International study tour 2022 – Gearing students of Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship & Family Business Management, NMIMS for the future
The International study tour undertaken by the students of NMIMS’ Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship and Family Business Management was a window to the global world of business and technology. `
Mumbai, 14th December, 2022: The students of NMIMS’ Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship & Family Business Management (PDSE&FB)- the twenty-third cohort traveled to Belgium, Austria, Germany and Switzerland as a part of their international study trip. These trips are a part of the School’s pedagogy to help students gain a global perspective firsthand. Through these visits, the students explored and learned about design and innovation, global business prospects and gained cross-cultural learning experiences.
Led by the Director of Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship & Family Business Management, the students met and interacted with top management, founders and CEOs of several successful companies. Prof. Seema Mahajan said, “The goal of this year’s industrial visit was to provide exposure to students on global brand positioning, significant design and innovation that is happening around the world, and to address the various challenges one faces while entering a foreign market, develop a modern perspective, and instill in them the notion of best global practices.” We are seeing a positive shift in the mindset of people with family businesses. There is an evident passion for creating a legacy. This kind of international exposure helps the Gen Z to understand and learn the necessary technical skill sets, how to incorporate good governance, compliance and world-class best practices to take their business to the next level. Sharing the rich experiences of more than 6,000 plus alumni also helps them widen their horizons.”
In order to make the most of the international trip, the cohort had a packed 12-day schedule with visits to 14 firms across the four countries. The students got a chance to visit and learn from firms like IMEC, Riedel Glass, Schindler, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Erdinger to name a few.
At Leuven, a city in Belgium, the students learned about the key business prospects and how the relationship between India and Belgium improved further. Whereas, at Comet Group, they understood how to translate ideas into successful prototypes, besides how to develop go-to-market strategies. The cohorts also got a chance to visit CommScope – wireless automation with 17965 patents, which gave them a glimpse of the evolving communication landscape.
Continuing the learning experience, at the BASF headquarters in Germany, the students were shown how a firm developed a world-class chemical production facility and continued investing in pioneering technology for superabsorbent polymers. At Erdinger, a private brewery in Erding, Germany, provided students with the opportunity to learn about effectively managing a global supply chain.
The Swiss multinational company named Schindler, famous for manufacturing elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, demonstrated how to shape the cities of tomorrow through technology and innovation, exploring opportunities to provide intelligent, inclusive and sustainable urban mobility.
Further, Prof. Seema Mahajan added, “It was not all work and no play for the students; they also had the chance to understand culture and business etiquettes and learn valuable practical lessons about scaling and expanding businesses across borders. Visiting every company and meeting senior strategy officials offered the students a new learning experience.” She firmly believes that unless and until you explore new paths you cannot succeed in the VUCA world.”