Boeing

Our visit with Boeing on Wednesday, January 13 went beyond just talking about airplanes. Fakher Daghestani, Communications Director, began the presentation with an overview of the Middle Eastern business climate, spanning northern Africa to Iran.


Many of us were surprised to hear that the term "Middle East" is a relatively new concept. Not too long ago it was not uncommon to hear the region referred to as the "Arab world." We also learned about the opportunities and challenges facing the area. Though the Middle East is experiencing rapid economic diversification and regional integration, it is still experiencing a high rate of unemployment.

As they did in 2009, Boeing presented a thought provoking survey of issues. Once again, students raved about their hospitality and generosity.

Thanks to Tae Sung Hyon (Full-Time MBA '10) for working with Boeing to get this meeting scheduled and for an excellent presentation to prepare us for the meeting. Check out the presentation from one of our pre-trip class meetings below the video players.

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Boeing Company Presentation

View more presentations from the trip by clicking here.

Burj Al Arab and Jumeriah Group

There was no better way to kick off our first day in Dubai than with a trip to the iconic Burj Al Arab--the world's only seven-star hotel. This sail-shaped building boasts the world's tallest atrium at 180 meters in height and contains 202 duplex suites. We were fortunate to get a tour of one of the suites and were astounded at the amenities available to guests: from private butlers to the 17 different types of pillows offered, not a single detail had been overlooked.

Afterwards, we visited the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management to learn how the Jumeirah Group operates the Burj Al Arab and other famous hotels around the world. The Vice President of Brand Strategy, Thatcher Brown, shared insights on how the Jumeirah Group stays competitive in the luxury market.

Thanks to Tony Yeh, Full Time MBA 2010 for setting up such a wonderful start to the trip! Check out the video below and be back Thursday for more on our trip.

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First Posting

Welcome to the world of the USF MBA's Academic Global Immersion Program!

This is the first blog post for USF’s AGI study tour to Dubai/Abu Dhabi and Istanbul; under the leadership of professors Nick Imparato and Mouwafac Sidaoui.

I’m Darcy Villere (MBA '10), one of the two TA’s, along with Courtney Ewing (MBA '10), am your humble host/editor for the blog about this year’s trip. We’ve got a jam packed schedule, from January 8th to the 22nd, when we will be visiting approximately 25 companies scheduled by students and faculty.

We’re doing a lot of prep work for this trip, including a group session we had this past Sunday where the students gave presentations on the following topics:

Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Technology Development

Dubai
State of Banking and the Financial Industry
Immigration/Foreign Workers
Investment Risks and Opportunities

Istanbul
The Role of Key Families in Turkey's Economy and Politics
Inward FDI; China FDI
Turkey's Policies/Positions in G20
Turkey's Intellectual Capital (universities, technology)

I’m hoping in the next few weeks to post some of the discoveries the MBA students made in their research as well as the companies we'll be visiting on our trip.

So please follow us as I work to keep you up on our activities. Check out the side bar links as I add maps of our tour, video and photos.