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UW-Platteville Class Studies North African Business Practices and Culture
UW-Platteville students visited the African Development Bank in Tunisia
Seven UW-Platteville students toured Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco in June as part of a short study abroad program on North African business practices and culture. CIBER provided support to assist the participation of traditionally underrepresented students in the program. The tour was led by Louis Nzegwu, a professor and executive director of the International Business Resources Center.
The governments of these North African countries are each pursuing economic reform, with varying results. Prior to departure the students were introduced to issues regarding the region’s economy and business environment. Once in Africa they were able to meet with people directly engaged in business there and with representatives of U.S. embassies in each country. The group visited the World Trade Center and Heinz Egypt in Cairo, and their stops in Tunis, Tunisia, included a newly opened beverage can facility, Hewlett Packard, and the headquarters of the African Development Bank. While in Morocco the group met with representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Casablanca and toured Mohammed V University in Rabat.
Also included on the itinerary were visits to several cultural sites, including the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, and the Khan al-Khalili Market (the oldest in the world) in Egypt. Tunisian highlights included the Bardo museum, known for its collection of mosaics; the old city, La Medina; and the village of Sidi Bou Said overlooking the Bay of Tunis. In Morocco the group visited the National Archaeology Museum and the mausoleum of Mohammed V, who negotiated the country’s independence from France in the 1950s.