As one of the most diverse business schools in the nation, Simon Business School is proud to support and celebrate a cross-cultural experience for every student. Immersion courses enhance global awareness by allowing students to explore the business world outside the borders of Rochester and beyond. Led by Simon faculty, each Immersion is an elective course that incorporates engagement with business and community leaders, cultural visits, and reflection in order to evolve each student’s understanding of what it means to do business.
We continually work to expand our International Immersion offerings and offer several each year on a rotating schedule. See below what is available for today’s Simon Business School students.
To learn more, email us at admissions@simon.rochester.edu or call (585) 275-3533.
Switzerland: International Finance Course
Explore Western European business and culture in the heart of on of the world’s most historically stable financial capitals. Students will learn about the risks and rewards facing firms that operate in international financial markets as they travel to Bern, Lucerne, and other Swiss cities. This course is compromised of classroom sessions that overlook the beautiful Swiss countryside, and features guest lectures from leaders in Swiss banking, financial management, government, and more. Students will have the opportunity to engage with peers from the Rochester-Bern Executive MBA program at the University of Bern, as well as with alums of the program in various C-suite roles across the country.
Brazil: Global Marketing Strategy Course
Discover how environmental, sustainability, and social change efforts are helping a fast-growing Brazil attract global business. Students will have the opportunity to visit local, regional, and international firms to answer several questions: How and why are companies entering a complex, diverse market that is so vital to the region’s survival? What are the challenges that business face in doing so, and what solutions are created to address them? With time spent in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the vibrancy and depth of Brazilian culture will be on full display, and students will have the opportunity to give forward through direct engagement with local communities.
Singapore: Business, Government, and Society
Through case studies and visits with corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and the expat community, learn how various sectors have worked together to spark the exponential growth experienced by Singapore in the last four decades. Students will have freedom to explore the diverse neighborhoods of this island-nation, while also learning about its rich history and the challenges that have inspired such rapid investment in innovation. As a practitioner of diplomacy through orchids (yes, orchids) and recycler of nearly 100% of the nation’s water supply (with zero natural resources to claim), Singapore is a fascinating playground for students to immerse themselves in a forward-thinking approach to problem-solving.
South Africa: Entrepreneurship Education
Examine the parallels between the historical, geographical, political, and social complexities of Rochester and South Africa through a course that focuses on entrepreneurship as a problem solving tool. Students will meet with local entrepreneurs in Rochester as well as Cape Town and Johannesburg to better understand the true meaning and power of entrepreneurship as a mindset. This course incorporates visits with peer students at The University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science, as well as the incredibly talented students of the African Leadership Academy, and would not be complete without an immersive dive into the music, food, color, and animal conservation that make up the fabric of South Africa.
