Doing business in Australia without the boardroom

Thursday, 22 January 2015  Features

It’s not every day you get to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge whilst learning about building a business from an iconic piece of road and rail infrastructure. This is exactly what 38 full-time MBA students from NYU Stern did during the AGSM @ UNSW Business School “Doing Business in Australia” study tour in early January.

The trip to Sydney provided NYU Stern students the opportunity to engage in global academic experiences and critically evaluate the impact of different cultural perspectives on the practise of management and business in Australia. The group also explored concepts around the way Australian companies have overcome the ‘tyranny of distance’ in different businesses, industries and sectors.

The Bridge Climb was just one of many unique experiential learning activities the students participated in, with the group also visiting the Qantas Engineering workshops and Centre of Service Excellence, before taking the opportunity to get to know an Airbus A380.

Another highlight included a visit to the Sydney North Shore Rowing Club to participate in a unique immersion experience. It wasn’t all fun however, with the activity providing exposure to Australian cultural norms on team work and leadership.

The Australia Technology Park (ATP) also featured in the packed itinerary with a visit to start-up incubator, Startmate, a network of founders offering mentorship and seed financing for technology entrepreneurs in Australia.

The Tour was facilitated by AGSM Professor Dr Elizabeth Maitland who says that the core of experiential activities is the concept of ‘hands-on’ learning.

“There are powerful learning opportunities for participants in our programs to ‘get their hands dirty’, said Professor Maitland.

“Things like rowing provide them with a fun context for intellectual challenges that give them insights into their professional and managerial skills, as much as about ‘doing business in Australia’.”

It seems the Stern MBA students agree. In feedback to AGSM@UNSW Business School, one student declared “This experience was absolutely incredible. Elizabeth Maitland and all of her staff were so engaging and really connected with all of us. I wish we could extend the program for a whole semester.” As another observed, “It was awesome, plain and simple”. Experiences like these are just some of the many unique activities students can experience whilst studying at the AGSM. For more information visit our website.