a relationship with them which is a really important part of my role. It also allowed me to bring them together for networking opportunities with alumni living and working in the region, who were able to share their expertise and knowledge”.