News

Spring Break Global Immersions Connect Students to Businesses Driving Change around the World

Spring break is a time for Gabelli School of Business students to build their experiential learning by immersing themselves in the cultures and business environments of countries around the world. During the week of March 13, undergraduate and graduate students traveled to Europe, South America, and Asia to broaden their horizons and expand upon lessons learned in the classroom. Each experience included visits to companies and organizations that closely align with the School’s deep commitment to doing “business with purpose.” Students also participated in consulting projects that provided the opportunity to identify, analyze, and find solutions for real-world business challenges.

Professional MBA students traveled to Madrid, Spain, packing in visits to 14 companies across emerging business sectors—from artificial intelligence to transportation, and energy to sustainable fabrics. They also had the opportunity to tour historical sites in Madrid and Toledo, and enjoy social and cultural events, including a tapas cooking class.

First-year, full-time MBA students journeyed to Lisbon, Portugal, where they explored traditional agricultural sectors including olives, wine, and cork and also visited companies focused on the future. These included StartUp Barreiro, a business incubator centered on culture, creativity, and sustainability, and Fintech House, the largest hub for fintech, regtech, insurtech, and cybersecurity in Portugal, among others.

Gabelli School of Business students traveled near and far over Spring Break, studying global business, touring a variety of companies, and experiencing different cultures.

Full-time MBA students from Fordham Gabelli School of Business visited agricultural leaders, fintech firms, and business startups in Portugal as they all gather together outside smiling and posing for a picture while a few individuals in the front hold a dark burgundy Fordham Gabelli School of Business banner flag.

Full-time MBA students visited agricultural leaders, fintech firms, and business startups in Portugal.

Ignite Scholars learned about textile manufacturing in North Carolina.

Fordham Gabelli School of Business master’s students visited several companies in London, including Harrods, where they learned about the luxury department store’s sustainable business model as the street is seen filled with so many people walking on the sidewalk and double decker buses nearby on the road.

Master’s students visited several companies in London, including Harrods, where they learned about the luxury department store’s sustainable business model.

M.S. in Management students traveled to London, where they toured the city and attended sessions at Fordham’s London Campus. They also visited Harrods luxury department store and learned about its sustainable business model. In addition, they visited junee, a company that manufactures reusable packaging for food and beverages, and Fashion Enter, a social enterprise that is a center of ethical garment manufacturing.

Sophomores in the undergraduate Global Business Honors Program also went to London, gaining insights from executives, including Nicholas Garrott, the former economic advisor to Boris Johnson when he served as mayor of London; Ciro Reynoso, cofounder and CEO of Spaze Ltd, a web application for charities and community groups that tackle social challenges; and Daniel Black, global talent attraction and acquisition leader at EY.

Undergraduate students from Fordham Gabelli School of Business toured a Chilean vineyard as they all gather together outside glancing upon a map showing the numerous different points of interest throughout the vineyard on a bright clear sunny day.

Undergraduate students toured a Chilean vineyard.

Undergraduate students from Fordham Gabelli School of Business got a behind-the-scenes look at the Central Bank of Chile as they all are sitting down at a long table with a man informing the individuals how the Central Bank of Chile works through a presentation on a screen indoors in a conference room.

Undergraduate students then got a behind-the-scenes look at the Central Bank of Chile.

Along with a packed agenda of 14 company visits in Madrid, MBA students from Fordham Gabelli School of Business enjoyed a tapas cooking class as a woman and a man have aprons on learning how to make tapas next to each other as they glance downward at the food dishes.

Along with a packed agenda of 14 company visits in Madrid, MBA students wound down with a tapas cooking class.

A group of students in the Global Business Honors Program and the Ignite Scholars Program headed to Santiago, Chile, where they attended lectures on the country’s economy at the Jesuit Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago. They also learned about Chile’s renewable energy sector and visited the Central Bank of Chile and the Viña Casas del Bosque for a private tour of a vineyard. In addition, they traveled to Valparaiso, a port city on the Pacific Ocean. They wrapped up with the “Chilean Challenge,” a competition designed to help them remember all they had experienced.

Students in the B.S. in Marketing went on a nine-day excursion to Japan—“Marketing and the City: Tokyo.” They toured the city, focusing on topics from building signage and brand identity in Shinjuku to package design at the DIY creative life superstore, Tokyu Hands, in Shibuya to co-branding, including BICQLO, a collaboration between Bic Camera and Uniqlo. They also traveled to Kyoto to explore the rich history of this former capital city.

A group of Gabelli School Ignite scholars, hosted by the nonprofit group, the Industrial Commons, visited North Carolina, where they focused on the circular economy in the textile industry and the importance of addressing broader community needs. They visited a number of regional companies and organizations that are involved in the sustainable manufacturing and distribution of textiles and that address social and environmental justice issues.

—Paola Curcio-Kleinman

Back to Issue