IBEX: A Truly Global Network

Written by Maria Xing

You’ve heard of NYU Stern’s regular study away program, but have you heard of the International Business Exchange program (IBEX)? IBEX offers a unique cultural immersion experience at some of the world’s most prestigious business schools. Through Stern’s global partnerships, IBEX allows students to continue enriching their education while experiencing all the benefits of studying abroad.

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Aristos Michaelides – From University of Manchester to NYU Stern

Greetings from New York! My name is Aristos Michaelides and I’m a visiting/exchange student from the University of Manchester, one of NYU’s partner schools as part of the IBEX program.  NYU is at the heart of Greenwich Village -one of the oldest and most beautiful neighborhoods in Manhattan. Although it’s similar to Manchester in terms of being a city campus/school, the buzzing streets and vibrant community is anything but.  

I’ve been studying at NYU Stern for only just a month, yet my deep involvement with AKPsi (professional fraternity) and association with other Stern clubs, allowed me to connect with locals, increased my exposure to the culture and social norms and also allowed me to gain unique experiences. These have included meeting the Mayor of NY at the tech meet-up conference and attending lectures featuring key finance leaders such as Michael Corbat CEO of Citibank and even partaking in the Entrepreneurial Challenge -to name a few of the vast array of opportunities available as a Stern student in the Big Apple!

As far as my academic experience goes, I’ve taken only business courses because I simply love business. Currently I’m enrolled in Equity Valuation, Strategic Analysis, Data-Driven Decision Making and the Lean start up Lab. I have found each and every class both challenging and intellectually stimulating as they all push me in terms of being creative,  and I am using my own intuition and judgment to solve the problem at hand. In contrast to my home school, classes here are much smaller in size allowing the sessions to be more interactive and the case-based approach enables us to apply the concepts/frameworks learned to real life business scenarios.

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Yash Bhansali – From NYU Stern to University of Hong Kong

I’m studying at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in Hong Kong.

I did an NYU study abroad semester in Prague, Czech Republic, last spring, and spent a lot of time traveling through Europe. I figured I would spent my IBEX semester exploring the Asian side of the world. I chose HKU because I wanted to be near the heart of Hong Kong and have greater access to the resources available in the city, which many people say is comparable to New York and London. HKU is also known to be among the best universities in Asia so it’s actually quite a privilege to be able to study here.

I’m taking 5 classes: Economics of Global Business, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research, Social Psychology, and Arabic. HKU also has a bunch of interesting courses like China Business Environment, Understanding Social Protests, and Criminology.

Practically every experience I have had this semester is cultural in some way. One of the biggest has been experiencing the much-talked-about Hong Kong protests as an insider. I have been lucky to see how students feel about it, how the local universities are supporting students in pursuing their goals, and the tension between the protestors and the government. I walked through the protest areas recently: the environment has a very positive vibe, students voluntarily go around to collect trash and offer basic supplies to protestors, and the place is filled with positive banners and quotations. I’m lucky to witness such a momentous event.

Having done both NYU Study Away and IBEX, I think the best part about IBEX is the complete cultural immersion. You get to be a part of the ‘inside story’ with locals and other exchange students.

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Louise Luciani – From NYU Stern to the National University of Singapore

I am studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS). I chose Singapore because it is both a travel hub and financial hub. It boasts a wide variety of excellent cuisine, is clean andhas all the comforts of Western society. I’m currently taking 16 credits – Asian Business Environments, Investment Analysis, International Financial Management, and Risk Management. I particularly enjoy International Financial Management and think it’s a good class to take abroad.

I find NUS to be pretty similar to NYU in terms of the caliber of classes. In terms of students there aren’t many Americans here. I’m friends with a lot of other exchange students from around the globe as well as locals.

I think the best way to get a very immersive experience is to stay with a local family. Upon arriving in Singapore I stayed with my friend Darrell and his family for a couple nights. I attended a durian party, went prawning (fishing for shrimp with hook and rod), was a guest at a wedding vow renewal ceremony, and was introduced to all the best local delicacies. I truly lived, breathed and ate like a Singaporean for those few days.

IBEX provides students with a truly culturally immersive experience. I’ve become good friends with students from all around the globe and am even picking up some of the “Singlish” while here. I definitely recommend IBEX to all Stern students. It really pushes you to step out of your comfort zone and to be fully immersed in a culture with fascinating histories and different perspectives.