Summer England and Scotland Itinerary

Britain, a country with a history and influence that once spread across the World and for whom it was said that The sun never sets on the Empire, plays a very different role in global business and politics than it did two hundred years ago. Nevertheless, it is home to over 60 million people with the sixth largest economy in the world and remains a place where music, sport, and fashion headline the world.

Our travel-based UK program draws on the interplay of business and the natural world to consider how societies can progress beyond the GDP – to understand how our environment can be both preserved and profitable.

Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is the 3rd ranked university in the world, and we typically stay and study at one of the 13 member colleges, such as Sidney Sussex.

• Punt the Cam, run the Backs, and ponder the marketplace.
• Wander the winding streets once shared by famous poets, philosophers, and scientists including Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, and John Maynard Keynes
• Visit the Wren Library at Trinity College to view some of the world’s oldest books, original Shakespearean plays, the works of Karl Marx and Winnie the Pooh!

The Lake District

Home of some of the world’s most famous writers and artists, the Lake District is also the UK’s most popular (and rated the country’s #1) national park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

• Work with local Park management to develop a new brand for the UK’s National Parks
• Stay at an award-winning, 17th Century Farmstead.
• Hike to Top Withens (inspiration for Wuthering Heights) and the Coffin Path (a medieval corpse path between Ambleside and Grasmere).
• Visit Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage area, and its best preserved fort, Birdoswald

West Coast of Scotland

The rugged coastline of the West Coast is one of the main reasons Scotland was voted the world’s most beautiful place.

• Study and work with faculty from the University of the Highlands and Islands on issues related to over-tourism and slow adventuring.
• Climb up to the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye in the far northwest of Scotland, and take in the impressive views; then descend to the cool spring-fed waters of the Fairy Pools.
• Hike Glencoe, scene of one of the most infamous massacres in Scottish history and arguably the most spectacular glen in the country.

Scottish Highlands

Much more mountainous than the rest of the UK, and very sparsely populated, the Scottish Highlands were traditionally the home of Gaelic-speaking Scots. Today the Highlands region is famous for its beautiful landscapes and whiskey production.

• Find Nessie and learn about green business operations on Loch Ness en route.
• Hike in Cairngorms National Park – a unique arctic-alpine mountain environment with plateaus rising to over 4000 feet, full of unique geology, flora, and fauna.
• Learn about the supply-chain analysis of the whisky industry at one of the most well-known distilleries in Scotland.

Edinburgh

The capital of Scotland, dating back to at least the 1100s, Edinburgh is a center of education and finance in the UK, second only to London. The Old and New Town sections of Edinburgh are today a UNESCO World Heritage area.

• Step into the past in the Edinburgh Castle, dating back to the 12th century. It sits at the end of the Royal Mile atop Castle Rock, a highly defensible position.
• Descend into the Vaults underneath the Old City, which businesses used for storage and workplaces in the late 18th century, and then later adapted for homes and pubs.
• Hike to the top of Arthur’s Seat, part of Holyrood Park and formed as part of a 330,000 million year old volcano ground down by glaciers. It is mythologically tied to Arthurian legends, and scientifically linked to studies that led scientists to understand geological time.
• Tour the unique and new Scottish Parliament building. Did you know Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, yet it has its own Scottish Parliament?
• Surround yourself with the literary atmosphere – Edinburgh was/is home to many famous authors, including Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jim Barrie, and J.K. Rowling.

London

Built by the Romans over 2000 years ago, London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is arguably the global financial center.

• Tour of the Houses of Parliament (a local MP-initiated, not commercial, tour).
• Meet-and-greet behind-the-scenes with Halifax Bank. (Looking for a cool, international internship opportunity?)
• Tour London through the lens of the politics of Harry Potter.
• Plus a free day to explore the city!