Applications open in 2024 (dates to be confirmed)
UC MBA Study Tour - Singapore
08 February 2024
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The study tour is an integral part of an MBA 10-point elective course that focuses on international business and business strategy in an international context. The study tour incorporates industry visits as well as appropriate cultural experiences. We will also visit the NZTE and the New Zealand High Commission in Singapore to hear about their observations about the challenges and opportunities for New Zealand firms in Singapore.
The course includes a cultural competence and intelligence module where students assess their cultural intelligence [CQ] and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses before the study tour and then reflect their development and insight gained after the study tour.
Drawing upon international best practice and using established international business frameworks, students, working in groups, will deliver a report to a New Zealand-based client that addresses its international business need.
By approval of the MBA Director. Normally, students would be at least one year into the MBA programme with at least a B+ GPA at the end of Term 3 2024. Selections will be made based on GPA and personal statement. The study tour course is also open to MBA alumni. All students and alumni taking the course need to be fully enrolled and complete all the assessments, i.e. the course is not available for auditing.
2024 dates to be confirmed.
Working in groups, students will develop an international business solution to their client (50%) and present the findings (20%). Students will also participate in a CQ (cultural intelligence) module that includes pre and post-tour CQ assessment, an individual development plan and a self-reflection report (30%).
10 points.
On top of your course fee, there are additional costs of travel, accommodation and food. Here are the travel arrangements and some indicative costings:
Flights: Students can book their own flights (as you may wish to use points or select a cheaper option with layovers, or stay for longer) or we can book students on the same flights as Laura Meriluoto. Students need to be in Singapore by (date TBC) and cannot leave Singapore before (date TBC) to be eligible for the course.
Students are welcome to book leisure days before and/or after the study tour but this may affect the cost of insurance (see below). Singapore Airlines has a direct flight from Christchurch to Singapore and Air NZ operates a Christchurch-Auckland-Singapore route. All students need to make their flight bookings available to Laura as soon as booked.
Insurance: You have access to free travel insurance through the UC travel insurance scheme, which covers the study tour as well as up to five leisure days. If the personal travel component extends for longer than five days, you will need to pay for the entirety of your personal travel period at a cost of $5.95/day. We will provide instructions for how to get the insurance, and students need to share their insurance documentation with Laura.
Accommodation: In 2023 we stayed at Hotel Mi Singapore where students could opt to share a room or have their own room. If we book early, we could get the room for under $200/night ($100/night twin share). Hotel Mi is a tidy budget hotel at an excellent location, with tiny rooms. Laura will confirm the hotel we will stay at and everyone needs to stay at the same location. Laura can book your room (makes sense if you are getting your flight booked through Laura) or you can book your own. All students need to make their accommodation booking available to Laura as soon as booked.
Food: Singapore is the capital of high-quality street food and casual restaurants and eating out is cheap. About S$21 (NZ$25) per day should be sufficient for three meals if we stick with local fare and hawker markets. Fancy restaurants are, on the other hand, significantly more expensive than those in New Zealand, as is alcohol. A single fancy night out with wine could cost $250/person.
Local transport: We will use Grab (local Uber) and MRT (underground train). Grab from the airport to the hotel is approximately NZ$30 and can be shared. You can use your NZ credit card to pay for trains as you go, by presenting the same credit card as you enter and exit the train. At the end of the trip, you will find a single charge for the trains on your credit card bill that won’t break the bank.
