I recently participated in the Cambridge MBA International Business Study Trip to Seoul, South Korea, and safe to say it was probably one of the highlights of my MBA! Here are some of the epic things that happened and what I learnt from it:
We studied global macroeconomics, global trade and international business, trade interdependencies and dynamics that are currently taking over the global landscape. Thank you so much to CJBS Faculty Michael Kitson and Madeleine Rauch for some insightful discussions during my time there.
We visited some really revolutionary companies. My favourite visits were probably SK Telecom, where they showed us how they envisioned using high-speed networks to power everything from a hyper-loop to 3D surgery; EnergyX, where we visited the world’s second net-positive building, and SM Entertainment which was fascinating for me to learn about, considering my love for all things music.
It was great to also interact with some amazing start-up founders such as Mikkel Hoimyr, Quinn P, Jason Boutte, William Choi and Pankaj Agarwal, – you guys are such an inspiration!
I got the opportunity to visit the De-Militarised Zone between South & North Korea, which was an extremely interesting, but also sad and sobering, experience. We actually got a chance to interact and speak with some North Korean refugees who has escaped and found their way out. Their harrowing stories were a reminder, if anything, for myself to constantly use my privilege to help others. I think there is a lot to be said about how South Korea educates its public and encourages young people to visit the DMZ to learn valuable lessons from the past to help create a culture of peace advocacy.
Getting the chance to make new friends from my cohort that I perhaps would have not had the chance to interact with before!
Overall, our days were packed with academics, company visits, cultural events and bonding with friends as well as our professors. I am so grateful for this opportunity to have visited an amazing place like Seoul and have my tummy full of KBBQ and my suitcase full of skincare!
