The UNE Business School offers our students exciting opportunities to participate in two UNE Business School International Study Tours in Trimester 2 and 3 2017.

A Study Tour is an “immersion experience”, introducing students to the cultural and business environment of a nation which plays a key role in the global economy and in particular for Australia. In carefully tailored programs, selected students have an opportunity to explore cultural diversity, business networking and development opportunities in these dynamic and rapidly developing economies of Australia’s biggest trading partners.

The power of the “selfie”- UNE Business School and IPB – Bogor Agricultural University students get to know each other at a dinner event during Ramadan while in Indonesia. Peter Lloyd, guiding our students and facilitating fantastic international connections amongst industry and education providers, shared this image, saying “I think best illustrates one of the enduring outcomes from the UNE Business School International programs. This is the cross cultural aspect, and the ability to learn from and enjoy the company of students  from other institutions and cultures. We had invited both staff and students to join us for dinner. The warmth and openness of the Indonesian students was pleasing also”.

Over 2 weeks, students experienced the diversity of Indonesia, one of our closest and most important trading partners. With rich soils and natural resources, Indonesia has a thriving agricultural industry. The tour navigated over the four islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Lombok. Starting in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which is not only Indonesia’s most populous city but also the world’s most populous island, the group were briefed by trade officials at the Australian Embassy. The trip included visitations to a feedlot, rice plantations, palm oil projects and irrigation systems. Students were also lucky enough to experience Indonesia’s rich culture, visiting the ancient temple of Borobudur in Java and the unique and vibrant arts of Bali.

Having recently returned from our Indonesian tour, Dr Tony Ramsay shares:

With the UNE Business School’s continuing encouragement in internationalising our curriculum, the recent OSSE300-500 Study Tour to Indonesia was a great success on many levels. With Australia continuing to build on our already strategically important relationship with Indonesia, the tour allowed students to both network and build cultural literacy which is something prospective employers continue to look for in graduates.

While good grades are important to prospective employers, critical soft skills like adoptability, flexibility and the capacity to build a global mind-set continue to be of fundamental importance given that we are very much operating within “the Asian Century”. Accordingly, the UNE Business School asks all unit coordinators to promote these study programs as we position our students to be “active global citizens”.”

Students shared their experiences and impressions with those of us living vicariously via social media – interested parties can check out some fantastic photos via UNE Business School’s Facebook page – with special thanks to UNE students Miles and Charlie, who’s photography skills painted a fantastic picture of their experience.

Miles shares:

Over 14 days I was lucky enough to travel throughout Indonesia with a group of 15 from UNE. We flew into Jakarta and slowly made our way down to Bali, traveling to four different islands in total. What I found amazing was how vastly different the islands were, with differing cultures, religions and governmental policies.

UNE students at Borobudur temple, Jogyakarta – Morgan, Robbie, Melinda, Ebony, Miles, Peta, Liz and Sarah.

Apart from receiving the insights from briefings from the likes of NAB and the Australian Embassy, we also received an insight into the lives of the lower, middle, and upper classes of Indonesia. Shortly after traversing the backstreets of the wet markets of Jakarta, we visited one of the most luxurious malls in the country. Needless to say we couldn’t afford anything but the experience of Indonesia we were obtaining was something you wouldn’t achieve from a normal holiday to the country.

The highlight of my trip was our time in Yogyakarta, which is over looked by the active volcano Merapi. We visited the world heritage site Borobudur Temple which is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, and the carvings on the temple and the surrounding scenery was surreal. This trip was awesome, allowing us to obtain both business and cultural insights as well as experiencing the full range that Indonesia has to offer.”

Our next group of students will be visiting China, led by Dr George Chen – their tour focuses on “Global Business Innovation” and sets off on October 29. You can follow their experiences via the UNE Business School Facebook page.

Pretty as a postcard … students from UNE Business School have been in Indonesia as part of this year’s International Study Tours. Their visit to Yogyakarta took them to the Sultan Royal Place, a site that includes the Taman Sari Water Castle pictured here. Their day also included a visit to Universitas Gajah Mada campus (UGM), who showed them through the Animal Husbandry and Animal Science faculties, as well as the Agro Technology Innovation Centre.