Dubai study trip: an international perspective

Strathclyde student Emily Hutton travelled to Dubai as part of the Strathclyde Business School study trip this year. Here she talks about how the trip opened her eyes to both international business and a different culture.

I attended the Strathclyde Business School study trip to Dubai earlier this year. It was an amazing, intellectual trip which allowed me to discover the culture and business culture within Dubai. The trip is an excellent way of gaining an understanding of all aspects of business including HR, Marketing and Finance.

Due to not taking an international experience as part of my degree, this trip was an excellent way to be able to immerse myself in international business culture and also aid my learning experience within university.

During the trip you are exposed to a variety of people and businesses through visiting places such as Expo 2020, Dubai International Finance Centre and Women’s College. The trip also offered the chance to enjoy Dubai tourist attractions including the Burj Khalifa.

I mostly enjoyed getting to meet so many people and to understand both Emirati and expat culture as well as interacting with the people who are on the trip with you, some of whom I have now become great friends with. The Dubai study trip is a brilliant way to experience Dubai by immersing yourself in the culture to understand how organisations operate from an international perspective and also understanding the Dubai culture.

As I study HR and Business Law, my favourite place that we visited was Expo 2020, I enjoyed gaining an understanding of how Dubai was adopting the expo, but also how the employee relations were being created from an HR perspective and their focus on work/life balance and employee engagement and satisfaction.

Additionally, we did a desert safari trip that was amazing. We took quad bikes around the sand dunes and then we went on a sand buggy car ride right into the desert. The views were amazing and definitely one of the highlights.

There was a great balance between educational experiences and tourist experiences. As a result of getting free time to explore Dubai there was also a lot of tourist attractions and sights we got to see that weren’t scheduled as part of the trip. A small group of us visited the Miracle Gardens which were absolutely gorgeous to see. They are gardens filled with sculptures made from flowers, so definitely something you wouldn’t get to see anywhere else.

Due to never visiting Dubai before I was unsure about the culture and what it would mean for dress code and so on. However I thought this trip was the best way to understand and experience Dubai. If I had gone with family or friends I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to speak to so many amazing people and understand their culture, so for me it was definitely the best way to see the city. I would recommend the Dubai Study Trip to everyone. If you get the opportunity to go on the Dubai Study trip, then definitely consider it - it was definitely an experience I will never forget!

About Emily Hutton

Emily Hutton is a Strathclyde Business School student, studying HR and Business Law.