Trip to the west!

Author: Meghan McClure | Major: International Business Management | Semester: Summer 2023

I am Meghan McClure, an honors International Business student, minoring in French and Global Studies. I recently returned from the Faculty Led International Business Seminar in Ireland during the summer 2023 term.

This summer, I had the privilege of attending the Faculty Led International Business Seminar in Ireland. I studied abroad last summer in Perpignan, and had such a fantastic experience, I knew I wanted to do it again. Since last summer I focused on French, which is the language I am minoring in, I decided this time I wanted to focus on the business side of my International Business major. This program was one focused specifically around business in an international sense, so it was a perfect opportunity for me. As Ireland is one of the international business capitals of the world, this program helped me to understand the inner workings of companies abroad, how their culture affects their business models and strategies, and how they interact globally with companies outside of their own.

Ireland has also been a country that’s been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, since that is where my family is descended from, so the program aligned perfectly with everything I was looking for. I aim to work abroad after graduation, and this program not only gave us the chance to see how business works abroad, but also meet with and tour firms all over Dublin. This program gave us a great opportunity not just to connect with these companies, but to see how they function and interact with one another. Additionally, as we head towards a more internationally connected world, having the experience in a place where I would like to work one day is invaluable.

This program was a great combination of not just a professional and academic experience, but also a personal experience as well. While we did spend much of our time at the University of Dublin attending classes and events, we also travelled all over the city, and even across the country! Each day held something new and spectacular in store, and every single thing was better than the last. The program did a great job of pushing us out of our comfort zones and trying new things while also keeping us feeling secure at all moments of the trip. I for one never would’ve imagined myself biking all the way around an island and seeing the most spectacular cliffs of my entire life, but here I am, having done not just that but more. We learned about Irish culture and life not just through a screen or on a slide, but by actually living it, and it gave us a fresh perspective on how other cultures approach work and their lives.

In Dublin, we found ourselves fitting as much into every day as possible. From morning breakfast trips to Monkstown to hikes along the eastern coast at Bray and Howth, we did pretty much anything we could. Museums in the city? We did them all. Fun unique restaurants? We tried them. Mountains to climb? We climbed them. We even took day tours out to different areas like the stunning lakes of Glendalough and the original town of Hollywood to see sheepdog demonstrations. So many things about Ireland were similar but different at the same time. Ireland has such a strong community value system, and they have so much love for their history and culture. Walking down the streets of Dublin, you could see groups Irish dancing or hear ballads about memories and families long gone. It was such an awe-inspiring experience to travel to Ireland and connect with these people in so many ways, and I would live it all again if I could.

This program is so unique, and so incredibly amazing. It seems scary and intimidating to go abroad for a month or more, and possibly not know anyone or anything about the place you’re going. But studying abroad gives you the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, make lifelong friendships, and see places and do things you might never do again. The connections and memories I made were well worth everything I was worried about before, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested. Even if you’re not a business major, there was so much to do and so much I learned that made this an incredible experience I will never forget!