03/19/12

Working Abroad in India


By Analucia Castillo

I went to India this past summer. It was the best summer I have had in my entire college career. I did not know what was going to happen when I signed up. When I arrived, I was excited to be part of the school I went to. The internship and the things that happened during that summer have changed my life. I am happy that I went through AIESEC because otherwise I could not have been able to meet the people I met, and do the things I did while I was in India.

 

What year are you? What’s your major?

I am senior International Business student graduating this spring (2012).

Where did you go? Why did you choose this destination?

I went to Ahmedabad, India. I chose this destination because I was really interested in the Indian culture and wanted to take a risk by going to India.

What was your job title? What were your primary responsibilities?

My job title was assistant teacher. I had a class of deaf student from the ages of 7 to 9 years old. I taught them the numbers and colors in English. I lived in a hostel and I was in charge of coordinating activities such as a camp fire and dance night.

What was most challenging about working in a foreign country or in that specific role? What did you enjoy most about working in a foreign country?

The most challenging about working in a foreign country is being out of your element. I was also challenged in my role with not having enough authority over my students since most of the times they saw me as a friend and not as a teacher. I enjoyed being challenged. It was a way for me to connect with my fellow interns as well as talk to them about their culture. We were able to bond in ways that I wouldn’t be able to with another student I didn’t have the chance to live with.

What were some of the cultural differences between the U.S. and your destination?

The major cultural difference was the gender issue. We wanted to rent a scooter just to roam around and we were not able to get someone to give it to us unless we had a guy to rent it. Another difference was the sense of independence and being constantly looked after. On one side it made total sense because we were their first interns, but on the other we were adults responsible for our own actions.

What are some tips for students who are thinking of working abroad?

I would recommend students to ask questions about the place where they are going to live while working abroad; If they will be living with other interns or by themselves? Will they be able to travel to other places while living there? Etc. It is normal to miss your family but they will always be your support no matter how far away you are. Just remember to enjoy the time that you have there. You will only do it probably once in your life time, so take it all in!

p.s. remember to get traveler’s insurance just in case anything gets stolen.


 

03/19/12

Mitsui Lunchtime Forum: Mayan Meltdown or Moderate Momentum?

The first Mitsui Lunchtime Forum of the spring semester kicked off with speaker John F. Adams, Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase. The topic, Mayan Meltdown or Moderate Momentum? Current Perspectives on Global Markets, was a look at our current economic state and attempting to figure out if it is part of the cyclical cycle of economics or a  longer lasting issue that requires new solutions.

Using a recent vacation to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the ancient Mayans as a metaphor of adaptation to one’s environment, Mr. Adams pointed to the financial situations in Germany and the Netherlands as opposed to those in Greece and Italy as examples of the economic cyclical cycle at work.

Dr. Adams has been involved in J.P. Morgan’s Investment Bank recruiting efforts at Baruch College since 2007 and earned his M.A. and Ph. D. in Economics from Ohio State University.

 

03/16/12

VI Colombian Student and Professional Conference: “Construyendo Pais” PorColombia at Cornell University

PorColombia is a group established in the United States and Canada with the purpose of bringing together college students and professionals with a Colombian background or interest in Colombia. One of PorColombia’s main goals is contributing to the professional success of their members while helping them become active contributors to both  Colombian and the North American societies. PorColombia members are known for being enthusiastic leaders eager to go “De la Passion a la accion”- “From the Passion to the action.” PorColombia has a student chapter in Canada (York University) and eleven more chapters in recognized Universities and colleges along the United States east coast, among them, Baruch College, NYU and Columbia University in New York City.

Most recently, PorColombia developed a professional chapter so that students graduating from college- as well as other professionals- can keep contributing to the social development of their communities and benefit from what PC has to offer: networking opportunities, workshops, professional conferences and a great group of people who are always willing to help.

Every year, one of the PorColombia chapters is in charge of organizing the student/professional conference where members from the different chapters get together for an entire weekend in mid-April. During the conference PorColombianos attend workshops, networking events and debates about current economic, political, social and cultural aspects/happenings contributing to the development of Colombia and the way it is viewed internationally.

This year the VI PorColombia Conference: “Construyendo Pais: Perspectives of Colombia’s Leadership in Latin America” will be hosted by the PC chapter at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Among the guest speakers attending this forum we find outstanding figures such as Roberto J. Bonnet, President of the Federation of Colombian insurers and former Ambassador and Minister of agriculture; Sergio Ardila, senior economist at the Inter-American Development Bank and Maria A. Arbelaez, Colombian representative before the  International Monetary Fund among several others.

Our PorColombia chapter at Baruch has been a major contributor to the development of the organization and proof  of the active participation of Baruch students and alumni in the national executive board, now led by Carlos Macias, Journalist and former Baruch student, as well as the opening of the first professional chapter under the direction of  Baruch graduate in economics, Yolanis Barros.

 

For details about the conference and how to register to attend, please visit:

http://porcolombia.net/taking-action/vi-colombian-students-professionals-conference/

 

03/9/12

Uniqlo’s Marketing Impact

Eric Thai, an international marketing major at Baruch and model, had the chance to participate in one of Uniqlo’s marketing campaigns last year. We asked him to discuss his views on the Japanese clothing store’s impact in the United States and how his experience academically and professionally has shaped his views.

As an international marketing major, what do you think of Uniqlo’s U.S. marketing campaign? Do you think it has been successful? If so, why do you think that is?

As an international marketer,I believe Uniqlo has done an extraordinary job with their U.S. Marketing Campaign. Although the campaign that they use is the U.S. doesn’t differ much from elsewhere, it has made the brand unique from others. In New York City, Uniqlo advertises the grand opening of their stores with an overwhelming amount of posters in the subway which becomes a constant reminder to check out the store. Uniqlo doesn’t just market as the everyday comfortable clothing line as many competitors do, but they market their clothes though the way they function such as their Heat Tech and Quick Dry lines. They also branch out into our favorite childhood cartoons and animations through their UT T-shirt collection and they diversify into high fashion with their +J Jil Sander collection. Lastly, they up size their sizes of clothing in order to match the American size difference which shows their understanding of the U.S. market how they have become so successful in such a short time.

Tell us about your experience working as a model for Uniqlo.

In December 2010, I was sent on a casting for Uniqlo’s UT T-shirt campaign. I received a phone call from my booker a day later telling me that I had booked the campaign and he gave me details for the shoot. I was extremely excited because it was going to be my first major campaign. For a model this is a huge accomplishment because not only is booking a campaign rare, many go through their time as a model and never book a single campaign. The campaign was released approximately in March 2011. I had randomly walked into a subway car and saw my face plastered on the wall. The campaign was used in subways, subway stations, newspaper, and in the Soho store. I was constantly reminded of this through picture text messages from my friends and Facebook tags. I was completely surprised that it was used internationally and I only discovered this when a friend visiting Korea texted me a picture of me on a billboard and a friend visiting Hong Kong brought back a pamphlet with my picture on the cover. Overall, my experience was fun and I am happy Uniqlo was my first campaign.

How has your experience as a model, traveling internationally, informed your decision to pursue international marketing? How many years have you been modeling? What are some of the biggest differences in marketing abroad that you’ve encountered?

As a model I have been a part of the advertising of brands internationally but what really influenced my decision to pursue international marketing was on my first trip to Milan, Italy for fashion week. I have been modeling for a little over two years now; I was scouted and then signed to an agency in November 2009. Not knowing anything about the industry or how I was going to do in it, in December 2009 I was told that I was being sent to Milan for fashion week. I thought I was dreaming that I was given this opportunity because I had never traveled outside the country before that. In Milan I attended many castings for runway shows, and in the end I walked my first runway for Giorgio Armani. In my time there, I had a lot of free time to explore the city. A majority of the city was filled with clothing stores which wasn’t a surprise since Milan is one of the fashion capitals in the world. With the time I spent there and some research I discovered that in Milan their shopping behavior is completely different for Americans. Unlike Americans who buy in bulks from sales, Italians tend to buy a piece of clothing such as a suit, and treasure it, repairing it when the time comes, thus buying high end clothing is not uncommon. Learning information like this made me very interesting in the international markets which made me wondered how other countries differ from this, and how one can penetrate these markets to be successful.

03/1/12

Studying Abroad in Berlin, Germany


By Einat Semel

I remember I was torn between studying abroad in Germany and staying in New York City. I was struggling with the decision for a few months. I wanted to welcome a change of pace and countries that are a little bit more pleasing to the eye. I needed to figure out a career path for myself in the long run. I wanted to broaden my experience abroad and more than anything I wanted to learn. There were definitely more pros than cons but I never traveled to unfamiliar countries on my own. I was born in Israel and I am currently studying in New York City.  I was really scared to travel independently and be away from everyone in New York City. I was worried that the change would have been too drastic for me and beyond my comfort zone since I was not sure about my ability to be self-reliant for those couple of months. There was a little voice inside me that told me that I shouldn’t travel to Germany and instead invest my time in applying for jobs in New York City. However, the other tiny voice told me to go.  Even though my parents had always supported me in every decision, they are getting older and I needed to learn to be more independent. I was truly scared.

And here I am back in the States, seven months after my journey abroad. Time just flies. I honestly can say that studying abroad in Germany was one of the best journeys I have ever taken in my life. People were very welcoming and I got to travel every other weekend. I constantly met a lot of interesting people everywhere and had some fascinating conversations with extraordinary people whom I didn’t know existed. It is quite hard to describe it, but when you travel, and often alone you learn so much about yourself.  Throughout that adventure I felt that I was a witness to my own behavior and feelings, and learned on my own what is good and what is not good for me. I have learned that we move and change along with people. I have grown and I am much more focused now than ever. This is the best gift I could ever have gotten during my bachelor at Baruch College and I strongly recommend each and every student to do this.

02/16/12

International Cuisine in Baruch’s Backyard

The area surrounding Baruch, affectionately nicknamed “Curry Hill” is most known for the plethora of Indian restaurants clustered along Lexington Avenue. However, according to the map on East 20’s Eats.com, there are approximately 12 other countries represented in the local eateries around Baruch.

The map, created by Baruch’s own journalism department, is just one component of the hyperlocal foodie site which also features user-submitted reviews, photographs, and articles about restaurants and food-related topics in the East 20’s.

Countries represented in our tally include: Vietnam, Greece, Italy, China, Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, France, Thailand, Japan, Turkey, and Ireland. The Taiwan-based Coco Tea and Juice specifically chose the East 20s area for its first U.S. location.

“Coco understands that New York City is the most racially diverse place in the U.S. and still holds the busiest traffic proportion in a single city,” said the store’s PR and Marketing Director Calvin Hsiao in an interview with East 20’s Eats.

The city’s location makes it a prime setting for importing by land, sea, and air, which has led to New York’s extremely diverse international cuisine scene.

What is your favorite genre of food? Is it represented in Baruch’s neighborhood?