Students take charge:
Case Study in Jakarta & Singapore

OUR APPROACH:

This program was unique in that the students took ownership from the offset, and was designed to push them beyond their comfort zone and to enhance their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. The trip encouraged them to take an active role through the following:

#1: PRE-TRIP ORGANIZATION:

After an initial brainstorming session between the faculty and ISP Program Team, the students chose the destinations from a list of several options throughout the world (which also included Israel, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Mumbai). Their decision to travel to Jakarta/Singapore was based partly on the students’ personal preference, but also an awareness that a vastly different region could provide a much more enriching and contrasting experience, as well as a chance to gain first-hand knowledge of the local business climate.

ISP then worked closely with the students and faculty to identify the best companies and speakers for them, and to craft an itinerary with a scrupulous balance of both academic and cultural events.

#2: DEBRIEF SESSIONS & PANEL DISCUSSIONS:

The students were divided into 10 subgroups and each took turns to moderate both the debrief sessions and panel discussions; introducing speakers, managing time for questions and answers, and orchestrating the overall flow to maximize the groups’ learning outcomes.

Incorporated into almost each program day – the debrief sessions not only gave the group a fantastic opportunity for self-reflection, but also allowed the students to formulate key takeaways, including cultural awareness and leadership lessons, that ultimately contributed to a higher degree of overall satisfaction.

#3: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & VOLUNTEERING PROJECTS:

One of the programs’ successes lay in the diverse range of events and experiences available to the group. The chance to be immersed in and understand the local culture, plus the opportunity to make a difference during a volunteering project was clearly communicated as a key trip ingredient by both the faculty and the students. A slum tour in Jakarta (usually an optional event, but incorporated into this fully customized itinerary) provided an extremely eye-opening experience. Meanwhile, a volunteering ‘clean up’ of a Singapore beach allowed the students to interact with local people and to discover the real-world consequence of being careless with waste.