Three students from IFIM recently visited the University of Washington for a global classroom programme, intended to increase mental stimulation and enrich their minds.
The two-week long programme, designed especially for business management students, focussed on academics, while also encouraging cross-cultural exchange between students of different countries.
Preethi Evangeline, one of the students of second year, IFIM, was thrilled to have been given such an opportunity. “We studied with students from all over the world and heard their viewpoints, which expanded our knowledge base. It was an insightful experience and we found the exposure to new academic perspectives and learning approaches extremely enriching,” shares Preethi.
As a part of the course, the students made industry visits to companies such as Boeing, Microsoft, Winshuttle, Marchax and Zillow, where they were introduced to the management techniques employed by these firms.
“We received an opportunity to understand how companies abroad function. We saw their work culture along with the challenges they are facing in the current scenario. After each company visit, we were expected to prepare a case study and present it to our class. We shared our experience, made strategies on how problems can be tackled and came up with an in-depth analysis for each case that we tackled.
This exercise helped us understand what companies expect from future managers,” says Abhishek Rathi, who also attended the programme.
Apart from industry visits, the sessions also included guest lectures by personalities from the corporate world. Through these company visits and classroom discussions, the students examined real-life business scenarios, exchanged viewpoints with the top brass of companies and learned how to develop specific action plans that can be emulated by organisations.
“The interactions I had with my fellow students and the faculty during the course of the classroom session exposed me to new ways of thinking and helped me develop my thought process. The classroom sessions and the industry visits enhanced my knowledge and made me realise that there are several ways of tackling the challenges and the opportunities that exist around us,” concludes Surya Anju Mohan, who was also sent for the programme.