India Experience: Markea Gilbert

As a part of the Economic Environment of Global Business course, we traveled to India. My classmates and I were able to experience together how other businesses operate and develop internationally. I think this addition to the Master of Management program is great because it gives a firsthand experience of how businesses adapt to different political, cultural, social, and economic environments. Each day we had at least two company visits where we interacted with various employees in various job positions. Familiar companies we visited for example were Dell and Volvo. However, we also visited NGOs, startups, and local businesses. I thought all of the visits were insightful into the various industries the businesses operate within.

I had never traveled outside of the United States before, so I was both apprehensive and interested to see what was in store for our week stay. This experience gave me the opportunity to interact with people from another culture. I am naturally an observer to things around me, so I thought the extreme differences and also similarities were interesting to observe as we traveled around Bangalore, India. I tried food I wouldn’t normally eat, I went with the unpredictable and planned flow of events that comes with traveling to new places, and I interacted with my classmates and others more than I have before given my shy personality.

The trip was a business trip that we as MMG students will able to reflect on and use as great examples for interviewing and resume building. Even though the trip was a business trip, I still had fun. There were days where we were able to sightsee, buy souvenirs, and explore on our own. Traveling to India is an unforgettable experience.

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