As part of summer school, as a student of Commerce, I had the opportunity to attend Kingston University’s month-long course on International Business Management which emphasised the international aspects of finance, accounts, tax, marketing, human resource and law. The finance classes helped us identify strategies for analysing and entering foreign markets and recognise international strategic alliances between various countries. The course also included industrial visits to U.K.’s leading financial institution, Barclays Card at Canary Wharf, where we had an opportunity to gain insights into the development of its operational strategies.
We also had guest lectures from industry experts which provided insights into how the U.K. and global companies operate. We enjoyed a whole month of cultural immersion and blending international business studies alongside sightseeing, social and educational trips.
Kingston University has five campuses in London, each specialising in science and engineering, business and law, school of design, health and social care, arts and architecture. The Business and Law school, where I studied was at Kingston- upon-Thames, the safest of the London boroughs and is located only 20 minutes from Central London by train. The faculty and professors comprised specialist researchers from different parts of the world. They were approachable and focussed on learning techniques and personality style of every student they mentored. The sessions were always field related and included real-time case studies to enforce application of knowledge at the practical level.
The library had books and works of students and various research-based projects from renowned scholars. The infrastructure, huge campus,sports facilities were obvious attractions. There were also students from Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Housed at The Kingston University Accomodation with en suite rooms and self-catering kitchen, we were also provided with a Zone 1-6 travel card ( travel by bus, train, London Underground ) to encourage us to explore London. Learning about the Prime Meridian at The Royal Observatory, Greenwich and The Watson and Crick DNA model at the National Science Museum was a great experience. Being a basketball buff, I made use of the university’s basketball court along with other sports courts, everyday. In my free time, I visited the Natural History Museum at Trafalgar Square, The Lords stadium and tasted the local cuisine at Kingsbury. The city is action-packed, especially at Southbank Centre, where one can spot street shows and musical concerts .
The summer school was a window to introduce us to the academic structure abroad and would enable one to further pursue postgraduation from such universities.
