The weeks since my last blog have felt like being on autopilot. Most of the major hurdles had been cleared and there was a tangible air of confidence in the cohort.
Nowhere was this more obvious than in the Innovation Lab which encouraged us to stir up our creative juices to help Logitech address a number of challenges. As the final presentations to Logitech approached, we knew we all had to step up our game and make them as entertaining as possible by incorporating elements of storytelling, humor, and interactive visuals. However only one winner could emerge, so congrats to groups 7a and 7b.
The second Integrative Exercise came around but took on a different format from the first. Groups competed against each other to outperform in a virtual market space over two and a half days. Our team breezed through the exercise and ruthlessly held on to its lead from day one – smooth sailing. Well played, Bingjie Lyu, Claudio Lopa, Claudia Huerta, Musaad Alkadi, and Apurva Mujumdar. Interestingly, as this was our last group exercise, we had resolved to achieve our best result and fortunately hit the mark, winning a bottle of champagne for our efforts.
Shortly after this, we roleplayed the COP simulation as part of the Business & Society stream. A full day of debating, negotiating, and fully immersing ourselves in our stakeholder roles gave us a first-hand, although simplified, experience of diplomatic life and further provoked some hard questions regarding the battle against climate change. A few days later our last set of exams for the program would be over and done with.
Last week, we embarked on our first Discovery Trip. One group departed for Silicon Valley while the other spent a week in Singapore. The theme of the trip to Singapore explored the use of technology in development in the public and private sectors.
On a personal note, since Ghana gained its independence eight years before Singapore, Singapore has always been one of our points of reference when it comes to development. I appreciated the opportunity to witness Singapore’s infrastructural exploits and partake of the gracious welcome of A-Star, Singapore’s Economic Development Board, Omya Asia, Sky Greens, PayPal, Panasonic, JLL, SMRT, SIA-CAE, and Google. Special appreciation goes to the Minister of Health, Min. Ong Ye Kung, an IMD MBA alumnus, who took time out of his busy schedule to provide insights into development and share wise counsel with the traveling contingent. The trip provided yet another opportunity to bond as a group and embrace the culture of Singapore.
With the summer break upon us, we’ve shared our temporary goodbyes and anticipate an exhilarating end to the program as the International Consultancy project, job hunt, and preparation for post-graduation life enter the mix next semester. Additionally, there will be the second Discovery Trip to look forward to in September – Buenos Aires here we come!
