What do people think about Study Abroad?
 

Spain

My experience with the Masters of International Business program at Robinson College of Business has been an excellent one. From the professional and academic experiences of my professors, to the diversity of my classmates, to the various student organizations and opportunities to get involved on campus, I have been continually impressed and encouraged. After my time here, I am undoubtedly more prepared to enter the workforce and have a much greater understanding of what the term "international business" really means. As the final requirement for my graduate degree, I will be spending a year interning in Spain. This will no doubt be a life changing experience, and I really am thankful that I have had all of these amazing opportunities due to this program and Robinson College of Business.

--Kelly Peterson Class of 2008

South Africa

I had several expectations for the South Africa study abroad trip – above all else I expected to be amazed…and I was. The trip to SA was rewarding both personally and academically. I saw first hand how the policy environment affects business, and how the national skills shortage impacts everything from how the government is run to the education of children.

South Africa is a study in contrasts; a member of the global capitalist economy that is experimenting with wealth equalization concepts in an attempt to mitigate the after-effects of Apartheid.

The geography reflects this dichotomy, from Cape Town to Krueger Park, we saw a wealthy port and a dry safari via rich farmland. I had not realized how diverse South Africa would be.

I returned with new ideas and concepts for working in an increasingly global community, and a framework for understanding the trials faced by an emerging economy. South Africa is tremendously rich in natural resources, though infrastructure is lacking. South Africans may not be able to rail coal and grain to remote areas of the country to speed wealth distribution and develop natural resources, however, they can (and do) participate in global equity markets.

These unique struggles create business opportunity, and require professionals that see the world through a slightly different lens. The study abroad trip to South Africa helped me gain insight into international business, and how it differs from US business practices.

I made great personal contacts with my peers, and gained acquaintances in the firms we visited with - even exchanged a few e-mails with Sasol about their US projects once I returned home.

Most importantly, I returned to the US, and the PMBA program at Georgia State, with an expanded worldview, a fresh perspective, and new respect for what it means to be an emerging economy.

Greece & Turkey May 2008

Overall the Greece & Turkey study abroad trip was an extremely fulfilling experience both professionally and culturally. I learned about business in a different part of the world while also absorbing as much as I could about not only their history, but the history of modern day Western culture. I strongly recommend this program to anyone interested in studying not only international management and accounting but also exploring the roots of Western thought.

- Donny Lovelace

A Study of the European Union at Sorbonne Graduate Business school, Paris, France Georgia State University Study Abroad Program May 2008

The Study Abroad Programs offer a unique opportunity to gain first hand experience of a foreign culture and to visit places that most have only read about.

Expect to learn an immense amount, but expect to work while you're there. Your program administrator will provide assignments to be completed on the knowledge you acquire, but the classroom setting is the best!

-Glenn Akin

Sadiq Mohammed, Study abroad to Hungary and Czech Republic, May 2008.

Having completed my MBA program this summer with this study abroad program as the last course, I realized that I cut it real close to making this wonderful adventure a part of my MBA experience. It is my honest opinion that you should definitely make the study abroad experience a part of your MBA program sooner rather than later, and that it is definitely a critical component to the overall MBA experience. If there is one closing remark to make, it would be, start thinking of a study abroad program right away, if you haven't already done so. With early planning you can definitely make it happen, I am so glad I did.

Czech Republic and Hungary

After nearly two years of reiterative deliberation, I finally enrolled for the 2008 study abroad trip to Czech Republic and Hungary. Like many students I was extremely apprehensive of being able to afford the trip in terms of time-off from work, costs and time away from family. In the end, going on this trip turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made.

The Czech Republic and Hungary - Management in Transition Economies

My name is Doug Watson and I am currently enrolled in the Flex MBA program at Georgia State University. During Maymester 2008, I enrolled in a study abroad course to the Czech Republic and Hungary, after speaking with several classmates. The theme of this course was management in transition economies. As this was my first international experience, I was pretty open to any country to visit and feel that I made a great decision in choosing this trip. After a week of classes in Atlanta, the class flew to Prague, Czech Republic for the first week of the trip. Arrival in Prague brought some anticipation, as this was a visit to a country with prior communist rule; however, the openness and kindness of the people made everyone feel welcome. Walking through the old square in Prague, it was very interesting to see the older architecture and apparent to understand the historical importance the people of the Czech Republic place on their countries' past. I was curious to see how the economy transition from a post communist era would be achieved through our visits to various businesses operating in the area.

In the Czech Republic the class visited several companies and spoke with the management of the companies about their progress, strengths, weaknesses, and opinion of the transition. Companies such as Czechinvest, Radiant Systems, The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Baxter, along with many others were visited. The management and employees that agreed to meet with the class were very open and provided very engaging meetings. After visiting Prague for a few days, it was surprising to find the ease of communication, both on the company visits and in day-to-day interactions. English appears to be very prevalent in the city. Many of the businesses visited, such as Coca-Cola and Unilever had a presence in the area prior to the revolution; others, such as Chechinvest and Dynex, were created after the fall of communism. This provided various perspectives of the transition. Traveling to the companies visited, the class took both public transportation and a chartered bus. The bus ride was interesting because it took the class into some of the suburb type areas of Prague. While the area doesn't resemble the suburbs found around Atlanta, some of the same characteristics still existed. The class saw construction projects for future commercial and residential developments on the way and also ate lunch at a local shopping mall in Prague. As the economy continues to develop, it is interesting to see signs of the west beginning to show up in the area. One could argue the shopping mall where the class had lunch is no different that any typical shopping mall in the United States, a sign that this economy is continuing to develop.

After spending a week in Prague, the class took a seven hour train ride through the countryside of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary to arrive in Budapest. Traveling between the countries, it was surprising to see how many people in the region travel between the areas. For the majority of the trip, the train cars were completely full. Arriving in Hungary, everyone was able to take the weekend and enjoy parts of the city, try the local food and relax before another week of company visits. As in Prague, the kindness of the people in Hungary was very welcoming. To begin the experience in Hungary, the trip began with a visit to the local university, Central European University. Professors of the university gave the class a historical and economical background of Hungary. The week continued in Hungary, visiting companies such as Trigranit, a real estate development company and MOL, a Hungarian Oil and Gas Company along with many others. Visiting both the Czech Republic and Hungary, it is apparent that change did not occur easy for either country. As the market transitioned into a developing economy, foreign direct investments were made in the region to help boost the economy. Most of these investments were from companies with existing global presence desiring to establish divisions in the Central European region.

The experience I gained by participating in this study abroad program is one that can't be taught in class. Visiting companies in the area and interacting with the people in both the Czech Republic and Hungary provided a greater understanding of the true global economy that exists today. I highly recommend including a similar experience in anyone's course of study.

Greece & Turkey - "Thinking of studying abroad?

Don't think – just do it! A Mediterranean study abroad to Greece and Turkey was one of the best experiences of my life. From the food to the people to the culture and sights, I fell in love with Greece and all of its ancient splendor. The shopping in Turkey can't be beat, and the people themselves can't wait to meet you. Island hopping is an unparalleled experience because you get to see all of the ancient sights, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and get in shape as you walk around dozens of cities and towns and up and down hills and mountains. As a student, however, I can tell you that you will never on your own get the gracious opportunity to visit so many companies and talk to VIPs such as the Chairman and CEO, Director of International Relations, Division Manager, etc. It really opens your mind to global perspectives and sets you on the track of determining exactly what type of skills would place you in a competitive position to operate internationally. And the gifts you receive aren't bad either! So, if you're even slightly interested in studying abroad, take my advice: Go for it!"
 

Kristina M. Johnson ' 2007 - Greece & Turkey.

India - "Nurture your Global Perspective"

When I was younger, I remember how excited I was at the prospect of travelling and exploring the world, but my family did not have a wont for traveling. I grew up with the idea that it was not an option, that there were too many barriers, and that it was simply not worth pursuing. However, I've since learned it's well within the limits of anyone who wants badly enough to expand their reality. The most exhilarating thing about traveling abroad is the impact it has on your worldview. On a planet quickly shrinking with the maturation of instantaneous communication, you owe it to your future self to nurture your global perspective.

I finally grabbed the chance to travel this past May, and my destination was India. Reflecting on my time there, it's clear to me for the first time that people beyond the borders of the United States have many of the same goals and desires as we have. The attitude, accordingly, is that Americans believe the rest of the world is primitive and behind the times, but I think this is a misrepresentation of the true social consciousness. To whatever extent this attitude is prevalent, it is in turn shared by our international counterparts. People are generally the same everywhere, and inasmuch as Indians and presumably people of all nations share similar goals and desires and want of liberty, they also share a balance of presumptions and prejudices of people outside their own cultures and national borders.

The latter is not necessarily a bad thing, nor does it stem from bad intentions. If you are an early human in direct competition for resources with other groups, prejudice of foreigners is a vital survival tactic. In the modern world it is neither immoral nor hateful, but simply outdated. Given the powers of the human mind-shared not by people classified as Americans or Indians, Chinese, Turks, French, or Congolese, but by humans as a species-exercising a conscious decision to overcome the instinct of prejudice is a practice that should be promoted as a virtue of the new global mindset.

My own mindset has changed dramatically in what is already a very dynamic period of my life. I was unaware that such a massive confluence of extreme poverty and a rising middle and upper class could persist. I've never exercised much sympathy for indigent Americans, and the poverty I saw in India-cornrows of hovels straight to the horizon, naked children huddled on the sidewalk in broad daylight, and instances of people bathing in sewage- further illuminated the insignificance of homeless American plight for me. One evening on a commercial strip, I plowed my way through hoards of shoppers past sidewalk-stores hawking bootleg media and sundries. It felt very American, nonetheless, but browsing through clothing stores I was subject to the eagle-eyed floor salesmen who clearly expected me to steal something, and who weren't awarding as much attention to other shoppers. On the other hand, my class was accepted with great enthusiasm and open arms most places we visited. One night in Chennai we held a networking event with students from a nearby business school and it was as if we'd grown up together. There were, of course, differences in the way we communicated. To indicate approval or agreement, Indians will sway their heads back and forth similar to the way Americans express "no," which was cause for some confusion. This networking event, though, was where I discovered the congruence of American and Indian wants: a strong familial support system, sufficient wealth, and freedom to act on their desires, among others.

Studying abroad imposes a litany of obstacles on students, but money can be found, fears can be overcome, and guidance can be sought. The extra effort to hurdle these obstacles is part of the experience, and the experience as a whole is absolutely indispensible to anyone who is serious about his or her education. Remember that you as an individual are responsible for your own education. Make the opportunity now to study abroad and enrich yourself with the virtues of the new global mindset.

--Sean Cauffiel - India. 

Accounting and Management Study Abroad in Transition Economies: South Africa
August 2009

My advice to any student even considering a study abroad program: Just Go. It’s virtually impossible to sum up the experience. For instance, the first time someone asked me about my trip, I could have kept talking for hours. So, I’ve resorted to talking about my favorite highlights.

My absolute favorite part of the experience was the safaris in Kruger National Park. For four days, we were in safaris vehicles driving across the park which is about the size of Georgia looking for animals. We saw lions, leopards, lions, elephants, hippos and rhinos. However, the vast majority of the time I was just taking in the view. It was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been.

Over the course of the trip we visited three places: Cape Town, Kruger National Park and Johannesburg. While I loved all three places, Cape Town is my all time favorite. I encourage that every person should visit the city of Cape Town at some point. It was one of the most geographically stunning cities in the world. Stand anywhere in the city and the Atlantic Ocean is right in front of you. Turn around and there is a beautiful flat mountain range behind you. You can’t find that anywhere else in the world.

Winifred Akande
Undergraduate, Accounting 

Study Abroad in Greece & Turkey Program

Istanbul, Turkey I was in the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey admiring the intriguing display of candies and spices. The Bazaar was packed with people, things, spices, etc. I only continue to wonder if the goods were sold from those stacks or was there a seeming endless supply in the back room?

Meteora, Greece As we were walking up to the monastery, I saw this monk looking down from the bell tower at the tourists arriving. I thought it was a very reflective moment as he had his hands behind his back and only looked down with the tilt of his head.

Izmir (ancient city of Ephesus), Turkey This is the path to and from the remains of the city of Ephesus. I'm amazed at the good condition of the path considering how many people visit each year. To me, the three men symbolize where we've come from and where we're going since they are walking away from the city of Ephesus.

Lauren Hochfeld - Greece & Turkey