Lubar students learned that there is quite a bit more to Panama than the Panama Canal during a business study abroad tour to the country this spring.
“Panama is not only an important hub for global transportation, it’s also home to the Latin headquarters of many multinational companies, it’s a free trade zone, and it has a large financial center,” says Yaron Zoller, the faculty leader of the program.
Zoller designed the program to have a good mix of company visits and cultural events. The group met with leaders at Samsung, GlaxoSmithKline, the Superintendency of Banks of Panama, Manzanillo International Terminal at the Panama Canal, and the Export and Investment Promotion Authority of Panama. They also visited a biodiversity museum, the Embera indigenous community, and Casco Viejo – the country’s first settlement from the 16th century.
Drew Skyberg, a junior studying finance, says that the corporate meetings were his favorite academic portion of the trip, especially the presentation at Samsung Electronics, where they toured the state-of-art headquarters and saw first-hand the innovations being developed by the company. He also found the contrast between public and private companies very interesting.
A day at the Panama Canal included a presentation about canal operations and a facilities tour that allowed the group to see the massive container ships loaded and unloaded by systems of cranes and other equipment. Students also observed ships travelling through the new locks (completed in 2016) that doubled the capacity of the canal.
“I was shocked to learn that the canal operates 24/7/365,” says Skyberg. “Being able to be there and see why the canal is so important to the economy was powerful.”
It was important to Zoller to make sure the students enjoyed not only the sights and sounds of the country, but also the flavors, beginning with a Taste of Panama City Food Tour on their first full day in the country. Since the trip was in March, they took advantage of the warmer Central American weather to visit some of the city’s rooftop restaurants. Sea bass ranked high on their list of favorites, but “an amazing mango” from a street vendor was also mentioned as a highlight.
“Overall, this trip was a fantastic experience that I will remember for the rest of my life,” says Skyberg.