06/05/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/05/2025 11:20
Understanding business on a global scale is essential, and LMU College of Business Administration ensures its students are prepared to lead in any corner of the world. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the college expanded its international offerings by partnering with Global Academic Ventures, giving students new opportunities to broaden their global perspective.
Sixteen undergraduate business students participated in this immersive, semester-long program, which combines intensive academic coursework in Sydney, Australia, with full-time internships in dynamic business hubs across Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Students began with eight weeks of coursework at the University of Technology Sydney before transitioning into internships in cities such as Auckland, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney. Host companies included globally recognized organizations like DHL, Estée Lauder, Allianz, Weber Shandwick, Bank of Sydney, and the Financial Times.
"Our first year participating in Global Academic Ventures was a big success," said Dayle Smith, dean of LMU College of Business Administration. "The true value of the program is the opportunity for students to take classes in Sydney, then immediately apply that knowledge during an internship abroad. They experience firsthand what it means to be a young professional in a global marketplace."
Naia Ayau '25, a recent finance graduate, interned in business analytics and intelligence at Weber Shandwick in Singapore, where she honed both her technical and analytical skills. "I gained experience conducting qualitative analysis, performing quantitative comparisons, and creating visual data insights through charts and calculations," she said.
Lauren Ott, an ISBA major who served as an IT intern at the Bank of Sydney, emphasized the value of international workplace exposure. "I assisted the team with business analysis tasks like gathering requirements, analyzing bank data, and collaborating across departments. It was incredibly rewarding to apply what I've learned in my CBA classes to real-world situations."
Marketing major Taylor Blackwood worked as a retail marketing intern at Estée Lauder Companies in Sydney, focusing on the Clinique and Aveda brands. Her internship responsibilities included supporting educational initiatives for estheticians, helping coordinate the Clinique x Priceline Influencer Press Launch, and participating in the company's end-of-year Town Hall Conference, where teams celebrated achievements and previewed 2026 product launches.
"I was able to transform my classroom Excel skills into actionable insights in the workplace," Taylor reflected. "I deepened my knowledge of Excel, while also growing confident in tools like MySQL, Tableau, and Adobe applications. Beyond technical skills, I enhanced my communication, cross-functional collaboration, and time management - critical soft skills that shaped my day-to-day work."
"It was truly a life-changing experience," Taylor added. "For any student looking to grow both professionally and personally, I highly recommend this program."