As a part of the Junior Consultant Experience (JCE), students from ESSEC Asia-Pacific’s Master in Management (MiM) went on a study trip to Cambodia with the mission to help two Cambodia-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - Passerelle numérique and Pour un Sourire d'Enfant - with their business cases.
The five-day study trip gave us a unique opportunity to understand Cambodia’s developing market and economy. We witnessed the daily lives of children and volunteers at the NGOs. The tripalso showed us how the NGOs were helping the local communities.
Our JCE mission was to help the NGOs address the real-world issues they were facing. This enabled us to understand the depth of their business model and operational dynamics. We discussed ideas and presented our key findings and strategies with management representatives of the NGOs .
Throughout our trip, we worked alongside locals, including Cambodian students, workers, and businessmen. We visited two Cambodian start-ups - KOMPI and First Cambodia - where we gained insights into Cambodia’s (good to specify which industries) industries. We also managed to explore the capital city, Phnom Penh, and visited historical places such as Museum S21, the Royal Palace, and wats (local temples).
Before leaving Cambodia, we networked with fellow ESSEC alumni who were working in Cambodia. It was great to get one-on-one time with them and learn about their journeys from ESSEC to Cambodia.
JCE was an invaluable experience for us students to understand how businesses manage social responsibility and social entrepreneurship while making profits. We learned about the key balances between funding and social concerns. The knowledge and insights we gained from this trip will shape us as we become business decision-makers in the future.
Raajashri SATHYAMURTI
Master in Management Student Cohort 2019/2020