Instructions

Read through the three choice categories below carefully. Based on your research and your desire to learn more about or participate in a particular event, choose one as your final project. Once your choice has been made, create an outline of your project to summarize the information below to notify your instructor of your choice. This assignment should be 1-2 pages and submitted as a Word or PDF document and only answer questions 1-5 below (using the option you pick for your final submission in Module 8). You will complete the answers to the questions in the Options during Module 8. Please create a separate section for each item you are asked to provide.

Identify which option (1, 2, or 3) you have chosen.

Give the specific event, conference, company, or project details. For example, I have chosen to interview Paul Williss, Global Director from Eli Lilly or I will attend the INBVM Global Conference on 3/27/yyyy or I will travel to Costa Rica from 2/25/yyyy - 3/5/yyyy for a service learning project.

Detail how your choice is related to global studies.

1. What (pertaining to global studies) do you plan to get out of the experience?
2. Please include any other details about your project that should be evaluated by your instructor prior to submitting the final project.
3. Final Project Options
4. Based on your research you conducted in Module 2, choose one item as your final project. Please note that you doNOT need to pay for anything (conferences, study abroad, etc.) in order to complete this assignment. There are plenty of things out there that you can do for this project that are free and local. Please do not let the illusion of cost keep you from completing this assignment. There are three different options with instructions below. Be certain to read the proper instructions and avoid getting them mixed up. For each of the options below, it would be a good idea to bring a copy of the questions with you to make sure they all get answered.
5. OPTION #1: International project, study abroad, conferences, service learning, etc (items #1 and #2 of research assignment):

Attend any one of the many choices you researched under these two categories. Provide the date and time of your attendance, give the name of the event, entity responsible for hosting the event, length of event, and location. Provide a description of the event, purpose, and expected outcomes. Describe the target audience for this event. Answer the following questions below in a 3-5 page APA academic paper complete with a cover page and references on separate sheets. 

Describe your experience - what happened (be detailed 2-3 paragraphs)? Was this normal for you? 

What was the topic of discussion?

Final Project : Professional Group or Community Organization

Outline

1. Final Project: Professional Group or Community Organization
   1. Introduction
      1. Choice of option, event, and its relationship to global studies
   2. Experience
   3. Discussion topic, whether I feel uncomfortable and, what I enjoyed and what I did not
   4. New things learned and whether I was exposed to any global issues
   5. Cultures I was exposed to and how the experience has helped me become a global citizen
   6. Whether the experience changed what I thought about international business and what I would like to learn about this experience.
   7. Whether I made many connections and whether I would work for a global company as an expatriate.
   8. Final thoughts about my experience and advice to someone thinking of working in international business

            Final Project: Professional Group or Community Organization

            The option that I have chosen for my final project is option two, which focuses on a professional group or community organization. The professional organization that I have chosen to join is the Academy of International Business (AIB). The event that I attended, organized by the academy, AIB, is the AIB Annual Meeting 2021 (online), which happened virtually from 28^th June to 2^nd July 2021 (Academy of International Business, 2021). The conference I chose to attend is related to global studies because it provides an interdisciplinary platform to interact with experts in international business and how they interact on a global scale. Its relationship with global studies is based on its focus on international business matters like international business policies, emerging markets, sustainability in international business, and trends like the use of technology. What I plan to get out of the experience is to gain a better understanding of global business in terms of trends, concerns, challenges, and solutions to problems associated with international businesses.

Experience

            Getting permission to attend the event was not a challenge based on the fact that students were being allowed free access just by providing their school identification and other relevant documents related to their reasons for wanting to attend the virtual meeting. I listened to several speakers from different business fields, including business owners, analysts, and researchers, making presentations about the various aspects of international business. Each speaker addressed the concerns that they have in their specific field of expertise and suggested the solutions that the international community can implement. They also shared their experiences and the results of research they had done on the current issues and trends in business. The various researchers presented the findings of their studies on various issues, and by the time the talks were completed, I was equipped with sufficient knowledge to help my peers in global studies have a better understanding of what is going on internationally.

            I got a chance to interact and share knowledge with other students of global studies, enhancing our understanding of the subject matter of the conference. After the official presentations, I was able to interact with more people from across the world, including research scholars and academic scientists, helping me gain insight into their professional practice and the work they have done in relation to international business. There were moments of socialization where I got to talk directly with some of the speakers and ask them some of the questions that I have had for some time concerning the topic of discussion. The most significant part of the conference was when the speakers were presenting their views and findings of their research as well as solutions to the matter of concern that made the conference necessary. The virtual event was not exactly normal because I am used to face-to-face interactions, which I think would have helped enhance the experience with the speakers and the other attendees.

Discussion topic, whether I feel uncomfortable and, what I enjoyed and what I did not

            The topic of discussion in the virtual meeting was Disruption, Megatrends, and Transformation: Reimagining International Business in a Changed World. I did not feel uncomfortable because this topic was used in addressing some of the most common trends, practices, and issues encountered in the international business community, which are topics that I am highly interested in. The virtual event was also carefully planned, and the meeting’s atmosphere was friendly, making it easy for me to interact with a variety of speakers from different cultures and professionals in various aspects of international business relations. I enjoyed meeting so many great minds as they helped me acquire more knowledge in international business, and I was also able to make some new friends. However, I did not enjoy the moments when I experienced hostility from some of the speakers when I tried to approach them directly to ask questions. Not all the individuals in the conference were accommodating or friendly.

New things learned and whether I was exposed to any global issues.

            I have learned a lot of new things about international business in terms of how to achieve sustainability in a business when running it in a foreign country or operating it on a global scale. I above also learned about the strategies that can be used to achieve a competitive advantage in the international market regardless of the competition in the market when exploring a new market. Also, how to take advantage of the trends in the market in terms of business technology and use them to gain a competitive advantage over the competitive international business market. The global issues that I was exposed to were in relation to the challenges that most people face when establishing an international business or setting up a business in a foreign country. The main issue was that of conflict of business laws.

Cultures I was exposed to and how the experience has helped me become a global citizen

            The conference exposed me to various cultures, given it was of an international nature. I was exposed to the various practice and beliefs that are shared by the international community that shared the interests in relation to international business. I was exposed to a culture that extends beyond the national borders, which means that the individuals attending the meeting were all about the common business beliefs and aspects that brought everyone together in that virtual meeting. The experience has helped me become a global citizen by helping me understand and become more aware of how the other parts of the world work in relation to business practices and how different countries carry out business. Interacting with different people from different cultures enhanced my understanding of how other parts of the world work.

Whether the experience changed what I thought about international business and what I would like to learn about this experience.

            My thought about international business was changed by this experience in the sense that I was able to gain a better understanding of the different business laws that apply in different countries and the elements that make international business interactions essential for company growth. My view was also changed in that I understood that starting a business abroad is just as complex as starting a business locally. What I would like to learn about international business in this experience is w the emerging business trends like the use of technology are likely to affect the ability to explore business opportunities in regions where technology has not been completely integrated into the systems.

Whether I made any connections and whether I would work for a global company as an expatriate

            I met a lot of people in the conference including innovators, business leaders, and owner who I was able to establish a connection with because of the interests we share. this presents an opportunity for me to get mentorship and inspiration on the approach that is likely to work best for me when choosing a business path to explore after completing my studies. With my knowledge of the various emerging technologies used in business, I was able to impress a significant number of speakers who attended the virtual event. This was noticed because of my active participation, asking questions, and sharing my knowledge with them. I could work for a global company as an expatriate because it will expose me more to the world and opportunities to expand my knowledge and explore business platforms internationally.

Final thoughts about my experience and advice to someone thinking of working in international business

            The experience was eye-opening to me in helping me understand how the world of business functions internationally. My interaction with different cultures and business practices provided a chance for me to get accurate answers to questions I have about being part of a business in a foreign country. My knowledge of the trends in business practices in different parts of the world, acquired through this meeting, has helped me understand the business better. The advice that I would give anyone thinking of working in international business is to ensure that they understand the business atmosphere of the country they want to explore. This includes understanding the business laws of that country and how they apply to foreigners, as well as the nature of the market in that country in relation to the type of business they want to explore.