Coming into Panama, I was excited and ready to be immersed in a third-world country. I was expecting many differences when compared to the United States when it comes to factors such as transportation, sanitation, economy, and much more. However, even though some of these things were true, I was shocked when I explored Panama on my first day. Taking the bus through the financial district of Panama and seeing the many skyscrapers that were present shocked me. I learned how easy it was to open a business within Panama due to the dollar-based economy and the government regulations surrounding Panama. This easy quality of opening a business is truly obvious as entrepreneurship within the country is very prevalent. Although it may not be urbanized as the United States, one can see that Panama is taking the right steps toward urbanizing their country. My initial impressions of the global business program surrounded immersing myself within the culture of Panama while learning firsthand about how important global business and global business leaders are towards success for both parties. I knew that I was able to get a unique look into the processes and operations behind Panamanian-based companies through this experience. When it comes to what I hope to gain from this experience, I am hoping to alter my perspective when it comes to the business landscape outside of the United States. I believe that my perspective on the world economy is very narrow-sighted and only focused on how the United States is doing but hopefully through this trip, I can widen that perspective and learn that the economy of surrounding countries is just as important to the success of the United States. In addition, I am hoping to gain closer relationships with the other Regents’ going on this trip, especially since many of us will play a critical role next year as ambassadors. I believe that this trip will truly allow us to get out of our shells and get much closer as a cohort.
Center for International Business Studies Blog