Athens study tour helps define Vivien’s career aims

Current MSc Management student Shao-Wei (Vivien) Lin looks back at her experience visiting Athens earlier this year.

Motivated by my experience as an accountant after my bachelor’s degree, I applied for the MSc Management programme to further my business knowledge, knowing that Durham University Business School provides real-life experiences and opportunities for students during their studies. Based on this, I applied for the International Study Tour module to Athens, Greece, which is a wonderful choice for students longing to gain practical skills for future careers under professional guidance.

Putting theories into practice

As part of the module, students work on various business consulting projects and present solutions to directors and managers of successful companies. In our case, my partner and I worked closely with the Research and Development Director of Apivita, a natural skincare company, to assist their expansion and entry into China’s cosmetic market without animal testing, where the practice is mandatory. Other students worked in groups with cases including Melissa, a Greek pasta brand, Symbeeosis, an organic food supplement company, and Vouryia, a handcrafted travel agency, who are all expanding their markets in different fields.

With previous studies on basic business theories through my business school modules, and support through the workshops leading up to the tour, our module leader Dr Spyros Angelopoulos guided us through not only the content but also individual difficulties. Participating in the study tour enabled us to apply learned theories into actual practice with excellent support.

Study tour in Athens

Of course, students can look forward to sightseeing arranged by the international study tour team as well as the academic content. During our visit to Athens, we got the chance to appreciate the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, led by a local tour guide. Special thanks to Pauline Dowson-Pounder, our International, Engagement, and Careers Manager for organising the five-day trip. It’s a fantastic opportunity which not all students get to experience.

Future career

What sets this module apart is the feedback you get on your consultation project from directors and managers. Apivita specifically gave me and my colleagues praise for applying for the Leaping Bunny China Qualification Program, a company who work with businesses to help make shopping for animal-friendly products easier and more trustworthy, under attentive supervision on the company’s behalf. It’s during this business project that I set my goal to pursue project management-related roles after graduation. In fact, I’m now taking the Project Management module to improve my project management skills to fulfil this goal. Looking back on the process, I really enjoyed working on the business project as well as observing projects by my classmates. I can assure those who are considering applying for the International Study Tour that it would be a memorable experience worth having.

The study tour enabled us to apply learned theories into actual practice with excellent support.

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