Global Classrooms
ith the busy schedules of Harbert’s dedicated students, it can be difficult to find opportunities for meaningful extended international experiences. But, supply chain management professors Anthony Roath, Tyler Morgan, and lecturer Robert Straw have crafted a solution: a week-long trip abroad during a regular semester course that offers invaluable interdisciplinary project collaboration and cultural experience.
For the past two years, Roath and Morgan have organized this unique opportunity that pairs roughly 30 high-achieving SCM students with AI technology students in Trento, Italy, and Toulouse, France. In preparation for their trip, the students participate in weekly Zoom calls collaborating to troubleshoot real-world operating issues for global companies. SCM chair David Paradice says, “many businesses, regardless of size, are global businesses from a supply chain perspective,” and this course puts students in the middle of those operations.
Last spring, Auburn students collaborated with Toulouse students to work with advanced mixed-reality equipment in partnership with Airbus to explore innovation projects, an exposure few undergraduates can claim. Morgan explains that not only does this provide marketable experience, but it’s also preparation for jobs that require cross-cultural collaboration and utilization of various technologies.
Robert Straw, heading up this year’s fall Trento experience, explains that being exposed to those different perspectives across cultures and disciplines teaches that “there’s not just one way of doing things.” Senior Ella Milburn agrees that collaboration with her counterparts, who came from all over the world, not only improved her leadership skills but also gave her “a deeper appreciation for different cultures and diverse problem-solving approaches.”
In addition to being affordable and convenient, Straw explains the “collateral benefits” the students gain. “They come out of their shell a lot. If they want to know something, they’ll ask you.” Morgan says that curiosity is “a healthy thing when you’re out working in industry, and also in an academic setting.” Many of these students will enter jobs working with engineers and programmers. Morgan tells his students, “You’re not supposed to automatically know everything; it’s ok to ask questions.”
Still, there are some things you can’t teach. Professors agree that the compassion and cultural sensitivity Auburn students bring abroad are all their own. “They’re open and welcoming—they want to interact,” Morgan explains. From friendly smiles to striking up conversations, Auburn students seem to leave a lasting impression and are great representatives of the Auburn brand.