The BUS304 (International Business) and BUSM089 (International Business Strategy) students had the opportunity to attend an educational field trip at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters, in London.
The trip was organized by Dr. Evangelos Markopoulos who lead the postgraduate students, and Professor Lutao Ning who led the undergraduate students.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries whose governments have agreed to shared goals like development, democracy, and peace.
The Commonwealth's roots go back to the British Empire. It is home to 2.5 billion people and includes both advanced economies and developing countries.
The presentations given by Commonwealth executives provided students with practical experience and understanding of the applications of theories, frameworks, and strategies taught in the lectures and the seminars.
The students actively participated in the discussion after each presentation with challenging questions and constructive dialogue.
Students were pleased to find a connection to Queen Mary on the trip. Marlborough House, which hosts the Commonwealth secretariat, is an impressive heritage building and has been a royal residence since 1817. Queen Mary lived there when she was Princess of Wales and took a special interest in the house.
Dr Markopoulos would like to thank the Commonwealth executives Mrs. Hilary McEwan, Dr Brendan Vickers, Mr. Lawrence Othieno, and Mrs. Rena Gashumba for their time, knowledge, and wisdom that inspired our students and made this visit a memorable experience for the students' education at SBM.