Dr. Bob McCann’s summer abroad travel program is not a typical summer study abroad offering. Dr. McCann has expanded the summer program into an immersive experience that allows students to network with UCLA alumni who are working abroad. The program began in 2014 when Dr. McCann wanted to give back to UCLA undergraduates interested in business, since as faculty at the Anderson School of Management he only teaches in graduate degree programs. The program soon became official in 2014 as an international area studies (and subsequently global studies) program, offering courses on-site in Hong Kong in Global Leadership, Strategic Communication, and Independent Study. The following years saw the program travel to Japan and Singapore.

In addition to providing students with a globalized education, the program also includes the opportunity to meet and learn from UCLA alumni working in Asia. This alumni outreach project allows students to meet with UCLA alumni working in their country of study. Every year, Dr. McCann organizes different groups of students to meet with roughly 20-40 alumni who want to share their vocational insights and experiences. The students then apply what they learned in a group project for class, often focusing on a particular aspect of working in a given country.

The outreach project has had a great impact on participating students. Learning from alumni broadens their cultural horizons, and some have even returned to their countries of summer study to do internships or work. Dr. McCann explains how the undergraduate years are the ideal time to participate in such a program, providing an opportunity to think about career options and locations that many would not have considered previously. Alumni continue to express significant interest in meeting students, and will do so again next year in Singapore.