Rohnert Park, California - The School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Sonoma State University (SSU) today announced that Sonoma Executive MBA students will be in South Africa and Botswana from September 10 - 23 for the program's international consulting and experiential learning component. International study tours distinguish the Sonoma Executive MBA curriculum by providing students exposure to international operations in business, education, government, non-profit, technology, tourism, and healthcare, and opportunities to interface and work directly with professionals and counterparts in different countries of origin.
"Students come away from the international consulting tours with a global network and fresh perspective on their strategic direction, both personal and professional. More than the satisfaction of engaging and aiding leaders abroad is the skills development that comes from working on real business challenges with a diverse group in a foreign setting," John Stayton, Executive Director of Graduate and Executive Programs said.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the group will meet with officials of the U.S. Commercial Service, the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. The schedule also includes a visit with executives at MTN Group, a telecommunications firm that operates in 24 countries in Africa, to discuss their use of innovation and entrepreneurship to address Africa's challenges.
In Cape Town, South Africa, students are scheduled to engage with PRDW, an international group of port and coastal consulting engineers; Ogilvy & Mather, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world; Medscheme, a medical aid administration and health risk management company operating in Africa and internationally; Explore Sideways, a travel guide company seeking counsel on the strategy and viability of entering the California market; Deaf Hands at Work, a non-profit that facilitates career opportunities for the deaf community, which is seeking to scale its operation nationwide; and Philippi Village, a co-working community for entrepreneurs.
Meetings in Gaborone, Botswana begin with the Debswana Diamond Company and mine, a partnership between the Republic of Botswana and DeBeers Group of Companies. Students will also connect with officials at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Botswana, which manages a Development Credit Authority (DCA) with Barclays Bank, focused on providing credit to small businesses to create jobs and diversify the economy, particularly within the health care sector and efforts to reduce the rate of HIV infection. In Pilanesberg, Botswana, students will visit with the general manager at Kwa Maritane Game Lodge, a resort that operates inside the Pilanesberg National Park, to discuss efforts to balance its impact on the environment with its benefit to the country's economy.
For more information about the Sonoma Executive MBA international consulting tour to South Africa and Botswana, or for information regarding advanced degree programs in the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University, please call 707-664-3501, email mba@sonoma.edu, or visit www.sonoma.edu/mba.