Wake Forest MBA students, faculty join first summer international study tour to India

This month, a team of Wake Forest MBA students and faculty will study business practices in India firsthand during Global Opportunities: India. The program is part of an experiential course focused on introducing business students to the challenges, opportunities, risks and rewards of doing business in and with India.

This is the first time the Babcock School has included India in its annual international study tours. Dean Ajay Patel, who is a native of India, will be traveling with the group. India was added to the international study destinations to provide students an opportunity to understand the country’s growing importance in the world economy.

The group, which includes 14 students and faculty, will focus on business practices and operations in India’s transitional economy that will play a central role in shaping the global economy and global competition. They will also learn about the business challenges of entering a developing market in the face of significant cultural and economic barriers, as well as political and legal constraints.

“We will travel throughout India to meet with local and multinational managers and government officials,” said Patel. “We’ll have the opportunity to observe local and multinational business operations and explore the variety of complex and multifaceted phenomena that define India.”

Hosts will share their personal experiences, perspectives and insights as the group travels through Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and surrounding locales. Additional opportunities for a more comprehensive understanding of India will be accomplished through visits to numerous historical, political and cultural sites, and through participants’ own personal journeys of exploration and discovery during the course and in reflecting on the experience afterward.

The Babcock School provides a strong, cross-functional curriculum in an experiential, hands-on learning environment. The school nurtures innovation and creativity and provides the tools needed to recognize and implement new ideas. Students learn to solve problems creatively, critically assess—and take—risks and communicate ideas effectively. As a result, graduates are able to make an impact on day one and develop into successful global business leaders.

Other international trips this spring for Wake Forest MBA students include study tours to China/Hong Kong, Japan, Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico) and Central Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia).

All Wake Forest MBA students are encouraged to participate in an international study tour, but a study tour is required for students in the Fast-Track Executive MBA program. Tour costs for Fast-Track executive students are included in tuition.