South Africa – Alive with Possibilities! - A Business and Cultural Exploration
2008 Exploration Seminar in South Africa
**THIS PROGRAM IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS**
Program Director: Rick McPherson & Mike Johnson ~ Business
Dates of Instruction: August 25 - September 21, 2008
South Africa is a country that is “alive with possibilities” and a place where you can “see all the world in one country”. This is a unique opportunity to learn about such a diverse country from an insider’s point of view. Mike Johnson lived in South Africa for 2 years and has family living there now. With the largest economy on the African continent, South Africa is:
- A nation transforming itself after the years of apartheid into a “multi-racial democracy”.
- Experiencing the challenges of severe differences in income (13% are living in “first world conditions” while almost 50% live in “third world conditions”).
- Facing the opportunities and challenges of the globalization forces at work.
- Where English is a dominant language creating opportunities for students to “mingle” with the locals.
 This Seminar will focus on three areas:
- South Africa as an emerging business location
- Key emerging leadership issues – service leadership, global leadership and leadership of change in diversity and culture.
- The business and social issues facing emerging nations, which will allow students to experience the issues first hand and allow them to relate their experiences to the issues facing other developing nations.
The South Africa Seminar will provide the students with a variety of experiences including:
- Interactive discussions and tours with 12 different businesses or organizations. A high emphasis will be placed on creating opportunities for students to interact with others to gain a personal understanding of the culture, business practices, challenges and opportunities.
- A service-learning project to build community and contribute to this beautiful country.
- Several home stays with different South African families.
- An exploration of South Africa’s rich wildlife with a 3-day trip to Kruger National Park (home of leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo).
- Multiple free days where students can explore areas on their own including other wildlife adventures, shopping, exploring and interacting with the people of this beautiful country.
 We will be visiting 4 locations during our 20-day stay – Johannesburg/Pretoria, Kruger National Park, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. We will have several days of classroom time before departing so that we have a common understanding of the country, business concepts and cultural expectations. Our Exploration Seminar will seek to:
- Provide a rich cultural experience so that students are better prepared to understand the forces shaping the world that they will live and work in over their careers and lives.
- Acquire an understanding of the challenges and opportunities of global business.
- Serve as a vehicle for developing an understanding of the business climate in South Africa and to extrapolate the learnings to better understand the issues facing developing countries.
- Learn about Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Learn about global culture and business etiquette.
- Inspire intellectual curiosity regarding developing countries and globalization issues.
 This exploration Seminar is open to all undergraduate students at the University of Washington’s various campuses. It should be of particular interest to students interested in business, international studies and various social science areas.
Please contact Mike Johnson at mdj3@u.washington.edu or Rick McPherson at rsmcpher@u.washington.edu, both of whom are faculty members in the UW Foster School of Business.
Participants will receive 5 credits in Business (BA 300 or MGMT 490) or Comparative History of Ideas (CHID) 473 - Africa Study Abroad (I&S). Participants should check with their academic advisors to determine how these credits may apply to major requirements.
 Student costs:
$3,400 Program Fee
$200 IPE Fee
Additional costs include: RT airfare to South Africa, insurance, most meals, and personal spending money.
Back to Exploration Seminar List of Programs
|
