Master of Business Administration MBA: What our students say

"We landed at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport in the late evening and felt the first burst of cold fresh air. It was minus eight degrees Celsius. After checking into our beautiful hostel rooms we all went out to dinner together. The next two days were spent working on assignments from London. But we were rewarded with a three-hour sightseeing trip arranged by the University, and saw Moscow by night. It was beautiful but freezing cold (minus 11 Celsius).

The fourth and fifth days were teaching days. The lectures by Professor Robin Matthews – JM Keynes Professor of Management at the Academy of National Economy – challenged us to explore and think beyond the obvious while Dr Amelia Au-Yeung – principal lecturer at Kingston – used the case study methodology and application of theory to understand it. The mix of teaching methods was a highlight of the trip as was learning and interacting with the Russian students – a much bigger group than we are used to. That evening we were invited to be part of the reception for the Kingston alumni in Moscow. It was a welcome break and a chance to sample some Indian food!

Being in Moscow in the depths of winter with temperatures down to minus 17 Celsius was a challenge, and so was trying to interact with Russian people when you didn't speak the language. I found the people in Moscow to be very fashion savvy and I was amazed by the skill with which women walked in super high heels on snow and sleet!

The main purpose of the study trip was to get a global perspective on business and the interdependency of businesses around the world. As countries become more dependent on each other through bilateral trade relations and strategic treaties and as firms expand globally, the world interdependencies also increase proportionately. Apple gets affected by a strike in China and a recession that kicked off in the United States in the West can slump growth in the eastern world to varying extents. A crisis in Greece has a multi-fold impact on the Euro zone crisis and its stronger nations. Global business is not just an extension of setting up business in another country; it is about integrating the local factors as part of a firm's global strategy. Even the most experienced and big businesses can get it wrong if they miss the big picture and undermine the influence of the local culture and factors.

The assignment work for the Global Business elective was a good learning experience. Part one was a group assignment done by a mix of students from Russia and London (groups of six to ten members) and gave all an opportunity to work and interact with people from diverse cultures, attitudes and mind sets. It was an important lesson in challenges encountered when working with people of different mindsets in a big group. In contrast, part two was an individual assignment but we were given the option to do it in pairs (one student from Russia and the other from London) to enhance the global experience. One advantage of going to Russia on a study trip was to experience the country itself. Moscow is a great mix of culture, growth, oligarchy, Putinism, the emergence of the new world economy in Russia after decades of the Cold War and Russian spy era. The Moscow visit and the course increased my awareness and exposure and enriched the study experience of the MBA."

"On a personal level, the trip was a great opportunity to visit Moscow, as I had not been to the capital before. Kingston University organised a night tour of the city – it was a fantastic sight to see Moscow lit up at night. Particularly memorable were the Novodevichy Convent that looked stunning illuminated and the views looking up to towards the central spire of the Moscow State University along with the panoramic views of the surrounding city from high.

Studying closely with the Russian students working towards their MBA was an invaluable experience. All the differences, especially in language, presented some difficulties. However, the fruits of cross-cultural collaboration and the pluralist viewpoints that emerged made it a thoroughly interesting process and one I believe was a critical lesson of my MBA.

If you can bear the cold – although it was the heat inside buildings I had most to deal with – I would wholeheartedly recommend participating on the trip. On both personal and professional accounts I have benefited greatly from the expedition."

Imran goes on to talk about study groups and the work environment on the Kingston MBA programme: