ESEG students participate in a technical visit to Natura.

In addition to strong classroom instruction, ESEG – Faculdade do Grupo Etapa also encourages technical visits to enhance theoretical content. Thus, undergraduate students from the Administration, Economics, Law, Computer Engineering, and Production Engineering programs visited the Natura factory on May 30th. During the technical visit in the city of Cajamar/SP, they learned more about the company's history and operations, with a focus on its sustainability practices.

Professor and coordinator of the Business Administration course, José Guilherme Campos, commented on the activity: “The students were able to experience in practice topics such as Production Systems, Logistics, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Innovation, and Product Development.”. 

Throughout the tour, the students visited the innovation center, three laboratories (development, maker, and fragrances), product factories, an automated distribution center, among other spaces.

Victor Kim, a Production Engineering student, recounts his experience: “I was able to observe aspects I had learned in the classroom. As a younger person without much contact with the business side, these visits allow me to get an idea of how companies operate in today's market. This sparked my enthusiasm for visiting companies in different sectors.”.

Fernando do Couto Henriques Junior, professor and coordinator of the Law course, explains how the visit was applied to the undergraduate program. “Regarding the Law course, it’s important for students to see firsthand how the knowledge, initially built in the classroom, is being applied in companies.” Furthermore, Fernando highlighted the company's commitment to sustainability. “Always present in all aspects and details of the plant, respecting not only current environmental regulations but also promoting something more than that, the company raises awareness among its employees and visitors about these practices. There is also the use of part of the plant's area maintained as a green area, not incorporated into the forest, to recover the Atlantic Forest; this was something that caught the attention of the Law students.”.

Joana Magalhães, a graduate student in Business Administration, shared her thoughts on the activity: “I must say it was incredible. All the areas with conveyor belt processes reminded me a lot of my Fundamentals of Administration classes where we learned about Taylorism and Fordism. It's amazing to see that these concepts have been studied for years and are still used today. The technical visits provide a broad understanding of organizational areas and positions that you wouldn't even imagine exist. They allow us to experience, in practice, the content covered in the classroom and inspire us to explore diverse areas of knowledge.”.

For Mariana Laureano, an Economics student, understanding the entire routine process was fundamental to understanding Natura's market position. “It was possible to observe how the company expresses in its routine and structure the ideals it preaches, from the human aspect to sustainability, which builds its identity and brand. It's interesting to note how complex the process of a product is from its creation to its final source, the customer, and how much it needs various sectors, organization, and protocols to succeed.” She also adds about the importance of technical visits: “I believe that activities like this are important for us to see in practice the routine of a company and its spheres, which broadens our range of options for working in the market. Until now, I hadn't considered the possibility of working for a multinational company until I saw the structure that Natura provides to its employees.”. 

Also present on the visit, in addition to coordinators Fernando Couto and José Guilherme, were professors Karla Ayala Carvalho and Tobias Parente. José Guilherme concludes by emphasizing the importance of extracurricular activities. “Technical visits are fundamental for students to see firsthand how the knowledge, initially built in the classroom, is being applied in companies. Natura, specifically, is considered a benchmark in terms of innovation and sustainability, and it is where we find the most advanced production practices on the market today.”.