Hokies at the Taj Mahal
March 6, 2019
Management faculty member Reed Kennedy led 11 students on a two-week trip in January to India and the United Arab Emirates to study business, culture, and leadership.
The program allowed students to experience two countries that are economic “giants” that have considerable potential for growth and competition and that are neighbors in the region but have different cultural and political environments, said Kennedy.
The program comprised class time, visits to businesses and a university, and excursions to cultural and historical sites, including the Taj Mahal, local markets, the world’s tallest building. The business visits were in cities known for their growth in market and service-oriented businesses and their world-renowned business institutions: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Hyderabad in India, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
Students also learned various leadership styles and reflected on their own leadership style during group discussions.
Visiting a school in India, where the children learn how to fix cell phones and computers. Left to right: Ethan Williams, Katie Pearson, Cat Piper, Gelila Reta, Nick Clark. (Photos courtesy of Reed Kennedy)
Suited up for a tour of Nourish Organics, a startup organic food business in India. (Photos courtesy of Reed Kennedy)
The aquarium at the world's largest mall, next to the world's tallest building, in Dubai. First row: Gelila Reta, Charlie Young. Second row: Katie Pearson, Brent Yantis, Andrew Coyle. Third row: Cat Piper, Ethan Wiliams, Sid Muralidhar, Rehan Ghani, Victoria Jones, Nick Clark, Reed Kennedy. Photos courtesy of Reed Kennedy
At the 4th largest mosque in the world, in Abu Dhabi. First row: Gelila Reta, Katie Pearson, Cat Piper, Victoria Jones, Reed Kennedy. Second row: Brent Yantis, Rehan Ghani, Andrew Coyle, Nick Clark, Sid Muralidhar, Ethan Williams, Charlie Young. (Photos courtesy of Reed Kennedy)
Charlie Young and Sid Muralidhar riding an elephant to the top of an ancient palace in Jaipur, India. (Photos courtesy of Reed Kennedy)