A Kennesaw State University instructor gets creative when the coronavirus thwarts a planned study abroad learning experience for her students.
It was supposed to be a once-in a-lifetime trip for 25 MBA students at KSU: 7-days in Italy to study differences in business functions between the 2 countries, but the global pandemic had other plans. The trip got canceled.
"It was very hard," said KSU associate marketing professor Dr. Mona Sinha". "They were very upset. For many of them, it was the first time they were going abroad, or to Italy. It was also very shocking--everything that was happening at the same time. So we didn't really get much time to grieve over this lost opportunity."
She had Atlanta restaurant Bellina Alimentari host an interactive virtual cooking class on how to make authentic pasta and pizza.
So Sinha decided to bring Italy to her students--virtually, with the help of some experts.
Sinha says, "We all felt sort of cheated out of an experience that was supposed to be so very authentic. This was the closest we could get to a really authentic experience".
Sinha also brought in Kennesaw State experts who spoke of archaeological digs in Italy and Roman architecture and history.
"It was amazing how selfless how all of these people were willing to give of their time and their expertise because everyone is facing struggles at their workplace--whether it's academic or the corporate world," Sinha said. "Yet they would come on Saturdays and Sundays, several hours at a stretch to spend time with these students. It was just really amazing."
The students' final class happens in June when Sinha will bring in an Italian master engineer, virtually, to give students an introduction to Italian music.
Sinha says it's all about perspective, when life gives you lemons...