– A rich mix of culture brings an idea-accelerator atmosphere to an SFU Classroom
Welcome and Orientation
An eager mix of French and Canadian business school counterparts are taking part in the Joint Semester in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program. We bonded over a week of welcome, class and team building that flew by in the blink of an eye. The Beedie School of Business welcomed our guests from Grenoble Ecole de Management by serving up a mixture of Canadian culture and food combined with an introduction to true west coast weather.
Canadians are nothing if not embracive of our own stereotypes – cue the Tim Horton’s doughnuts and coffee for the first breakfast of our action-packed semester dedicated to finding innovative solutions for global sustainability issues. After a crash course in popular Vancouver landmarks and an orientation for the coming semester by International Coordinator, Liana Swedahl, and International Project Manager, Joaquim Sanvictores, we were educated in a practical and informative session on Canadian culture. To end off a great first day on Burnaby Mountain we were treated to a spectacular buffet dinner at the Diamond Alumni Center. The food selection was highlighted by a perfectly cooked BC salmon that was an instant hit with our guests from France.
Debates and Lectures
The following day consisted of our first classroom experience together along with an informative lecture on the Canadian economy and where it fits into the world economy. It was clear to see, even from the first of many classes, that this group is bound for something special. Summing up our first lecture in one statement would go something like this: Lively debate on innovation generated by different cultures coming together, fueled by the experienced based knowledge of Sarah Lubik, a lecturer here at the Beedie School of Business. It is clear that these classroom discussions will serve as valuable incubators for social and environmental change. Following our first classroom lecture was a seminar given by Bernie Magnan, former Chief Economist of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Bernie brought an impressive mixture of knowledge regarding the history of Canada, the Economy of Canada as well as that of the world. He proceeded to wow the students of Grenoble with his flawless Quebecois abilities that had previously been hidden under his West Coast accent. Our heads filled with knowledge from the past two days; we began to look forward to our upcoming weekend retreat to the Sunshine Coast.
Weekend Retreat
A trip to the “Sunshine Coast” seemed to be just what the doctor ordered after a week of typical Vancouver winter weather – rain. The weather was not enough to dampen the spirits of a rambunctious group led by the dynamic duo of SFU professors Lisa Papania and Sarah Lubik. With ecological sustainability as the focus of our semester in innovation, there is no better place than the BC Coast to see the beauty that could be lost if the current trends of pollution and global warming continue. The weekend retreat to the YMCA Camp Elphinstone in Gibsons included aspects of any BC kid’s summer camp adventures. Nature walks, teambuilding, trust exercises, and of course, canoeing. Along with our lively debates on sustainable strategies, exercises on personality preferences and team dynamics taught by Professor Shauna Jones the students from France learnt an important Vancouver pastime, complaining about the weather, and then enjoying it anyway. The most common sight among us was the joy of returning from an adventure out on the Howe Sound and creating the latest innovation in garbage bag ponchos. It is safe to say that this past weekend hit on the essentials of sustainability, teamwork and culture in an environment that is near impossible to recreate in an urban setting.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts about corporate visits coming to this program later this month.
Jordan is currently in his third year at the Beedie School of Business and is concentrating in Accounting and Entrepreneurship. Although enrolled in Beedie for 3 years, the past year has seen him start to take advantage of the amazing opportunities that are offered outside of the classroom. Jordan started his involvement in the Business Administration Student Society (BASS) as the VP Internal, overseeing such events as BASS FROSH and the BASS Mentorship Program. His experiences with BASS have opened up opportunities with the Royal Roads Case Competition Team and the GEM Joint Semester in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.Jordan looks forward to future involvement with BASS and hopes to have an opportunity to compete in International case competitions.