Kim Esser landed in Singapore for the USC Marshall Learning about International Commerce (LINC) program. She will provide instructional support during the 10-day program, which exposes first-year USC students to Singapore's vibrant business culture as the culmination of a spring semester course about global business. Here's the third installment of her report from the field:
Business attire is the order of the day as the students adjust to wearing suits and ties, representing the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.
We had an early start Tuesday morning going to two BreadTalk locations in the Raffles City Centre, one of the city's myriad shopping malls. BreadTalk is one of the fastest growing chains specializing in traditional baked goods for customers on the go. The students learned how the company manages its business model (which was quickly emulated by competitors), trains its employees, and expands its product line and presence overseas.
Our next stop was Contact Singapore, a government organization that attracts business to Singapore. Our rep, Jeremy, was young and engaging and invited us all to enjoy the bird's eye view from the organization's offices. For lunch, we headed to the Little India section for a taste of one of the many cuisines Singapore is known for.
The last stop on our itinerary was the Marine Barrage, part of a water development project housing the world's largest pumps, Singapore's only source of water. The complex was vast and amazing with many interactive displays.
The week is flying by quickly. We're all a little time-warped at this point but hanging in there.