Carvalho, who teaches a variety of courses in the areas of marketing and consumer behaviour, has pioneered a major marketing tradeshow as part of his on-site International Marketing course.

Not every student is able to go on the Israel exchange trip as a way of gaining an international perspective, so Carvalho has created an assignment in this course that propels students into other cultures right here at home. “I think it’s very important that our students gain hands-on experience with, and understanding of, the major cultural differences that exist across countries in our global marketplace,” he explains. To that end, students select a country of their choice, prepare a major presentation – judged by local business leaders – and create a display that highlights the culture, politics and economy of that country.

Local businesses and organizations are invited to attend the tradeshow, held over two days in the main lobby of the Asper School’s Drake Centre. The displays include audio-visual components, food and entertainment from the country profiled.

Student feedback is enthusiastic: “This assignment gave us a chance to practise our research skills, work on our presentation skills, deal with the pressures of deadlines and work together as a team,” said Carlie Doan [BComm(Hons)/10].