Global Business Experience concludes with significant impact on students.

Over the past few months, the ESEG – Etapa Group College was involved in Global Business Experience 2024, an international academic exchange program designed to develop intercultural skills, social abilities, and business knowledge from the perspective of the host country.

The project began online on March 6th with the inaugural class and, on May 13th, the... ESEG received the 55 students and seven teachers from China, Belgium, United States, Netherlands e Brazil to host in-person activities.

Throughout the initiative, students were organized into mixed groups and received guidance from faculty mentors from each institution. Since March, the groups have had online and in-person classes, meetings, and gatherings to align presentations and expectations, focusing on the challenge of building business alternatives that would address the problems proposed by the partner companies. IEST Group, Higimed, Salus Group, MIDEA e Commercial Merit.

The activities were designed to help participants develop a better understanding of e-commerce, manufacturing, production lines, sales, management, and marketing. After a week of in-person interaction at ESEG Through immersion within the companies, the students proved ready to present everything they had developed.

The final stage of Global Business It took place on Saturday, May 18th, with presentations of the work developed by the students to teachers, representatives of the companies involved, and invited students.

The groups developed project plans that included, for example, a user-friendly app for scheduling appointments with networked dentists, solutions for e-commerce, and marketing and customer support initiatives.

Following the presentations, the students received certificates of excellence in the program issued by each of the participating institutions. The final outcome was the acquisition of enriching experiences and full recognition from various institutions in Europe, Asia, and America.

To Guilherme Machado, a 4th semester student of Computer Engineering in ESEG, The learning acquired during the program was enriching. GBE "It gave me an experience that I will carry with me for life! It brought me new friendships and a lot of knowledge. I was able to improve my English communication and learned a lot from the foreign students I met. I will definitely participate in future editions," she said.

A GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

O Global Business Experience, Although developed for students, it goes far beyond formal education.

The event provided students with a broad experience in different cultures. The exchange students had the chance to visit various typical places in Brazil, try our cuisine, get to know the city of São Paulo, and learn about our culture.

The Brazilian students, through their interactions, were able to learn more about the visiting countries and broaden their perspective on others.

“We really enjoyed working with the students from ESEG and other colleges around the world. Everyone was very collaborative and showed us a lot about São Paulo,” he said. Mélanie Cloes, student of Business Administration from the PXL University, Belgium.

Hanne Jaspers, A fellow student from the same course added: “It was challenging at times because of the cultural differences, but it was an incredible project to participate in. Thank you for the opportunity!”.

That's precisely the purpose of international initiatives: to broaden horizons. When study abroad programs include leisure and culture, they allow for a wider perspective on the experience, which helps participants better understand different people and see the world from a new perspective. And, of course, they also take back personal enrichment, with lots of fun and friendships.

“"I was very happy with the experience," he commented. Henry Noël, student of Zuyd University, us Netherlands. "It was great to learn about business and develop ourselves through the challenge, because we came here for work. But it was also great to make friends. Brazilians are amazing. Seriously, wow! I loved everything and I loved ESEG!".

IMPACT ON THE FUTURE

International experiences can be very important for career development, the job market, and studies. The most appealing factor of Global Business Experience to be hosted by ESEG This allowed Brazilian students to experience an exchange program without the costs of leaving Brazil.

By participating in the program, students learned valuable lessons, such as how to deal with people from cultures different from their own, understand the other person's point of view, develop resilience, and find ways to communicate when there are language barriers.

Michael Stoica, professor of Washburn University, us USA, sees the importance of projects like the Global Business Experience For the students themselves: “Students from the US don’t usually travel to other countries. So, this was an opportunity for them to have an international experience. This encounter with Brazilians, Chinese, and Europeans, as well as working together and all these relationships, was very important for them.”.

These skills are most clearly observed when applying to international companies or those native to the participating countries. Students who have spent months working with people from Chinese culture, for example, are more likely to adapt to a company from that country. China, because they have a better understanding of the country's work methods.

However, the skills developed are highly sought after in the job market. After all, it is essential for any professional to know how to adapt to the company culture, understand colleagues, communicate in various ways, etc.

To Vanessa Martins, professor and manager of ESEG International, It is rewarding to see the students develop as they participate in initiatives like this. "It is very gratifying to see our students developing at this level and creating partnerships that will last a lifetime. I am very proud that we have provided this opportunity to our students," he concluded.

Global Business Experience ends with important impact on students

The event brought together students from Belgium, the Netherlands, USA, China and Brazil in a three-month project at ESEG

During the last months, ESEG – Faculdade do Grupo Passo was involved in Global Business Experience 2024, an academic exchange program with the goal of developing intercultural competencies, social skills and business knowledge on the perspective of the host country.

The project began online on March, 6th, with an inaugural class. On May, 13th, ESEG welcomed 55 exchange students and seven teachers from China, Belgium, the Netherlands, USA and Brazil to start the in place activities.

During the initiative, the students were organized in mixed groups and were under the guidance from the teachers of each institution. Since March, the group had classes and online meetings to align presentations and their expectations while focusing on the challenge of building business alternatives as an answer to the problem proposed by fellow companies: IEST Group, Higimed, Grupo Salus, MIDEA and Mérito Comercial.

The activities were proposed in a way that the participants could develop better notions on e-commerce, manufacturing industry, assembly lines, sales, management and marketing. After a week of in-person familiarization at ESEG and immersion in each company, the students were ready to present everything they came up with.

Global Business's last steps occurred on Saturday, May 18th, with presentations on the work developed by students to their teachers, representative faces of the companies and their fellows.

Then, time to go to action! The group developed project plans that included, for example, an app to facilitate booking and following, in a net, dentists appointments; solutions to e-commerce, marketing actions and even customer's service.

After their presentation, students received Certificates of Excellence from each institution. The final result was the rich experiences and a full recognition from many educational institutions in Europe, Asia and America.

To Guilherme Machado, student of the 4th period of Computer Engineering at ESEG, what he learned during the program was enriching: "GBE offered me a life-changing experience! It brought me new friendships and a lot of knowledge. I got to improve my communication in other languages and learned a lot with the foreigner students I talked to. I will, for sure, participate in the next editions," he stated.

A GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

Even if Global Business Experience was developed as an academic activity, it goes way beyond tradition school.

The event proposed to the student a wide exposure and understanding of different cultures. Foreigner and exchange students had the chance to visit a lot of typical places in Brazil, got to try Brazilian cuisine, discovered the city of São Paulo and learned about our culture.

On the other hand, the Brazilian students got to understand more about the visitors and resonate their vision of others and cultural variations.

“"We really enjoyed working with ESEG's students and all other Universities from around the world. They were all very collaborative and showed us around," said Mélanie Cloes, major in Business Administration at PXL University, Belgium.

Hanne Jasper, her classmate, added: “It was a real challenge sometimes, due to our cultural differences, but it was an amazing project to be in. Thank you so much for the opportunity!”

And that is exactly the proposal of international initiatives: broadening horizons. When academic exchanges include culture and fun, there are usually better visions and experiences, which contributes to a stronger understanding of different people and a chance to see the world from a new perspective. Of course, that also includes personal enrichment, lots of fun and friendships.

“I was really happy with my experience,” commented Henry Noël, student of Zuyd University, from the Netherlands. “It was nice learning about business and developing ourselves with the challenge, because we are here to work. But it was also great making friends. Brazilian people are amazing, seriously. I loved everything, and I loved ESEG!”

FUTURE IMPACT

International experiences can have a great impact on the development of career, studies and job market persona. The most interesting thing of ESEG is allowing Brazilian students to live an exchange experience without the cost of traveling abroad.

By joining the program, students learned important lessons such as dealing with people from different cultures, getting to know each other's sides, developing resilience and finding new and creative ways to communicate when there are linguistic barriers.

Michael Stoica, professor of Washburn University in US, sees how important projects as Global Business Experience are to their students: “People from the USA don't usually travel abroad [while studying]. So, that's a way of them to live an international experience. This meeting with the Brazilian, Chinese and European, as well as the team work and all those other relationships, that was very impactful on them.”

These skills and abilities are clearly observed on job offering on international enterprises, or even business located on the nations that joined GBE. Students who worked for months working with Chinese people, for example, have greater chances of adapting to a company in China, because they have a better understanding of their work culture.

All in all, these abilities are greatly valued on job market in general. We can say it's mandatory, for any worker, to know how to adapt to the company cultures, understand their colleagues, know how to communicate in more than one way, etc.

To Vanessa Martins, our professor and manager of International ESEG, it is fulfilling to see the development of students after participating in projects like GBE. "It's gratifying to see our students developing at this level and creating partnerships that will stay for their whole lives. I am really proud of having the chance to propose something like this to our students," she finished.