Photos: International Experience: Iceland
X. Huang ’22, Alston Wang ’23, and Aishwarya Smriti ’23 share photos from their trip to Iceland, led by Professor George Newman and TA Kelly Emery ’22.
X. Huang ’22
The International Experience: Iceland course wrapped up with an epic spring break field trip to the country. It’s truly one of my most memorable experiences at the Yale School of Management. We learned about the business, culture, and society of Iceland, and combined education with fun and adventure!
It was truly fascinating to meet and hear the story of two-time South African paralympian and gold medalist Ntando Mahlangu. Despite the fact that he was born with fibular hemimelia and never walked until the age of 10, he broke the world record for long jump and 200m. Its an inspirational story that makes you think to take nothing for granted.
Alston Wang ’23
The International Experience: Iceland course trip unveiled the importance of sustainability and how Iceland leads in innovation with national synergies. One of the highlights was the time spent at the Blue Lagoon learning about geothermal power generation. Other highlights from our corporate visits include:
Marel (manufacturing)
We met with Narfi Snorrason, strategy and business development, to learn about sustainability and innovation of food manufacturing.
Business Iceland
Petor Oskarsson, CEO, shared key pillars of sustainability in Iceland and how government supports the industry development.
Össur (leading healthcare technology company that designs and manufactures prosthetics)
Edda Geirsdottir, vice president of corporate communication and public relations, showed us how innovation helps improve quality of life for those with disabilities by working with athletes at Paralympic to improve the products.
Iceland Glacial
Jon Olafsson, co-founder and chairman, discussed the story of founding a business and the marketing power to reshape the brand.
Aishwarya Smriti ’23
The International Experience trip to Iceland was one of my best experiences at Yale SOM. Of course, the Land of Fire and Ice is well known for its exquisite beauty and gorgeous landscapes. But getting an opportunity to learn about the business and culture of this country enhanced the trip experience multifold. We got to interact with companies, new and old, and learn about their initiates to get Iceland to the forefront and be leaders in the sustainability space.
The trip also helped me get to know more of my peers better and allowed us to bond and form meaningful connections. The moments spent with them, from enduring a blizzard to see the volcano or playing intense games of “Dutch Blitz” until midnight, will always be cherished.
