Global Programs

EXPLORING THE WORLD

Students experience global marketplaces and diverse cultures through study-abroad programs

Under the well-traveled guidance of School of Business faculty, study-abroad programs intensify our students’ understanding of the world and varying cultures, strengthen their résumés, and expand their international business connections.

“These programs exemplify our commitment to providing exceptional educational experiences,” says Yunzeng Wang, dean of the UCR School of Business. “It’s hard to imagine a better way to learn about today’s global marketplace than by experiencing it directly.”

Global Immersion: Seeing Emerging Markets in a New Light

The Global Programs at the School of Business provide opportunities for students of all majors—both undergraduate and graduate—to experience the most important and dynamic emerging markets in the world

Over the course of 10 years, Sean Jasso, has led UCR students on 25 global immersion trips: 11 trips to Oxford, England; two to India; one to Turkey; seven trips to China; and four to Vietnam. All of them have one thing in common.

“A global mindset changes you,” says Jasso, professor of practice for the School of Business. “Whether it’s in England or Saigon, it changes you. It teaches perspective. It also inspires you to think competitively and differently about your position in the marketplace—which is pretty much a global marketplace.”

Offered exclusively through UCR’s School of Business, the Global Immersion programs provide opportunities for students of all majors, undergraduate and graduate, to gain international experience through a first-hand look at the most important, dynamic, and emerging markets in the world.

In recent years, the trips have focused on entrepreneurial leadership, with emerging-market destinations chosen for their roles in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the changing world of work.

UCR business students visit Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England.

Although one of the regular destinations, Oxford, is not an emerging market, it offers the opportunity for students to be in residence in the world’s oldest English-speaking university— and to visit the startup environment of East London.

One student described his exposure to world-class lectures and site visits by saying, “The Oxford Program opened doors for me.” Jasso agrees, saying every international experience will enhance a student’s profile for employment. “If someone sees Oxford on your résumé, or another international university, that’s going to get you out of the pile of applications,” he says. “For an employer, I think it shows that you take risks and that you put yourself out there.”

COVID-19 disrupted global immersion plans last year, and there are tentative plans for late-2021 and 2022 trips, which may include Oxford, Vietnam, Brazil, China, and a series of short programs in U.S. centers of commerce: Washington, D.C.; Silicon Valley; and New York City.

True to the description of global immersion, each trip involves extensive, personal encounters with local cultures, whether through food, service projects, or daily life.

“You’re going to eat food out of your comfort zone, adapt and compete, and gain that perspective beyond the media, beyond stereotype,” Jasso says. “It’s not about luxury, it’s about learning.” — By Darin Estep

Loch Ness and London

Trips to Scotland—to study advertising and marketing— and London—to study business leadership—are led by faculty with deep knowledge and experience in each region

The pandemic has upended travel plans worldwide, but Loch Ness is waiting. And so, Sherryl Berg-Ridenour is still looking forward to taking UCR students to Scotland’s famed lake—not to hunt for the fabled monster, but to witness how it is advertised. “I want them to see how the folklore is interweaved with the marketing message and to observe the consumer behavior of those coming to Loch Ness,” says Berg-Ridenour, a School of Business lecturer, who plans summer Faculty Led Education Abroad Programs, which will resume as soon as pandemic safety protocols will allow.

A group led by Assistant Professor of Teaching in Management Kyle E. Ingram will travel to London to focus on business leadership and understanding human behavior within organizations. Over three weeks, the London Leadership Experience curriculum includes visits to the offices of Google and Deutsche Bank, and students will present projects to be judged by panels of international business leaders.

“I think one of the greatest initiatives we have within our undergraduate program, in particular, is creating opportunity and experience,” says Ingram. “In the international context, you develop business skills, form new perspectives, and generate global connections.” — By Darin Estep

Lecturer Sherryl Berg-Ridenour, far left, with students in Ireland