eosvisions

Overview

More and more higher education courses have an increasingly international focus, and students are encouraged to gain experience abroad. The interest in countries in the developing world is constantly growing, and East Africa offers a fresh, safe and very attractive environment for short-term education abroad programs.

Eos Visions supports universities, colleges and other institutions of higher education to create, design and implement tailor-made international travel experiences, including global study trips, residencies, immersion experiences and international policy practicums. We work with planners, administrators, faculty members and students on the educational content, identify and liaise with in-country partners, and ensure an impeccable delivery of all on-the-ground logistics and services. This combination of knowledge, experience and logistical expertise provides our customers with the freedom to focus attention on other responsibilities.

Some of our regular customers include:

• Harvard Business School: Immersion Experience Program
• Johns Hopkins’ Carey Business School: Innovation for Humanity Project
• Cornell University: Public Health Immersion Trip
• Stanford Graduate School of Business: Global Study Trip
• Aiglon College: International Service Project

We have also hosted delegations from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, Arizona State University and Shawnee State University. While the majority of our customers are business schools, subject areas such as medicine, public health, law, gender, public affairs and international relations are also increasingly demanded.

Features

Every university or college has a different approach and philosophy when it comes to its international travel experience. As a comprehensive destination manager, we can handle all on-the-ground services that might be desirable and also advise on the educational content of the programs. Specific features include:

Travel logistics:

• Suitable 3, 4 and 5 star hotels with special negotiated group rates
• Up-to-date selection of the best local restaurants
• High-quality transport providers offering anything from comfortable SUVs and minivans to modern buses and coaches
• Appropriate conference facilities, and efficient organization and management of events
• Mix of knowledgeable and experienced local and international multilingual guides and tour managers
• Efficient back-office support also after normal business hours
• Collaboration with leading US-based operators like TravelMBA or Accent Group to provide customized airline services as well as additional international travel assistance such as foreign visa processing or insurance services

Educational content:

• In-house policy knowledge and research in a range of fields
• Strategic local alliances – ranging from top government authorities to academic leaders, embassies, development agencies, non-profit organizations and local businesses – willing to interact with our customers through guest presentations, meetings, lectures and site visits
• Collaboration with leading local think tanks like Bridge2Rwanda’s ISOKO Institute

Cultural activities:

• All tourism highlights that East Africa has to offer, including safaris, gorilla treks, cultural activities and events, and historical site visits
• Special theme-based city introductions, e.g. along the lines of history and contemporary politics
• Special theme-based excursions looking at development issues (e.g. in Rwanda’s Millennium Village), income-generating projects (e.g. SIDAREC in Kenya’s Kibera slum), challenges of historically marginalized people (e.g. the Batwa in Rwanda), gender mainstreaming, or coffee, tea, sugar and palm oil harvesting and processing
• Pre- or post-trip extensions

Case studies

Johns Hopkins’ Carey Business School: Innovation for Humanity Project
The Innovation for Humanity Project is a 2-credit course that provides a learning experience focused on the challenges of building sustainable, impactful businesses in emerging global marketplaces. The course aims to create in each student an appreciation of entrepreneurial opportunities in critical sectors of human need in complex, resource-constrained markets that are plagued by fragmented infrastructure.

After extensive classroom exercises that provide perspective on the country-market context and project sector priorities, students spend two weeks to the project countries that include Kenya and Rwanda. In 4-6 person teams, they face specific entrepreneurial problem solving tasks that they undertake for a sponsoring entrepreneur or institution. As outputs, they prepare a country-market-sector assessment report, a project report and a corresponding presentation. Projects frequently relate to the health and energy sectors.

Stanford Graduate School of Business: Global Study Trip
The Global Study Trips are student-initiated international travel experiences that complement the classroom time by offering students the opportunity to interact with global leaders from around the world. After a variety of on-campus guest speakers introducing topics such as macroeconomic policy, political history, culture and business etiquette, the students travel to selected destinations, including Kenya and Rwanda, in order to broaden their international experience and knowledge.

On the ground, the students benefit from a very diverse program. Meetings are organized with top government officials, including selected ministers and even presidents, US Embassy officials and leading entrepreneurs. Site visits feature the Nairobi Stock Exchange, various factories and offices, as well as selected development projects. And the program is rounded off with cultural activities, safaris and down time.

Cornell University: Public Health Immersion Trip
The Public Health Immersion Trip is hosted by Cornell Health International, an organization at Cornell University that promotes awareness of global health issues. The main purpose of the trip is to experience and understand the public healthcare system of a developing country like Rwanda, an exemplary African success story where over 92% of the population is now covered under a basic healthcare plan.

Participating students learn about the work of and meet with representatives of the major sections of the rural healthcare system, including District Health Advisors, health coordinators, physicians, nurses and patients. Beyond local government and public health center officials, key institutional partners on the ground include the Access Project, Rwanda Works, the Millennium Villages Project and the National University of Rwanda’s teaching hospital.