Bauer Abroad
EMBA Students Explore Brazil’s Business Landscape
As summer comes to a close, students, faculty and staff return from their much-deserved vacations. The Bauer College Executive MBA students are no exception to this, but their summer getaway was more than a leisure trip, it was a learning experience.
As a part of their International Business in the Current Global Environment course, 15 Executive MBA students had the opportunity to travel to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to learn from local business leaders.
“The goal is to get students outside of their comfort zone,” Instructional Associate Professor Barbara Carlin said. “And to get them to experience business operations in a country other than the one they know, both to see how things are different and how they are the same. Of course, predictably, they are the same more than they are different.”
Carlin designed the course for students to get the most benefit out of their study abroad experience as possible. The first half of the course is classroom-based learning where students research the companies that they will visit and the economics of the country where they are traveling to.
The last week of the course, students spent 10 days abroad. While there, they were immersed in Brazilian culture and gaining first-hand experience in addressing concerns with local businesses.
Students were surprised at how advanced Brazil’s economy was, according to Carlin.
“We went from one company to another that could compete easily with an American company in terms of their technology and resources, and that really surprised them,” Carlin said.
However, this trip wasn’t all work and no play. While abroad, students visited notable Brazilian locations such as Avenida Paulista, Sé Metropolitan Cathedral, Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana Beach.
The trip also served as an invaluable experience for students to connect with their cohort.
The course is required of all EMBA students at Bauer, Carlin said, and even though they see each other in class, the trip gives the students intensive time together and the opportunity to bond.
“They have this weeklong period of time together that creates some really unique bonds that master's students don’t get,” she said. “Often, they maintain these connections for years... It’s a huge benefit that every EMBA will tell you was the highlight of their experience.”
"'Dar-se bem,' a term I learned during our EMBA International Business Residency, has the dual meaning of 'to get along well' or 'to do well.' This saying can be applied to both our personal and professional lives, emphasizing the importance of building good relationships and achieving success in various aspects of life.
Gaining an understanding of Brazil's economic, social, and political landscape during our EMBA International Business Residency provided fresh perspectives and valuable insights that will stay with me for a lifetime."
- Toren Watson
"Studying abroad with such an accomplished group of peers made the trip even more rewarding. What stood out the most to me was how immersive the program was — from business visits to cultural experiences. It reminded me why global awareness is so essential in leadership today."
- Eunice Garcia
"This wasn’t just about sightseeing (though Rio de Janeiro was stunning, and São Paulo was exciting); it was about seeing how business actually works across borders. We met with leaders from industries ranging from aviation to tech to sustainability and got to engage with real-world challenges through our strategy presentation to AIRBpo.
More than anything, it was a reminder that global leadership means listening, adapting and showing up with curiosity. I’m coming back with new perspectives, stronger connections and a deeper understanding of how innovation, infrastructure and culture intersect in one of the world’s most dynamic economies."
- Jeremiah McMorris
To learn more about the EMBA program at Bauer and more on the International Business Residency, visit Executive MBA | Bauer College of Business at UH.
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