Unforgettable Summer in Cape Town

This past summer I participated in iXperience's inaugural Immerse program in Cape Town, South Africa. The first four weeks of this program entailed a UVa Global Studies portion incorporating an art, archaeology or astronomy, conservation, and history element. During the next six weeks, I took the Management Consulting course. Collectively the liberal arts program and pre-professional program make iXperience a study abroad program like no other. The former instills an appreciation for South Africa, its inhabitants, and the country’s vibrant culture. All the while, the latter provides you with an opportunity to build a foundation in an area of your choice with industry experts (in my case a former project manager at McKinsey’s Johannesburg Office).
In the management consulting program, the clients are primarily South African startups with the governing logic being the smaller the firm the more likely that you, the students, get delegated meaningful work and that your final recommendations will be implemented. In my case, we consulted for a behavioral design agency that worked predominantly in the advertising space to develop a financial inclusion project that would enable township-based entrepreneurs to access their services. We delivered a business model which our client is moving to pilot this month.
Prospect students should be assured that they will have a great opportunity to experience personal growth and professional development while having ample time to take advantage of all of Cape Town’s recreational activities. Parents should know that their students will be working hard contrary to the reputation of most study abroad programs. Moreover, they are able to expand their network to include the iX staff, industry experts, and other students at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. The iXperience program is truly one of a kind and I imagine that it will only get better as they learn how to better integrate UVa’s institutional aims into their curriculum.