A group of 16 undergraduate students from Strathclyde Business School took part in this year's study visit to Dubai. The one-week programme forms part of the internationalisation agenda of the business school, and aims to give students an insight into a dynamic, multicultural business environment in one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
A major component of the programme is the focus on national and business culture. To this end, guest speaker Ammar Shams, SBS GCC Advisory Board member, provided an exemplary talk on culture on the first day which students later reflected had set them up for and provided a frame of reference for their whole visit. Students also experienced a hands-on workshop on intercultural competence, and a heritage tour and traditional Emirati meal at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.
The itinerary also featured site visits designed to expose students to strategically important sectors for the UAE's growth strategy. A visit to JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority) gave the students insight into the trade and logistics sectors and opened their eyes to the UAE's unique free zone concept. This was followed by a visit to Expo 2020 Dubai and an informative presentation on the heritage of world expos and Dubai's vision for the 2020 event, 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future'. Students were also given the opportunity to contribute to the Expo 2020 Youth Team's outreach plan for youth engagement.
To give students insight into Dubai's tourism industry, students were hosted by GlobalScot, Fergus Stewart, VP Operations at the InterContinental Hotel Group, and were given a behind-the-scenes tour of one of their five-star city hotels. A presentation on destination marketing and branding from Dubai Tourism enhanced the learning opportunity further. Students also visited Emirates Flight Catering for an insightful talk on how the business has grown with the specific needs of Emirates Airline, and were then taken on a tour of the facility, the largest flight catering operation in the world.
Another highlight was the visit to arts and creative hub, Alserkal Avenue, where students gained an understanding of the importance of family businesses to the region at the NGO Tharawat Family Business Forum and afterwards visited a number of inspiring entrepreneurs based in the complex.
At the end of the week, students gave capstone poster presentations to a group of Strathclyde staff, students and alumni. Summing up the visit, Cameron Campbell, second year International Business student said, "This immensely enjoyable week-long study programme was a demonstration of theory converted into practice. The multi-cultural environment provided a living experience of international business in action. As a result of the trip, I'm determined to establish a career within such a hub of activity when I graduate. Consequently, I have returned to my university studies now fully appreciating the value of my Strathclyde International Business studies - my launch-pad to a bigger and brighter future."
This was the fourth annual undergraduate study visit to Dubai, a joint initiative between the business school in Glasgow and our international centre in Dubai. This year the group was accompanied by Idil Edes Gallop, Director of International Business/IBML programmes.
The study visits are open to all undergraduates at the business school with students gaining a place through a competitive application process.