Vivian - ESSAM European Summer School for Advanced Management

Master of Business Administration
July 2018

My experience

ESSAM gave me 4 units (2 subjects) for credit towards my MBA in just two weeks - doing it in Brisbane in the part-time mode would have taken much longer. ESSAM was also real value for money - course fees included half-board and accommodation in a Holiday Inn (converted grand old building on Crichton Estate that also housed the Uni of Glasgow Dumfries campus) so overall cost including flights was equivalent to doing 2 subjects in Bris (app AUD$9000). The host Uni of Glasgow Adam Smith School of Business was EXCELLENT. Friendly, helpful staff who thought of everything and took care of the cohort beautifully - there was a social event on almost every night, usually with a cultural significance (ie Scottish dancing) or relevance to our subjects and/or local economy (ie sustainable forestry in Glasgow Forest and start-up at Anandale Whiskey Distillery). I took the core subject of Sustainability and elective of Emotional Intelligence - both excellent subjects. The core subject included a group assignment with a local company - my group got to work with Cream O' Galloway, a local dairy company looking to launch an organic ice cream across UK. Learned a lot about ethical farming and the circular economy, and impact of Brexit on business planning. Also ate the BEST ice-cream EVER. Elderflower ice cream was my FAVOURITE.

How has the experience changed you?

Had American and Scottish professors - different ways of teaching. Excellent lectures in sustainability + renewable energy and Emotional Intelligence. Learned a  lot about ethical dairy farming via the group project - transferable to Aus context. International classmates (ie Canada, Taiwan, Ukraine, UK, Nigeria, etc) as well as Aussie - lots of friendships and contacts made.

Favourite memory

All the social events the Uni of Glasgow (ESSAM host) organised - Scottish dancing, haggis ceremony, fish & chips at Robert Burns' favourite pub, hiking in Glasgow forest, visit to Scottish whiskey distillery.

Top tips

Do ESSAM! Also, ESSAM location and host changes - so my experience relates directly to the beautiful and historic Uni of Glasgow Dumfries campus in the gorgeous Galloway region. I think my experience would have been different if I had gone the previous year, which was hosted by Uni of Glasgow at their Glasgow campus - apparently there was not as much socialising as the cohort stayed at different hotels.

Funding

Yes, I received a UQ Short Term Study Travel Grant of $1000.