More than 120 students from Global Development Institute met with industry leaders on an extensive four-day tour of London from 1–4 April, learning the latest digital trends while absorbing the capital’s vibrant culture.

Students from the Management and Information Systems: Change and Development and Digital Development MScs took part in this year’s fieldwork in collaboration with London Study Tours. The trip gave students the opportunity to network with peers, professors and industry experts and gain valuable insights into emerging technologies and best practise, learning from real-life case studies.

The programme was based at ExCeL London and visited various London sites, including The Slide at ArcelorMittal Orbit in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Emirates Air Line cable cars and Westfield Stratford City.The students’ goals were to examine Management and information system careers in action and reflect on their careers and employability. Topics included organisational change and development, e-business, organisation and strategy, communication and networking, and social responsibility.

The programme enabled the students to build personal and professional networks, both within the student cohort and externally, with relevant industry practitioners.

Keynote speaker Edward Sparrow, Senior Sustainability and Technology Consultant at IBM, said:

“I had very interesting conversations with several students after the talk about electronic waste recycling and the motivation for companies to ‘go green’. They were clearly very passionate students.”

Naheed Tariq, Global Organisational Change Management Expert, who presented a training session on the education programme, said:

“It was great fun presenting to a bright and engaged audience. They asked some insightful questions, and I am confident we sent them on their way with some fresh new perspectives on Digital Transformation. I look forward to connecting with many of the students in the future.”

Nicholas Oxborrow, Study Tour Manager, London Study Tours Ltd said:

“East London was the perfect location to tour students from around the world for our recent Digital Transformation study tour. From sliding down the ArcelorMittal Orbit at the Olympic Park to riding the Emirates Cable Car to The O2, there was a lot entertain the students between the educational programmes. It was very rewarding watching everyone learn and enjoy themselves.”

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Note: This article gives the views of the author/academic featured and does not represent the views of the Global Development Institute as a whole.