Bahrain

"The Challenge of Competing in the Modern Economy and Preserving the Traditions of the Past"
Faculty Leader: Sherwood Frey

Academic Program

The overall objective of the Bahrain GBE was to offer an introduction to the business, cultural and religious dimensions of the Kingdom of Bahrain. More specifically, the visit provided the opportunity for students to enter into discussions with senior executives from the private and public sectors, to tour leading-edge service and manufacturing facilities, to spend several hours at the Grand Mosque for a comparative religion discussion, to be hosted to the regional cuisine, to negotiate in the souq, to visit a camel farm, to share a meal in Bahraini homes, to visit historical sites and to get a general feel for life on the island. As a result, this GBE allowed students to form their own impressions of this part of the Gulf without the influence of the news media.

Egypt

“Global Leadership Development: Doing Business in Cairo"
Faculty Leader: Andy Wicks 

Academic Program

Participants in this GBE spent the majority of their time in Cairo, visiting with local business leaders arranged by Moustapha Sarhank, and viewing many of the most prominent cultural attractions - including the Great Pyramids.  The program focused on careful preparation for the visit, including time at Darden with Moustapha Sarhank and Andy Wicks, several days of business visits, interaction at a local business school - including meeting with MBA's and faculty, and extensive visits to cultural and historical sites.

This GBE was a great opportunity for the students to develop their abilities as leaders in a global business environment. Egypt and Cairo in particular, pose some interesting challenges for students in terms of what it means to take their technical skills and adapt them to a different culture and context to understand what it means to lead and succeed. The final segment of the GBE was a trip to Luxor to see the treasures of Ancient Egypt.  For students who wished to extend their stay, there was an option to continue on to Sharm el Sheik before returning to the US.

Mexico

 "Mexican Tourism; A Worldwide Concept"

Host Institution

Instituto Panamericano de Alta Direccion de Empresa (IPADE)

Academic Program

General Overview:
The objective of this GBE was to give Darden MBA Students the opportunity to experience the Mexican Tourism Business Sector and to explore issues that affect the tourism industry worldwide. The Tourism industry is the largest and fastest-growing industry in the world, and Mexico has a strong reputation in the industry due to its being the 8th most visited country in the world.  Mexico is a traveller's paradise, crammed with a multitude of opposing identities and tourist destinations: desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes, ancient ruins, teeming industrialized cities, time-warped colonial towns, glitzy resorts, deserted beaches and a renowned collection of flora and fauna.

See a YouTube video created by IPADE, linked here.

Sweden

"Sustainability, Innovation and Design in Scandinavia"
Faculty Leader: Michael Koenig

Host Institution

Stockholm School of Economics (SSE)

Academic Program

This GBE was intended to examine the interrelationship of design, innovation and sustainability and the role each play in Swedish business and social discourse.  The GBE schedule included company visits to design firms, businesses large and small, startups, investment banks and/or VC firms, and sustainable manufacturing or agricultural operations.

Limited time was also built in for individual and small group activities for some creative “social networking.”