Students in the Business and Sport in Australia class studied international business, sports and Australian culture during their three weeks studying abroad. Photos by Emmi Elmaleh ’27
Taking another look Down Under, Eckerd College Assistant Professor of Finance Robert Jozkowski, Ph.D., led a group of 16 adventurous students to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, in January.
This three-week Winter Term course titled Business and Sport in Australia has been in rotation for three years and primarily focuses on teaching students about international business, sports and Australian culture.
Students met with business leaders from international companies with St. Petersburg, Florida, ties—such as Franklin Templeton in Melbourne and Fidelity Investments in Sydney. These visits were intended to highlight the differences, and similarities, between business culture in Australia and the United States. In addition, host executives spoke about the dynamics of working with their several locations around the world, being employed by an international business.
The class visits Fidelity Investments in Sydney.
“I learned that culture is important to educate yourself about while traveling, to understand the people around you,” says Ava Nissman, a sophomore communication student from Chappaqua, New York.
Connecting to the sports aspect of the course, students learned how to lawn bowl, a popular Australian pastime; toured the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and attended the Australian Open tennis tournament, where world-class athletes, such as Novak Djokovic and Frances Tiafoe, competed for a Grand Slam title. Students enjoyed the tennis matches in stadiums spread throughout the lively, green Melbourne Park.
Junior Clare Wurlitzer (left) and sophomore Jillian Doerger meet a koala in New South Wales.
The class also visited the Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary in Calga, New South Wales, where they interacted with native Australian species—including kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils and koalas. All of the animals had been rescued from unhealthy situations and had come to the sanctuary for rehabilitation and another chance at life. This experience offered students interested in animal studies and the environment a look into wildlife conservation in other parts of the world.
While in Sydney, the group attended a show titled Great Opera Hits at the Sydney Opera House. The show consisted of famous arias from Bizet, Puccini, Rossini and Verdi while accompanied by piano. This musical excursion allowed students to marvel at the unique architecture of the granite and tile building, and experience authentic performances by premier singers.
“I thought the performance at the Sydney Opera House was perfect for people who are just being introduced to opera,” says Anna Randall, a senior communication and theatre student from Lake Forest, Illinois. “It was entertaining and exciting to learn about a type of performance I don’t know much about. The Opera House itself was so beautiful, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
