15 November 2018

What did we make of the US Study Tour experience?

Casting back to why I chose to do the US Study Tour, I had several reasons in mind. It was an opportunity to develop my entrepreneurial thinking and apply design thinking to solve real problems. I had also always wanted to travel to the US where the culture and the way of doing business, especially in the start-up space, is well ahead of its times. With ‘entrepreneur’ being a buzzword on the radar of many, the tour reaffirmed it will remain a permanent fixture in our vocabulary.

A highlight was the North American Alumni Association meet-up event, where we had the chance to speak to a diverse group of University of Sydney alumni. They had a wealth of experiences and advice to share with us eager-to-hear students. For me, the conversations drifted to the value an international experience brings to an individual’s development, from which I realised just how far my personal and professional skills had grown over the tour.

Since finishing the tour, there has been ample opportunities for me to apply what I’ve learnt to my current projects and future career plan. I’ve also spoken to my peers from the program about their thoughts. We hope you will be inspired to apply for the US Study Tour, a Work Integrated Learning Program of the Careers and Employability Office (CEO), or even consider the opportunity to incorporate an international experience into your degree.


Georgetown University
NYU Stern Business School

“A reason behind my motivation to do the US Study Tour was to be surrounded by people who are just as passionate about design thinking and entrepreneurship. This was a unique experience - one where I met many different people, worked together on developing an innovative fintech product, and developed my problem-solving skills.” - Hanyuan Ding

“The US Study Tour sounded like a fantastic opportunity to engage in design thinking and consulting as well to gain international experience in my degree. The presentation and pitching skills I’ve gained were the most valuable part of the experience. The learning opportunities and innovative teaching styles at NYU Stern Business School and Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business have broadened my future career plans.”- Claudia Silvia


View from BCG Digital Ventures' New York office

“I enjoyed the scope for creativity provided by the program. We were given free reign over the theme of our innovation project, and had considerable freedom regarding our approach to the task. For instance, my team and I chose Education Technology because of our shared passion for delivering better educational experiences and outcomes. We were also provided ample free time to explore the city. I gained so many new and unforgettable experiences, such as walking the Brooklyn Bridge, going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and walking through Times Square. Moreover, we had the opportunity to meet various industry professionals from BCG Digital Ventures, American Natural History Museum, and Sparks & Honey, all of whom offered valuable guidance on our project and career goals.” - Grace Qiu

The American Natural History Museum

“I highly recommend my fellow peers to give the US Study Tour a go. Not only is the travelling itself some of the most fun you’ll have in your time at university, the knowledge and experience gained is invaluable. You will come back with more options than you had before and will be able to visualise an exciting career for yourself out of university. The inspiration and motivation is insane, and that singlehandedly led me to start my own business only a few weeks after I got back, demonstrating how practical the knowledge you gain is, and how motivating the experience is as well.” - Lewis Ulm

A group photo taken in Washington

On behalf of the 2018 US Study Tour cohort, we want to say a big thank you to the partner universities, NYU Stern Business School and Georgetown McDonough School of Business, who have been so welcoming and insightful with the expertise they have given us on design thinking. Also to BCG Digital Ventures, here in Sydney and their New York Head Office, for showing us into your profession and your innovative ways of thinking. And of course, we extend our thanks to Dimitria Groutis, our unit co-ordinator, and Trena Blair for helping to organise and facilitate the activities, and for the wonderful people, organisations and experiences they exposed us to.

Written by Anna Wang

No comments:

Post a Comment