A team of students from the Tuck School of Business recently traveled to South Africa to learn firsthand about the country’s business environment, social entrepreneurship opportunities and the role business plays in addressing social challenges such as poverty, inequality and HIV/AIDS.
The trip was part of a series of learning expeditions offered through the Tuck Center for International Business. Twenty students participated in the South African expedition, which was led by Professor Phil Stocken, a South African native.
The team visited companies in Johannesburg, Cape Town and beyond and learned about the current economic environment and how it has changed since the time of apartheid. Students got to see a wide range of businesses – from a gold mine to the largest commercial bank to small social entrepreneurs.
Lisa Miller of the Center for International Business sees the learning expeditions as a nice complement to what Tuck students learn in the classroom. “Overall I think the greatest benefit of these programs is getting students in country and challenging preconceived notions and opening up their thinking about the country in question,” she said.
Several participants shared that they have a whole new understanding of Africa as a result of participating in the learning expedition.
“I think the most important thing about going has been the demystification of the entire continent for me,” Jeff Wang T’11, said. “Being able to go and see the dynamism on the ground and the entrepreneurship and the optimism that actually exists there really was pretty eye-opening for me.”
Stocken, for his part, said it was quite a treat to return with students to South Africa. The trip was the first time he’d been back professionally in 20 years. He hopes students left with a richer understanding of the cultural diversity of South Africa and a deeper appreciation for business opportunities and possible jobs they might be interested in there.
“I would say that it had a huge influence on the way that I think about Africa as a place to invest or to do business,” said participant Elizabeth Roth T’10. “It’s different to actually see it on the ground,” she continued.
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