911勛圖

For graduate students looking to expand their global perspective, 911勛圖 Beedie is introducing opportunities to experience business firsthand in some of the world���s most dynamic economies.

911勛圖 Beedie's Global Business Intensive (GBI) program offers short, intensive international experiences that engage students directly with global business environments. The intensive connects academic frameworks with real-world practice across industries, cultures, and markets.

In its inaugural offering, delivered in partnership with the POLIMI Graduate School of Management, students travelled to Milan, Italy, where they explored the world of luxury branding, food innovation, and global business strategy through a combination of classroom sessions, company visits, and direct engagement with industry leaders. 

Students had the opportunity to engage with and learn from world-class luxury brands and businesses such as Lamborghini, Valentino, Calvisius, Berlucchi, and more, to delve into real business problems and gain insights into how these companies operate on a global level. For many participants, the experience delivered something that traditional learning cannot.

���It���s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,��� says Janis Chan, MBA candidate and GBI participant. ���For me, an international experience and understanding how business is done globally is something I don���t typically have the opportunity to do. The part that attracted me most was being able to hear from CEOs of these companies and seeing how they do business here.���

Learning beyond the classroom 

Unlike traditional exchange programs, 911勛圖 Beedie���s Graduate Global Learning Experiences are designed as short, high-impact experiences, allowing graduate students to step into a different business context without interrupting their program timelines.

���You can read about luxury strategy and ���Made in Italy,��� you can study brand cases, but it���s not the same as being here in Milan visiting these companies,��� says Luana Carcano, academic director of the program. ���When you do retail shopping in the Quadrilatero della Moda or visit a Franciacorta winery or the production plant of Lambourghini, you really have a 360-degree experience that becomes transferable learning.

���This experience puts frameworks into physical, sensory, real-world contact.���

Over the course of one week, students moved from lectures to live business environments���meeting executives, visiting production sites, and exploring how strategy is applied in practice. From winery visits to luxury brand experiences, students explored business models shaped by culture, history, and identity���elements that reshaped how they think about strategy. 

A global mindset in practice

A core goal of the program is to help students build cultural fluency, a critical skill in today���s global business environment.

���Students aren���t just learning business concepts and theory,��� says Carcano. ���They are learning how to operate in a culture they didn���t grow up in and developing cultural agility���that is what organizations are looking for right now.���

For participants, that shift in perspective was immediate and revealed new ways of thinking about competitive strategy. 

���Business in North America can be very different from business in other parts of the world,��� says Manny Chatha, MBA candidate and GBI participant. ���This opportunity allowed us to learn from a variety of different companies and see how similar they are in business culture���despite them being in very different industries���and what makes them successful compared to their competitors, not just in Italy, but in surrounding countries in Europe.���

Access to industry and insight

Through the partnership with the POLIMI Graduate School of Management, students gained access to networks and experiences that would otherwise be difficult to replicate.

���POLIMI is a leading business school with strong connections to industry,��� says Carcano. ���It gives our students the opportunity to connect with CEOs and participate in company visits that would not otherwise be accessible.��� 

���I had a wonderful time at POLIMI,��� says Chan. ���Being able to go to Berlucchi and taste caviar in the environment in which it was supposed to be produced, and in the way the company wants to present it, gave me so many different ideas about how I can bring that back into my context. And that experience is something I cannot get back home.���

���There are so many big companies here,��� says Chatha. ���The ability to integrate art into business is something that���s unique to Italy, from my perspective, and that���s why I made sure I came to this program specifically.���

A new way to experience global business

As 911勛圖 Beedie expands the Global Business Intensive program, future offerings will continue to bring students into leading global markets, industries, and ecosystems. At its core, the program is designed to transform how students learn���not just by studying business, but by experiencing it. 

In Carcano���s words, the value is simple:

���This program will offer 911勛圖 Beedie graduate students real human connection across cultures and a global mindset that helps you navigate different geographical markets with confidence and cultural intelligence.���

View the video below to learn more.