The 2019 full-time MBA Program class at the SKK Graduate School of Business (SKK GSB) in South Korea, recently participated in a global field trip to fellow GBSN member school, the National University of Management (NUM) in Cambodia.
Following an introduction between two GBSN ambassadors, Steve Paterson from NUM and Eric Shih from SKK GSB, at the 2015 GBSN Annual Conference in the Philippines, these two GBSN member schools began conducting annual student exchanges.
This year’s group of MBAs included students from 13 countries: Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, UK, US, and South Korea.
The purpose of the SKK MBA global field trip is to provide students with first hand exposure to business strategies in a fast developing economy and observe how it differs from more developed economies.
Cambodia has transformed from being one of the poorest countries in Asia to one of the fastest-growing economies. Following more than two decades of significant economic growth, Cambodia’s per capita GDP has increased from $144 to $1,159 since 1967, with a 7% GDP growth rate in 2018 (Asian Development Bank. Outlook ADO 2018)_.
During the trip, SKK GSB MBA students had the opportunity to meet with executives and business leaders to discuss how they face difficulties in such a dynamic business environment and how to circumvent challenges into business opportunities.
The global field trip included:
- Tour of the NUM Social Innovation Lab that included presentations and discussions with local startups: Edemy, online education startup, Bongloy, fintech startup, and Demine Robotics, an organization that helps the world remove landmines safely and efficiently
- Visit to The Factory Phnom Penh, a information technology and creative hub cultivating the next generation of entrepreneurs, makers and creative professionals.
- Visit to the Liger Leadership Academy, an innovative school which emphasizes experiential learning and entrepreneurial mindsets
- Visit to the Cambodia Ministry of Public Works & Transport, where students participated in a discussion on the Cambodian economy from H.E. Sun Chanthol, Senior Minister, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and former Minister of Commerce and a former GE Executive
- Presentation & Discussion on the Cambodia Telecom sector with CEO Thomas Hundt from Smart Axiata
- Visit to the Samai Rum Distillery, founded by MBA graduate from Columbia University. They have also had interns from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley working on this project.
- MBA networking dinner at the Foreign Correspondence Club
Following the trip, students were required to submit a report comparing classroom knowledge with observations in the field.
This global field trip student exchange between NUM and SKK Graduate School of Business is a direct reflection of GBSN’s mission to build management education capacity for the developing world. GBSN harnesses the power of a global network of leading business schools to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing, advancing management education that delivers international best practice with local relevance. We continue to focus our work towards creating opportunities for members to engage with each other in the hope that such partnerships and collaborations are established between members.
NUM is one of the leading public universities in Cambodia. With a vision of “Excellence in Academics,” the university places a strong commitment to the importance of quality based education and research which will help to facilitate Cambodia’s transition to a knowledge-based society. The university has been working to improve the academic environment and upgrade its campus with modern facilities in which faculty members and students can develop and dedicate themselves to education and research at a global level.
SKK GSB, a leading business school in South Korea, is committed to promoting management knowledge in an internationalized educational environment in order to nurture managers with social responsibility who will lead global companies. Its innovative curriculum emphasizes management knowledge based on real-world experience. SKK GSB’s MBA program has been ranked #1 in Korea by the Financial Times. Its world-renowned MBA curriculum has prepared the world’s top talent to operate successfully in the global business scene.
_ Asian Development Bank. 2018. Outlook ADO 2018. [Comparative economic forecasts for Southeast Asian countries].
Retrieved from
https://www.adb.org/countries/cambodia/economy