Study abroad programme gives students taste of the Highlands

Twenty-three business students from Utah Valley University in Utah, Jacksonville University in Florida, and Stetson University, also Florida, have been visiting Inverness College UHI as part of a four-week study abroad programme organised by the college’s International Team.

The students travelled back to the States on Friday (23rd June).

To mark the end of the Scottish Experience programme, students were invited to the college’s Shieling Restaurant on Monday evening to enjoy a traditional Burns Supper. Representatives from local businesses involved in the programme also attended.

Highland dancers from the Melanie McKay School of Highland Dancing in Inverness entertained guests before the address to the haggis, led by Inverness piper Iain Hamilton. Students and guests then sat down to a meal of chicken and haggis in a choice of sauce followed by cranachan cheesecake.

As well as attending classes at the college on organisational behaviour, international marketing and microeconomics as part of the programme, students were asked to put their skills to the test and investigate a challenge posed by a local company and report back on their findings.

The Aviemore-based Cairngorm Brewery was among the case study companies participating in the programme. It asked students to look at the US beer market and what it would need to do to enter it successfully. Other businesses participating in the programme included WOW Scotland Tours, which asked students to investigate marketing opportunities; Cobbs Bakery, which tasked students with identifying sugar alternatives for its products; Walker’s Shortbread and Robertson Construction.

Samantha Faircliff, managing director of Cairngorm Brewery, said she was delighted to be involved in the Scottish Experience programme. “I have been with Cairngorm Brewery for 17 years and it is always good to get a fresh, objective eye to take a look at challenges,” she said. “I saw this programme as an ideal opportunity to get an outside opinion from fresh young minds. The students enjoyed a tour of the brewery, where they were able to see our production facility and retail area to give them a better understanding of our business. They then set about researching what it would look like for Cairngorm Brewery to start exporting into the US, by finding target market and strategies, researching the competition, trademarks and legalities of exporting beer. I am really looking forward to their feedback.”

Willie Cameron, business development manager at Cobbs, said: “From the point of view of a business in the Highlands, it is a great collaborative initiative from Inverness College UHI. To work with these students, and have the benefit of a completely different perspective from young minds with enterprise and business acumen, has been a fantastic experience.”

Gordon Pearson, owner of WOW Scotland Tours, added: “We have been delighted to support this programme. After completing a marketing-focused project for us, and participating in our Isle of Skye day tour, we hope to have given each student a unique insight into our business. In return, they have provided us with beneficial market research, which will assist us in continuing to provide innovative products and world-class customer service. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Inverness College UHI, and would like to wish this year's students all the best for the future."

As part of the Scottish Experience programme, Inverness College UHI’s International Team also organised speakers and a range of excursions for the students so they could make the most of their visit to Scotland. Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart visited Inverness College UHI to speak to the students about the recent General Election, Brexit and IndyRef2; Ewan Ramsay, who leads up International Trade at Inverness Chamber of Commerce, shared information and resources with the students to help them with their case study work; Gordon McIntosh, practice manager, and Peter McLuckie, solicitor, Munro & Noble Solicitors and Estate Agents, talked about the legal implications of Brexit on business; and Steve Westbrook, the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Economic Intelligence Unit Director, spoke about immigration and the impact on businesses in the Highlands.

The students, who have been staying with host families in the Inverness area or at the university student residences at Inverness Campus, have been enjoying the best of the Highlands, visiting top attractions including Loch Ness, Fort George and Urquhart Castle. They also enjoyed a tour of Tomatin Distillery, travelled to Edinburgh to see the Scottish Parliament and visited the Isle of Skye, where they enjoyed a trip to the legendary Fairy Glen as part of an excursion organised by WOW Scotland Tours.

Jennifer Loades, Inverness College UHI’s International Development Executive, explained: “The Scottish Experience programme aims to provide a custom-built academic and cultural experience inside and outside the classroom. It’s not only a great way to promote the Highlands as a fantastic place to study and visit, it’s a wonderful opportunity to team up with local businesses. The feedback from the companies involved, the speakers and the students themselves has been really positive. We’re delighted to have them here, they have really embraced all that the Highlands and Islands have to offer and have been getting out and about in the local area. It’s been a great experience for everyone involved.”

Jim Mortenson, professional in residence and business lecturer at Utah Valley University, said: “It has been a fantastic experience. The university has done an incredible job organising everything. We’ve been working with local businesses, meeting business people, politicians and seeing the sights. We have loved Inverness and visited the Isle of Skye, which was awe-inspiring. I asked the students what they thought of the programme and a lot of them said it was the first time they had been out of the US before, but it has given them the confidence to come and find out about this whole wide world they didn’t know existed.”

Shonte Williams, a business student at Utah Valley University, added: “I have never been to Scotland before but I’ve loved every minute. It has been an amazing experience. We’ve seen so many different things and met so many new people. I’d love to come back again.”

Inverness College UHI promotes opportunities for its students to study or train abroad including in North America, Japan and Europe. Its exchange programmes are open to students on degree courses, with options to study abroad for one semester or the full academic year. Financial support is available for students who wish to study in Europe. For further information about international opportunities at Inverness College UHI, email International.Office.ic@uhi.ac.uk.