до свидания, Санкт. Петербург !*
Post by: Vinita Atkins and Paola Toledo
It was the last week in St. Petersburg, and it was busy and entertaining. We spent it on business trips with Professor Coyle for our Business Environment in Russia course. We had the opportunity to visit companies in different industries and talk with professionals that were at different stages of their life and career. From a general hotel manager, to a partner of PwC, to an entrepreneur seeking opportunities for new business ideas, to United States government representatives, we got a full scope of the business world in Russia. We were also lucky enough to be in Russia during a time when geopolitical issues have a tremendous impact on the business environment, and we were able to hear firsthand opinions from locals and expats regarding the subjects we had been reading in the news for so long. We learned that, in general, the effects of the sanctions on the economy are minimal, only effecting 3% of total GDP. However, the sanctions take a toll on Russia’s international relations and travel and tourism, to and from the country. After all, the objective of the sanctions are strictly political.
Besides the company visits, we had an insightful Encounters class about incorporating our international experiences into our resume. It allowed us to conceptualize the lessons learned throughout our trip and use it in our advantage when looking for internships and jobs. We’re looking forward to tying what we learned to what we’re going to learn in Moscow and India. So as we spend our last day in St. Petersburg, we say do svidaniya St. Pete, and zdravstvuyte Moscow!
*до свидания, Санкт. Петербург ! – Goodbye, Saint. Petersburg!
BRIC2014 tours the Imperial Porcelain factory in Saint. Petersburg!