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Two weeks in South Africa for the Global Immersion Experience | Photo essay by UBC MBA student Ivonne Arens

Cape Town, South Africa
Posted ─ 2023-04-05
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The Global Immersion Experience (GIE) is a flagship component of the UBC Master of Business Administration (MBA).  Students spend several months working on a consulting project to provide solutions to complex business challenges faced by an overseas company. They then embark on a two-week international trip as a culmination of their projects. This year, students travelled to one of four pre-selected locations: Spain, Israel, Chile, and South Africa.

Step into the shoes of UBC MBA student Ivonne Arens

Look through her personal photographs and read first-hand reflections on the best moments of her trip to South Africa.

Finally in Cape Town

After more than 30 hours travelling to reach one of the world's most distant cities from Vancouver, we finally arrived in South Africa to start our Global Immersion Experience.
 

Local show

For our welcome dinner, we visited an African restaurant where we learned how to play drums, listened to music accompanied by beautiful dances, and tried various types of local cuisine.
 

Mandela is everywhere

Reading the pre-trip materials made me understand the tremendous impact that Nelson Mandela had, and continues to have, on South Africa. Although his leadership brought significant improvements to the country, South Africa still has a long way to go. Last year, a World Bank report ranked it the most unequal country in the world.

Encountering African Penguins

During our visit to Boulders Beach, we were amazed to see many African penguins living in their natural habitat, and they were so close to us!

Extraordinary client, extraordinary project

Working on the GIE project with my team was a fantastic experience. From our initial virtual meeting with the client while we were still in Vancouver, I knew that everything would go smoothly and that it would be an outstanding project. Meeting our client in person and carrying out the project abroad in a country very different from our own reality was an enriching experience.

 

Safari adventure

After finishing the two weeks of the GIE, I took a few days off with some of my MBA friends to visit Kruger National Park, one of the best places to experience a safari. As you can see, we had the incredible opportunity to see lions just a few metres away from us, along with many other amazing animals.

An unforgettable experience

I had heard incredible things about the GIE before starting my MBA, but it wasn't until I lived it myself that I truly understood.

When I saw that South Africa was one of the four possible GIE destinations, I was so excited to go there. The GIE brought me out of my comfort zone and, at the same time, exceeded my expectations in many ways.

At the beginning, it was difficult to understand our client project since it involved an industry that was unfamiliar to me. After several meetings, extensive research, and consultations with professors, we found the right direction that ultimately led us to deliver a project that our client was thrilled with. It's satisfying to know that the work we did will be used by the company.

Coming from South America, it is easy to relate and empathize with some of the struggles and realities of South Africa. Throughout the trip, I reflected on how different and how similar our regions are.

Overall, the GIE was an unforgettable experience and one of the highlights of my MBA. Beyond learning about South Africa, I also had the opportunity to create lasting memories outside the classroom with my MBA friends. I am grateful to UBC Sauder and the University of Cape Town for making this experience possible.