Took a trip to the Windsor Castle!

Name: Ian Muhlbach | Majors: Accounting, Finance | Semester: Summer 2025

During the 2025 May intercession I was able to have the opportunity to study abroad in London. When I saw the Global Business in London flyer posted on campus, my eyes immediately lit up. This program initially sparked my interest because I have always wanted to visit London, and this program also applied directly to my major. As a finance and accounting major, I knew that being able to study in one of the leading financial centers in the world would be incredibly insightful and beneficial to my academic career. It would also give me great insight into how companies operate in an international environment as London is a global hub to many major international corporations.

This program lasted approximately two weeks in May, and it was filled with very insightful academic experiences. We were able to visit local companies in London such as Turo and see how they are using the city of London to expand their business. In addition, we got to meet and speak with the Lord Mayor of the City of London. He gave us great insights into what the London financial district has to offer. One major takeaway I learned from speaking with the Lord Mayor was that London is the world’s leading place of jurisdiction for international contracts. This is due to England’s well-established and stable laws that are looking to foster economic growth. In addition, our major project that we worked on while studying in London was that we got to act as consultants for a fashion firm in London called Fashion Enter. Fashion Enter brought us in because they were having trouble navigating global business issues such as delayed shipping times and President Trump’s global tariffs. We were able to go on a site visit to their manufacturing plant in order to get a better understanding of how these issues were affecting their company. They spoke about recent trends in social media and how fast fashion is making it more important than ever for fashion companies to get their products to their customers as quickly and safely as possible. We worked on this project for the entire trip and at the end we were able to give a presentation about what our recommendations were and how they could solve some of the issues that they were facing.

I also had a very special personal experience while abroad. I am a huge British Premier League Soccer fan, and I have always wanted to go watch my favorite team Arsenal play. Luckily, they had their last home game of the season the weekend I was able to go, and it was an incredible experience. I got their right as the gates opened because I wanted to look around the stadium before the game and I met one of the ushers that worked in the stadium. After talking for a while, he asked if I wanted to go down on the field before the game and participate in a trivia game to try and win a new Arsenal jersey. I said yes immediately, and next thing I knew I was down on the field in front of thousands of people. I ended up winning the trivia competition against three other fans on the jumbotron and I was stunned. Furthermore, after I won, I got to go back to my seat and enjoy the amazing atmosphere that was present inside the stadium. Everyone in my section was standing and shouting for the entire game and I had never experienced anything like it. I joined in on the chants and celebrated with all the local fans when Arsenal scored and ended up winning the game. It was truly a better experience than I ever could have imagined.

Overall, studying abroad in London during the May intercession was an unforgettable experience that enriched both my academic and personal growth. The opportunity to explore global business firsthand in one of the world’s leading financial centers deepened my understanding of international commerce, corporate strategy, and economic policy. From engaging with industry leaders and local businesses to working as a consultant on real-world issues, the program provided valuable insights that will undoubtedly shape my future career in finance and accounting.