I have to admit, I wasn’t initially enthused about the London/Paris Mid-Semester Module. Though the topic is definitely of interest (a Focus on Energy), prior to Business school… I’d always daydream & envision these Global trips to be of the sort that takes you to a far away exotic new place that you might not normally have been able to visit if not for B-School. Places like Istanbul, Izmir and Ephesus in Turkey, Nicaragua and all over Japan 
. I mention those specifically because those were the destinations of the other three modules at GBS this year. London, though quite a lovely city, was hardly far away, neither was it exotic and new, having lived there and visit often due to having tons of family and friends there. I was also a bit bummed out at first, because as it turned out, a lot of my friends were going on different trips, so bonding outside of school on a foreign adventure was also going to be partly negated.
But as the trip neared, I decided to make the most out of my trip. I was going to have a great time, and that was the end of it =). And I did =)! First, I should explain what the Mid-Semester Module is to those who aren’t familiar. In the middle of every spring semester, we take a short hiatus to engage in real-time skills and experience building opportunities. These modules explore a current topic within the context of an international setting and focus on business leadership in other countries. About 50% of the school opts for an International Module, while the remainder opt for Modules in Atlanta. This year, our choices for International Modules were to Turkey, Japan, London/Paris and Nicaragua. Some modules are more popular than others, and as would be expected, there is a “bid” system in which 2nd years have seniority to select trips first.
Long story short, I was on the London/Paris trip. But through careful and deliberate planning, I decided to fully maximize my learning experience by making this trip a complete Euro-trip like I had always wanted to do! As it turned out, our Spring Break was planned for the week right after the Mid-Semester Modules, so instead of flying back to Atlanta, I decided to be adventurous and visit 4 other countries as well! I visited Brussels – Belgium, Amsterdam – The Netherlands, Copenhagen – Denmark and Milan – Italy… all places I had never been before! Luckily, I was not alone. In particular, Amsterdam was a very popular post-Module choice for a number of us. In fact, the only times I was alone on my trips was when I spent a day in Copenhagen, Denmark and the last 2.5 day stop to Milan, Italy.
The module itself was really good! Well planned, organized and very efficient and informative. Our beloved Principled Leader =), Professor Hill, was great. Professor Hill is very knowledgeable and well traveled and of course, very passionate about Energy. He teaches the core Economics course and electives such a Project Finance. I enjoyed learning from someone with such in depth knowledge about a variety of topics. Our dinner table conversations ranged from Energy itself, to Global Warming, to World Travel, to Macro Economics and even to discussions about food around the world! Professor Hill is sort of a food aficionado, having tasted many different cuisines from all over the world.
The company visits themselves were also great! Our hosts were warm, personable, welcoming and eager to bestow their knowledge upon us. (As a side bar: I have to mention the hard-work that schoolmates Igor Fisl and Nicolas Jacquet did to make these company visits happen and also help plan various aspects of the trip. Great job guys! . Our visits in the UK were to National Grid, Ofgem and ExxonMobil, while in Paris, they were to IEA, EDF and Total (IEA’s was a hotel visit though). The topics ranged from alternative energy sources to oil & gas demand & supply outlook and electricity regulation. Before leaving for London/Paris, we also had some visits here in the US as well, first to Plant Vogtle, a Nuclear Energy Power Plant co-owned by Georgia Power, OPC, MEAG and the City of Dalton, then to Mirant’s Energy Trading Floor.
Overall, I learned a great deal about Energy, as well Global Economics & doing Business in England and France from this Module and I’m very glad I did it! By far my favorite part about Business School is Experiential Learning. It’s one thing to read about something in a book, it’s another to see it in action. These are the learning experiences that tend to stick with me forever.
A fun and fulfilling trip it was! I am sure my fellow London/Paris “Modulers” would echo that sentiment as well. Here are some pictures we snapped! Hope you enjoy! =)
Please view lots more pictures in the sets on my flickr page: located here.
Read the full article: Mid-Semester Module and Euro-Touring!