The winter of 2022 saw the return to on location experiential learning. The IMB department sent two groups of students to South Africa. The first group was led by Dr. Portia Ndlove while Dr. Ashok Pandey led the second group.
Details of the trip of the first group was displayed proudly in the local press in South Africa.
The second group of 20 students to South Africa had a wonderful experience as well.
The entire program was planned, coordinated and conducted in conjunction with a multinational conglomerate, RailRunner®, South Africa. Transnet, the largest freight logistics company in South Africa, spanning rails, pipelines, and port operations had hosted the students during the Port visits in Richards Bay, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Saldanha Bay. The Port visits also included guided tours of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and the Cato Ridge dry port in Durban. MMA students visited and interacted with local students from several academic institutions including the Nelson Mandela University (Port Elizabeth), South African International Maritime Institute(SAIMI), South African Maritime Training Agency (SAMTRA) and the Lawhill Maritime Centre in Cape Town. The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS), South Africa had hosted the students in a meet and greet session that included maritime industry captains as well as senior executives from the Department of Transport. Students spent their last weekend in understanding ecological conservation and touring the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve outside Johannesburg. The Black Rhino Game Lodge on the western side of the ‘Big Five’ Pilanesberg National Park of South Africa’s North West Province provided a beautiful bushveld getaway to the group. It was mission accomplished as everyone was able to spot the ‘Big Five’ at the Park and appreciate the discipline in the animal kingdom.
The South Africa experience this year was truly enthralling and rewarding in its multicultural ethos since everyone had something to gain including networking opportunities for the future.
The experiential learning has also resulted in several collaboration opportunities between the
academic institutions such as Nelson Mandela University and ICS, South Africa that may be pursued in the future.
