Recently, undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas were given the opportunity to travel and study abroad in London, England, through the Nevada Global Business Program.

“There are so many great things for our students in the London Nevada Global Business program; it is an immersive experience with students from both the University of Nevada, Reno, and Las Vegas, in a place they can easily navigate the language while appreciating the cultural nuances that make it completely different,” Greg Mosier, dean of the College of Business, said. 

“The program is a great foundation for students to learn, build friendships, and expand their realization of what they can do.” “The outcomes the students should expect from this trip to London include relevance, literacy and experience in international business,” Jim McClenahan, the director of outreach, said. “During the students’ summer classes on the trip, we use real-life examples in London to give the students a better understanding of what they’re learning.”

Besides attending classes in London, the students examined the business climate in England and how it relates to society and the culture of the country. The students were also exposed to the differences between the expectations of the world of business in England, compared to the expectations in the United States.

“The business environment in London is much more formal than in the United States and positional authority matters a lot; in some of the places we visit, it is required for men to wear a jacket, a tie and dress shoes to be admitted and a similar formal dress code applies to the women as well,” McClenahan said. “Regardless of the weather, you would not gain access into certain buildings without the proper attire in London.”

The students who were given the chance to travel to London plan to use the knowledge gained on the trip toward their future careers in the business field.

“During the trip, I have learned to keep an open mind to the cultural differences in London, compared to the United States,” Hayden Poinier, an MBA student from the University of Nevada, Reno who attended the program, said. “One major characteristic in London I’ve noticed is that public etiquette is very prominent; however, the banter you will notice in the London business environment is drastically different than the banter in the United States.”

The graduate students who participated in the London business trip from June 24 to July 2, were enrolled in a week-long course worth three credits. Undergraduates, visiting London from June 24 to July 21, were enrolled in a three-credit class for four weeks, with the addition of an elective.

“Besides learning to be adaptable in a completely different environment, I wanted to explore the opportunities in business in other countries,” Paige Zolldan, a recent graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno’s MBA program and another program participant, said. “Constantly growing and making connections has helped me in my professional career and my personal life."