This year marks the return of international travel for the MBA Program’s FIELD Global Immersion (FGI) course, an experiential learning opportunity that gives first-year students in the Required Curriculum hands-on exposure to how business is conducted in markets around the world. Due to the pandemic, FGI was canceled in 2020 and 2021, and was reintroduced in 2022 in 15 locations in the United States.

More than 1,000 students in the Class of 2024 are set to travel this weekend to their FGI locations (see map), where they will work with project partners from May 8 through May 15. At each of the 15 locations—from Argentina to Vietnam, plus Boston, which is included for students unable to travel outside the United States—a cohort of up to 72 students is led by a faculty member who is assisted by two HBS staff members serving as program managers.

The FGI course, which begins in the classroom and ends with the immersion, is designed to enhance students’ ability to manage differences and operate effectively across cultures and business contexts. Drawing upon the “knowing by doing” pedagogical model, the course integrates a variety of tools—teamwork exercises, simulations, case discussion sessions, and immersive design thinking projects—to help students broaden their global perspective. Through partnerships with small- and medium-sized companies in each immersion city, student-led teams work closely with local businesses and communities to develop customer-centered ideas tor new products, services, or customer experiences. At the conclusion of their immersion, student teams present their recommendations to their project partners.

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