Chris Stavrou Bursary - International Study Experience 2014

2014 DURHAM MBA INTERNATIONAL STUDY EXPERIENCE

Chris Stavrou Bursary

Student Reports – 2014 SRI LANKA 1. Benjamin APPELLE 2. Jing WU CHINA 1. Connie LAI 2. Renata NAGAYAMA 3. Syed Abid Salar HUSSAIN 4. Mohammad TAWAB Germany 1. Ravish BAGEPALLI PANDURANGA 2. Varsha DINODIA 3. Zhihui HUANG 4. Dong Kyu KIM

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SRI LANKA – Ben Appelle Reflections of an International Study Week in Sri Lanka with Aitken Spence Heritance Hotels The group’s first meeting with Aitken Spence top management took place at the company’s main headquarters, in what are two imposing buildings jutting out of Colombo’s rather flat urban landscape.

From this initial encounter, and throughout the entire week, the group, which I was one of four participants, was treated with great generosity, attention and interest, if not a little curiosity. Often, those who we were partnered with – to discuss and sort through relevant operational material, often through Q&A – would ask for an explanation apropos the nature of the project. Essentially, we responded that our focus was to unravel how, and to what capacity, sustainability defined the company’s values and operations. More specifically, we sought to understand these broad goals as they pertain to community, the environment, training, as well as clientele.

This was best achieved through visiting the company’s flagship heritage hotels: Kandalama and Ahungalla. We, the group, were equally unaware of what was to transpire during our visit. Our many questions and ‘snoopiness’ was most often satisfied to an extent that far exceeded our expectations.

The fact that a group of MBA students from England – who all come from a different part of the world – could be treated with great respect and attention, through a clear dialogue that left little room for issues being misunderstood, or hampered by a lack of trust, is remarkable in itself. Deductively, I can reason that this was the boon of a shared openness and mutual appreciation, allowing for valuable information to, low in both directions.

The experiences gained throughout the week were varied, informative and, again, showed noteworthy generosity. The group was taken for a first-­­hand look into many of the varied (Aitken Spence) projects in the community, including visits to elementary schools funded by the hotel (Kandalama). The children were shy and somewhat reticent at first, on our arrival in a hotel escorted tour, yet within a few minutes of ‘breaking the ice’, in this instance, with the aid of a camera to capture their faces and jubilant smiles, the children’s natural joy and excitement was unleashed, perhaps offering the most positive sign one could ask for. They shouted out English words, getting so close to my camera that I worried I wouldn’t be able to capture their glowing faces. My gentle orchestration to ‘move back’ – upon their repeated encroachment on my camera lens – was mimicked with childhood fun.

We learned that the schools visited were financially supported by a Buddhist organization in Japan. This fact struck a cord for me, and not only in the school setting. In fact, I wondered, with the more time spent at the hotels, and in the community, how much of the Buddhist religion was fundamentally driving company values. Exploring Kandalam’s eco-­­park, where a few snakes, including a python and two cobras, were convalescing after having been injured on the motorways (one was stitched up after a motorcycle cut into its skin), I begged to ask the HR manager, who was facilitating as eco-­­guide, how much of what is taking place through institutional values related to Buddhism.

(Approximately 98% of staff employed by Aitken Spence are Buddhist, much more than the overall population of the country, at around 70%). I was, somewhat evasively, told the model is based on ‘simplicity’. Okay, I can accept that, to a certain degree, yet the answer came out rather simply, and moreover, reasoned things overly simplistically. For what we were learning from our visits and meetings

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is that a lot of thought, discipline and understanding (of codes and conduct) are in place to make things work right, in turn affecting the lives of many stakeholders in the broadly encapsulating definition of community.

I certainly was lifted by this energy, support and warmth –and, I have reason to believe, the others in the group were equally moved (in a good way) by such constant attention and positivity. Throughout the week, in fact, our group cohesion was exceptional, free of both minor and major complaints, pettiness. Rather, enthusiasm for our privileged position, even once in a lifetime experience, with the company seemed to be cherished (it certainly was for myself). Furthermore, a mutual respect and interest, I believe, existed throughout the entire week, in each and every visit and meeting between the Durham group and the Aitken Spence people.

Much of the high praise I have for the company stems from their initiatives prioritizing sustainability and community projects. Problems the heritage hotels effectively dealt with often relied on solutions that were both of the pragmatic type (water purification, for instance) and oriented towards social action/consciousness. Wonderful work committing local employment to not only mitigate the harmful ecological effects of over consumption and waste, yet also simultaneously fund charitable causes in the surrounding communities, is exemplary. I was impressed to witness such altruistic activities turn recycled waste into beautiful handmade paper (inlaid with flowers and other natural ingredients that form patterns) to be exported for profit, with funds reinvested in community projects.

The surrounding ecology was further shown to the group through a tour of the river mangroves (Ahungalla). Essentially, we were taken for boat ride to an area that Ahungalla’s GM recognized as valuable and enjoyable for the group to see. Arguably, this type of experience is more pleasure than business, yet functions nonetheless to create a fortified bond between host and guest. The group was exposed to more of the local geography and culture, which allowed us a better perspective into understanding the environment of our gracious hosts – on another, wholly rewarding, level.

Thankfully, such memories now arise as educational, beyond mere factual understanding, to be of a more deep kind of learning. The week is indeed something to remember (and write about): Taking place among congenial and generous people, in a group setting, that was wholly foreign in the beginning, yet which quickly manifested as a fascinating common purpose. Is this largely due to a shared interest in progressive thought and practice? – Which may have more to do with what people respond to best, than that which any cultural dislocation or boundary can inhibit? Certainly, reflection over passed time is best served through an experience-­­oriented understanding, grouping the gamut of impressions and understandings the week offered into a fresh memory, through the satisfaction of the ‘now’ of present time. This is how my mind wishes to make sense of it all, with much gratitude.

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Benjamin Appelle, Durham 2014

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SRI LANKA – Jing Wu My aim to attend this module was to challenge myself in a foreign country’s real working place, find out my strengths and weakness, and make improvement to benefit my future personal development. The whole experience in Sri Lanka Aitken Spence Group offered an open window to explore my capability and personality and also gain a better understanding about myself. It is the highlight and the most meaningful experience of my MBA study, because it provided me a real life experience that influenced my thoughts and I also developed my soft skills. I would like to share three meaning changes it brought to me.

The first change happened to my soft skills. Going into this project, because I wanted to contribute more, sharing my thoughts, knowledge and experience, so I prepared more beforehand, making me feel more confident and I monitored my thoughts so I could be aware and express them more quickly, without extensive prior analysis.

The second change happened to my business ethics thinking. This company applies the eco-concept into the real practice; it is not just a marketing stunt. The eco-friendly concept affects their daily operation and contributes to increased financial incomes and the rise of reputation. If you look at the environment issue in China, most people seem less concerned about sustainable development.

To change people’s concept about eco-friendly is a long-term task, but it is necessary for China to do so. The business model of eco-hotel can be learned by Chinese resort hotels to reduce their environmental impact.

The third change is my idea about the value of corporation culture. When I visit this company, I felt the happiness of the employees and I found they were very satisfied and proud of their job, which was a completely new feeling for me. They shared the value that “strong body, strong heart” and “if the company take care about their staff, then the staff will take care about the customer, as a consequence, the customer will take care of the company ” which moved me. Before this experience, I felt corporate culture was more of a marketing strategy of companies, but my eyes were opened and now I regard corporate culture as a very strong link between companies and their staff. It is also very powerful in motivating people and empowering them.

The sponsored local primary school

The paper bag made from the waste

The lake view of this eco-hotel

The recycle paper producing plant

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CHINA - Connie LAI I would like to thank the Chris Stavrou Travel Bursary for making this trip possible. All through the MBA we have said China is currently an emerging market and to be able to see firsthand their development is mind blowing. On this trip, we were in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, and Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China.

The journey begins in Guangzhou where the city is clearly still in the process of developing.

The numerous skyscrapers, high-rise luxury apartments and many more construction sites is slowing engulfing the old city. Majority of the locals barely spoke any English but since I knew the local language, Cantonese, it was easy for me to fit right in. The culture and tradition run deep in the people and they are very proud of their history as we saw when visiting the Museum of Nanyue King Mausoleum and Chen Clan Academy. It also shows as the locals still wake up early to go for their morning exercise and dance together in the park at night. The “hole in the ground” toilets was a feature that I was not accustomed to but according to the people, this kind of toilet is supposed to be more hygienic and better for the health. Ones just needs to adapt to the culture or it will be very difficult to survive. The food that we ate was traditional and similar to the kind of food I would eat if I was back home in New York so it was nostalgic.

The two companies that we visited, Jet-Tern Marine Co. and Blue Scope Building Company was just another indication of the growing market that China is becoming. The people have money and are willing to spend it on luxurious items like yachts. Prior, Chinese people didn’t have an appetite for these kinds of items. Similarly, as the economy grows the construction industry will grow along with it as the need for more buildings (i.e. manufacturing, warehouses) increases. I learned valuable lessons from these company visits. To be successful in China, find a local that understands the culture and customs to help but be careful who you trust. Another important lesson is understanding the market that the business is in, from the competition to the customer based and why your customers pick your company instead of others.

The next stop was Beijing. I’ve already heard the many rumours of the poor air quality and it’s really true. The city seems to be covered by this grey sheet where one knows its daylight but never gets to see the sun. It’s shocking to see that this is actually the better times of Beijing. Similar to Guangzhou, the locals lack the English language but this time I didn’t speak the local language Mandarin so I felt just like a foreigner. Although the locals thought I spoke the same language because I look Chinese. The reoccurring term that is brought up a lot when learning about doing business in China is the Guangxi which is building close relationships. Although it is more heavily emphasized in the Chinese culture, it’s similar to what we know as networking.

One of my favourite company visits out of the whole trip was to the CMG Weber Shandwick Company. It’s a marketing company and I look to pursue a career in marketing area after the MBA. Even though China doesn’t have Facebook or YouTube, the people are highly connected and attached to their technology. The company marketing director discussed about the various platforms that were used to promote a McDonalds event that was highly successful. The issue of government influence was brought up and it’s clear that they have to oblige to it. The culture of the company has more of a western style to it where they look for individuals who have the passion rather than the just anyone who can do the job. It’s common in the Chinese culture to be satisfied with just having a job and remain submissive in the working environment. So I was surprised by the corporate culture this company had and I plan on looking to see what opportunities they offer.

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Aside from the company visits to CMG Weber Shandwick (marketing company) and Carrefour (supermarket) which gave more insight on the Chinese customer base, we got a chance to see the famous sights such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall. All these sights have played an important role in the history of China and the Chinese people cherish it. Beijing is an expanding city but they need to realize that there needs to be more focus on environmental issues. This movement won’t happen if the government doesn’t have a strong push for it because China’s government has enormous control over what can or can’t be done. Overall this was a wonderful experience of another culture and I look forward to seeing how China continues to grow in the future. The best part was being able to share the experience with everyone on the trip.

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CHINA – Renata Nagayama This trip gave me an amazing opportunity to visit China. It started in Hong Kong, where I was greeted by Anise Li from the 2011 MBA. I was amazed by Hong Kong’s fast-paced, westernized, crowded atmosphere. If I could describe Hong Kong in one word it would be vibrant.

Less than 1 hour boat from Hong Kong is Macao. It reminded me a lot of Las Vegas for the casinos and gambling, and my home country Brazil because of the historic Portuguese architecture and culinary tradition.

Then I took a 2 hour train to arrive in Guangzhou, where the program started. The group had over 30 students from the full-time MBA, executive MBA and EBS from Germany. The hotel wasn’t the best, but the view from my room was fantastic! It had glass from ceiling to floor, and I felt as if I were sleeping floating on the water.

We started by visiting the Nanyue King Mausoleum, then the Chen Clan Academy. At night we went on the Pearl River Cruise for dinner.

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The next day we had our first lecture of doing business in China at the SYSU. I wish we had had more time as it was a very short lecture. We learned a little about the country, culture and the differences between the West and China. We also learned about the changes in the country since the 80’s and the risks of doing business in China. In the afternoon, we visited the Jet-Tern Marine Co a ship manufacturer owned by Howard Chen. Howard shared with us how he startedup the business, how he dealt with adversity and his future plans of growth. We were also taken on a ride in one of his luxury boats.

On Wednesday, we had our second lecture on Capital Market in China. We learned about the history of the stock market in China, the different shares, the capital market structure and to put into perspective, a comparison with the West. Later in the day we visited the Blue Scope Building Company, where we took a plant tour followed by a presentation by Thian Aun Goh on China’s explosive growth and weather it is sustainable and an overview of the company’s strategy in order to remain competitive. Later that day, we flew to Beijing where we stayed at a very nice hotel, the Crowne Plaza Wangfujing

On Thursday we had another very short lecture on the Ten Traps for Foreigners Entering China with Terence Egan at the CUFE University. Amongst other things, he talked about problems with real estate, urbanization, corruption, inefficiency, shortage of talent, research in china, negotiation,

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international expansion and decision making. In the afternoon we visited the Constituency Management Group, which was also very short, and then we were given the afternoon to shop around.

On Friday we had our second lecture on Cases for Doing Business in China, then we met with CUFE MBA students for lunch and in the afternoon we visited the Carrefour Store in Shuangjin.

Saturday was our last day of the program and we spent a couple of hours at the Great Wall of China. The time there was also very short, but some of us managed to go all the way to the end of the section of the Great Wall we got to visit. We also visited the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. I also managed to visit the summer palace on my own and ended the Beijing visit by meeting Zhanhong Liang also from the 2011 MBA.

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CHINA - Abid Salar (Syed) HUSSAIN Recently, I had the opportunity, thanks to the Chris Stavrou Bursary, to visit China. It was an experience that is hard to explain in words but I will attempt to write a few salient events which have left a lasting impression on me.

The first leg of the trip was in Guangzhou which is in the south of China. On our first day, the group was shown around the various landmarks of the city and given an opportunity to do some shopping in the local markets. After the shopping, we went on a river cruise which was a serene experience.

We had the privilege to visit Sun Yat Sen Business School which is one of the top universities in China. We also benefitted from lectures which were held at the business school. These lecture highlighted the important aspects of the Chinese economy and how the Asian superpower differed from the western countries. We also visited Jet Tern Marine where we had the excellent opportunity to meet Mr. Howard Chen, the CEO of the company. He had valuable insights about the industry which he candidly shared amongst the group. On the third day of our stay in China, we visited BlueScope Buildings which is a company that specializes in steel fabrication.

On the evening of our third day in the ISE, we flew up north to Beijing. Beijing was very different from Guangzhou as it was a metropolitan in every sense of the word. We stayed at a good hotel and the breakfast that was offered to us suited people with all dietary requirements. In Beijing, we visit Weber Schandwick and Carrefour. We were also taken to The Great Wall of China, Tian an Men Square and The Forbidden City. The group also had the chance to sit in the lectures which were delivered in Central University of Finance and Economics by a very experienced professor on the challenges of doing business in China which were extremely enlightening.

Words cannot do justice to the experience of visiting China. It is a feeling that can only be experienced. The people were extremely hospitable and the sights were beautiful. I had to opportunity to make many new contacts and am regularly in touch with them. I am so impressed with the country that it is now on my list of preferred locations where I am seeking employment after I complete my MBA. I also learnt about many useful techniques such as the use of skills matrix and quality management techniques. I also experienced the rich culture and heritage of China and was enchanted by them.

I am thankful to the Chris Stavrou Bursary as it played a vital role in making this trip a possibility. I remain indebted to the management at Durham University Business School for their support on every step throughout the ISE and the MBA.

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CHINA - Mohammad TAWAB The International Study Experience (ISE) was a great experience in adding value to my learning experience. Every moment of this trip was a golden moment and is a lifetime experience. Although it’s not possible to draw the whole picture of the trip, I will try to mention some of the main places we visited, enjoyed and which will remain a memorable experience for me.

On 6th April, we arrived at the Guangzhou airport and reached to the hotel. The Chinese partners welcomed us with a delicious traditional Chinese lunch and then the group was shown around the various landmarks of the city and given an opportunity to do some shopping in the local markets.

Next day, we had the privilege to visit Sun Yat Sen Business School (SYSB), which is one of the renowned Universities in China. We took valuable lectures in SYSB that highlighted about the opportunities and threats in doing business in China. Beside the business environment, there were lectures about the psychological thinking, family environment and national games of China. On 7 th April, we visited Jet Marine where we met Mr. Howard Chen, CEO of the company. Mr. Chen told us about his influential business story and gave a full insight of the marine business industry and how mentioned different tools and metrical techniques to understand and survive in different stages of the business. On the other day, we visited the Weber Schandwick advertising company where we are shown the difference between local and international advertising campaigns. We have also encountered with some local and counterfeit businesses in Beijing market where we have observed different bargaining tricks and methods used to sell the products. In the evening we were invited to a river cruise, which was a serene experience.

On 9th April, we flew to Beijing from Guangzhou through Southern Airlines. In Beijing we stayed in a the Crown Plaza hotel that is located in the center of the city. Beijing is far different than Guangzhou.

As being the capital city, Beijing is highly crowded, people are very busy, and availability of every facility but polluted. We attended the lecture of doing business in China in CUFE (Central University of Finance and Economics) where the lecturer explained the cultural difference between China and Europeans and shared a valuable concept of GUANXI in the Chinese business. We visited BlueScope Buildings Company that is specialized in steel fabrication and structuring. The company has contracts and makes steel structuring for world big business giants e.g. McDonalds, Boeing etc. Then we went to Carrefour Company where we had discussion and questioning session with the company management team about different aspects of their business operations and quality assurance.

We have also visited the Great Wall of China, which is one of the wonders, the view was amazing and the wall was mesmerizing it took us 1.5hours to climb to the top of the wall. Moreover, we also had a chance to see Tainan Men Square and visited Forbidden City, which is one of the historic and cultural heritages of China.

Chris Stavrou Bursary played an important role in making ISE trip a possibility for me. And I am very thankful to the management at Durham University Business School for arranging this opportunity and their support throughout the ISE.

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GERMANY - Dong Kyu KIM

First day, after welcome and presentation of the program, we had guided walking tour in Mannheim.

At the afternoon, we took a lecture by Professor Alexander Pfisterer in terms of Germany & Europe culture. It was helpful for me to understand entire Europe culture how to relate to each other. At the evening, we met Mannheim MBA students as networking event. It was an opportunity for networking.

Second day, we participated the Career Fair. Among many giant companies, Hilti which is my previous company has a booth to hire students. Therefore, I talked to them about job opportunity in the company. Moreover, I met staff of HR department in Samsung Electronics based in Korea. Even though they only want to hire candidates who can speak German, it was good experience. After that, from 11:00am to 6:30pm we had a lecture by Professor Dr J端rgen Schroder in terms of Germany & Europe Economical history.

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Third day, we visited German Federal Bank and took a presentation about the role of the German Federal Bank within the Euro system. After that we moved to Museum of Monetary History. In the afternoon, we visited Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It was new experience and it assists me to understand German monetary market.

Fourth day, we had a morning session with Prof. Dr. Manfred Perlitz in terms of international management with a German perspective. After lunch, we had a company visit session to John Deere which produces a range of agricultural machines. John Deere is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2013, it was listed as 85th in the Fortune 500 America's ranking and 307th in the Fortune Global 500 ranking. Deere and Company agricultural products, sold under the John Deere name, include tractors, combine harvesters, cotton harvesters, balers, planters/seeders, sprayers, and UTVs. The company is also a manufacturer of construction equipment and forestry equipment. Some construction machines are related to my company’s business. Therefore, it was good chance to know different industry based on construction market.

Fifth day, we took a class by Prof. Dr. Manfred Perlitz with same subject compared to previous day in the morning. In the afternoon, we visited wob AG which is an advertising company as a field trip.

CEO of the company presented about its business and trend of advertising industry. In the evening, we visited a winery and tasted German wine.

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Last day, we travelled Heidelberg which is a city in south-west Germany. The fifth-largest city in the State of Baden-W端rttemberg after Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg is part of the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. In 2011, over 149,000 people lived in the city. Heidelberg lies on the River Neckar in a steep valley in the Odenwald.

Overall, it was a good experience. From welcoming by Mannheim staff to travel Heidelberg, everything was cherished and unforgettable memories. Thank you so much to arrange this good opportunity and support the bursary.

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GERMANY – Varsha DINODIA I chose to visit Germany as part of my MBA program since I believed that the same should provide me with an opportunity to develop a global perspective on the industries within the European Markets.

After checking in at “Maritim Park hotel”, Mannheim, our journey began with a warm welcome dinner at one of the renowned Italian restaurants in Germany hosted by the representative team (Stefani, Jenny and Catherine) from the Mannheim Business School).

The experience was astonishing to catch up with my fellow colleagues in a different country and at the same time meeting new people from a different business school in a cross-cultural setting.

The first day of the study tour began with guided tour of the Mannheim Business School, which is said to be set in one of the most beautiful and World’s second largest palace known as “Mannheim Palace”.

By now, slowly we were being absorbed by the German air and culture. Our “academic study” began soon after a delicious lunch at the University’s cafeteria.

The first session by Professor Alexander Pfisterer who covered social and cultural topics within Germany and as part of the European economies.

It was unconditionally a perfect groundwork session for the upcoming sessions over the coming week.

As anticipated, and based on what Prof.

Pfisterer had mentioned, we began with our second day with an intense lecture on German Economic System, European Economic and Monetary Integration by Prof. Dr. Jurgen Schroder.

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It was complete honor and pride to learn and obtain knowledge from such an experienced Professor who among other things had taught at Stanford Business School, USA, for several years.

May it be Monitory policy instruments, debt management in a German economy or information on decisionmaking bodies of European Central Bank (ECB); it was just not a professor talking … but expertise was being shared from an esteem person having more than 40 years of experience. He was full enthusiasm and charisma and charmed his international students.

The fourth and the fifth days captured International Management by Prof. Dr. Manfred Perlitz who gave us insight on different management styles may it be leadership or building up a competitive advantage for the companies across BRIC countries as well as throughout Europe.

The knowledge shared and information gained from all three professors was critical and significant to know as to how different economies perform, succeed as well as fail, and re-establish within the background of immense volatility and instability.

During the week we also got opportunity to attend career fair held at Mannheim Business School.

The same was a great prospect for us to interact and network with big corporates, consultancy and accountancy firms like KPMG, Deloitte, PWC etc. to understand their requirements and need and as to how we can approach the German market as a job seeker. The response was very positive and encouraging from the companies to absorb us. The only hindrance was the language. To work in Germany- one needs to be fluent in German.

The highlight of the study week was visit to Frankfurt Stock Exchange and German Federal bank, which was escorted by a team of Mannheim Business School under supervision of Prof. Dr. Schroder.

It was a life time experience to visit these big “power –packed “locations and understand how trading is being done in one of the biggest stock exchanges across Europe. Similar was the feeling for trip to the Federal bank whereby discussion and presentation from one of the bank’s manager enabled us understand the role of German federal bank within the Euro system.

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Company visits covered trip to one of the biggest and renowned US based manufacturers of agricultural equipment and tractors – “John Deere”. It was a full day visit whereby we actually enjoyed the factual plant outing with John deer representative explaining us the manufacturing process and as to how they customize their design based on their customer’s requirements.

We also visited “WOB AG” a leading marketing firm. A short presentation gave us excellent insight on how to develop a successful “B 2 B” marketing strategy.

Despite all the sessions, lectures, and lot of information coming our way, we had occasions to have some fun too. Enjoying Dutch coffee at local German cafes, especially at “Café Sammo” was my personal favourite choice.

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Day Trip to Heidelberg, interacting with MBA students from Mannheim business school at a good German restaurant, visiting Winery and wine tasting experience were all part of the fun and light moments that kept us energetic and excited through out our trip.

Our cohort visiting Germany was a small group of ten people coming from different countries.

However, the chemistry and bond was always retained as belonging to one Business school with common objective to achieve always kept us connected closely. We did not hesitate to apply our “Conflict Management” skills that we learnt in one of our core modules to resolve matters that required attention. After all an MBA is all about managing you amongst managing people!

All said and done, my international study week in Germany was a lifetime experience to learn and apply with fond memories to cherish forever!!!

“Danke”

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GERMANY - Ravish BAGEPALLI PANDURANGA

Germany – a country with strong emphasis on punctuality, a country that survived the European economic crisis, a country with some world-class banks and financial institutions and beautiful landscapes. One of the influencing factors for me to take up my MBA at Durham University Business School is inclusion of International Study Trip to Germany in the program.

I am thankful for Chris Stavrou Travel Bursary that allowed me to travel to Germany. One week in Germany was very educative, knowledgeable and truly enriching. My journey started with me boarding flight from London to Frankfurt and taking a bus from Frankfurt airport to Mannheim, a beautiful small town with the best university. We as a group had a small get together on Sunday evening in the hotel in Mannheim where our trip coordinator explained the brief outline of the week ahead. Monday morning start with we taking a walk from our hotel to the university with one of the student support assistants from Mannheim. We had an introductory session with Steffi Buchert who explained us about Germany, their Culture and what’s in store for us for that week. She told how important is punctuality in Germany and how friendly and helpful German people are. After this we took a city tour of Mannheim. Mannheim is a very beautiful student-friendly city with some fine architecture. This was a new experience for me and I enjoyed every moment of it. The next couple of days followed with some of the great lectures from senior professors at Mannheim on European Economic Integration. And we had a tour to Frankfurt where we visited German Federal Bank and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Me being a financial professional I always wanted to go to these two institutions and I am thankful to Durham University Business School who made this possible. I learned how stock exchanges works and how and why all European countries now have a single currency ‘Euro’. The study tour also included a company visits to John Deere and WOB consulting which gave me different perspective on manufacturing and consulting sectors. We also had a visit to a wine brewery that was refreshing and I truly enjoyed learning about the process of wine making.

With best lectures from very experienced professors from one of the World’s best university, visits to Federal bank, stock exchange, manufacturing company, B2B consultancy & Wine brewery – the whole week of Mannheim is a total Best Package of my MBA journey so far.

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GERMANY - Zhihui HUANG I am very pleased that I chose Germany program for my international study trip. It was a fantastic learning experience. During this trip, we got three excellent professors from Mannheim business school. They covered the topic involving German economy system, international management with a German perspective, European economy and money integration. These lectures let us understand not only Germany economy structure and characteristics, but also the German perspective to analyse these problems. Furthermore, they also taught us how to analyse problems from global aspect. International management with a German perspective is an interesting topic. Professors also used the examples from their own experience to help us use these theories to practice. Especially, I asked Professor Dr Schroder about China economy development and issues. He clarified many questions for me. That is a fantastic experience when you have opportunity to talk with this precious and knowledgeable professor.

For the company visits part, we visited the central bank and stock exchange in Frankfurt, John Deere in Mannheim. In every company, we got an experienced employee to give us a lecture to explain how they run their business.

Finally, the Mannheim business staff was very considerate and arranged the program very smoothly.

From the person in charge to the student assistants, they showed their hospitality and professions to us. We learned a lot and had fun in Germany.

Thanks a lot for business school organized this study trip. Definitely, it is one of the best parts of the MBA program.

Zhihui Huang

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