South Africa, here we come! As part of the Massey School’s graduate program, 18 graduate students and I departed today for Cape Town. This International Business Field Study course is unique among graduate business programs because all Massey graduate students are required to complete one international trip during their degree program. Though we will be in South Africa for only a little more than a week, we have a full itinerary. We plan to visit with various businesses and hear from a number of speakers in order to learn more about doing business in South Africa. In addition, this trip includes a special focus on social entrepreneurship. We are going to see real-life examples of how individuals have used their entrepreneurial skills to solve social problems and empower the poor, and in the process, better understand the interrelationships between poverty, AIDS, and economic development. The trip is not all about business, however. We also plan to see why many people consider South Africa to be the most beautiful country in the world. In the process, we might even catch sight of a baboon, an elephant, and hopefully some African penguins.
