Henley Business School Students Enjoy Study Visit to Wroclaw, Poland

The trip, which was organised by Keith Heron and Dr Liz Houldsworth, was also attended by students on the International Human Resources Management module and provided them with a hands-on, real-life consultancy experience by working in teams with students from the Wroclaw University of Economics. Throughout the week students attended talks across a broad range of different topics, such as business value propositions and how to understand customer's needs.

The students were given the chance to engage and consult entrepreneurs to deepen their understanding of different business operations and the ever-changing challenges faced by businesses. The main objective in these consultations was to assist entrepreneurs in finding a sustainable way to monetise, commercialise and develop a new marketing strategy to take their operations into the next level. The students worked in their teams to develop ideas about valuable solutions to the problems raised by the different businesses and then presented their solutions and strategies to entrepreneurs from numerous sectors (including technology, pharmaceuticals and retailing).

The final part of the trip required students to consult several design-related startups in the Design University. This exposed them further, to a new type of business sector, which helped open their eyes to an even broader set of different problems within businesses.

Amer Nahouli, a student who attended the trip, commented about his view of the experience: "Students developed a real appreciation for the importance of the skills practiced in the group work. Excellent communication skills and the ability to exchange intelligence with people from different cultures, backgrounds and languages are key skills to possess, especially if students are to succeed in the newly developing and interconnected world in which we live."