School of Management students explore international business

Nearly three dozen PwC Scholars journeyed through Singapore and Malaysia this winter as part of the program’s annual international trip. Over the course of 10 days, the scholars explored many historically and culturally significant sites and gained insight into conducting international business.

Students were accompanied by Dina Layish, program director and visiting assistant professor, and Shawn Londo, adjunct lecturer, as well as Ally Rao and Lauren Murphy from PwC.

The first four days of the trip were spent in Singapore, where the group visited a number of sights including the Singapore Zoo, Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. They also explored mosques and temples in the Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown areas.

The group spent a day in PwC’s Singapore office, where they were joined by PwC partner Matthew Singer ’96. They learned about business practices in Southeast Asia as well as the company’s new “flex” initiatives and secondment opportunities. They also toured PwC’s Experience Center and took part in a workshop in design thinking, a practice that puts design and human interaction at the forefront of strategy.

The last few days of the trip were spent in Malaysia’s tropical Penang and Kuala Lumpur. The scholars visited Putrajaya, the historic city of Malacca and the Petronas Twin Towers, and they climbed 272 steps to explore the Batu Caves.

The trip concluded with a dinner on the top rotating floor of the Kuala Lumpur Tower. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, the international trip allows participating scholars an opportunity to consider a future in international business. The location of next year’s trip will be announced at the group’s year-end banquet this spring.