In February, a group of INTO University of Exeter business students learned about biodiversity, plant life around the world and the importance of sustainability during a visit to The Eden Project.
As well as touring the two iconic biomes that are situated near St Austell in Cornwall, the International Foundation Business students heard how the project manages to combine business development and growth with charity.
A talk by an Eden Learning Curator took the group through the Eden Project’s development ‘from pit to paradise,’ which turned a quarry into the world’s largest indoor rainforest. He also revealed a plan to create Edens across the globe. After the talk, students had the chance to ask questions about the business and charity, and to discuss the plants that have changed the world.
During their visit, the students also found out about the project’s successful approach to operational aspects such as operating budgets, supply chain management and purchasing ethics, and looked at its economic impact both locally and globally. Everyone was then free to explore the Rainforest Biome and the Mediterranean Biome in more detail.
Jocelyn, a Foundation Economics, Finance and Management student from China, said: "We had a great time at the Eden Project, where we explored the different climates which were similar to the tropical and subtropical botanical gardens in southern China. We also learned about the business and its charitable aims and were amazed by the scale of the engineering transformations from the Eden Project's beginnings to where it is now. It was a valuable learning experience outside the classroom.”
“I was pleased with the success of this visit and the unique learning opportunity that it provided for our International Foundation Business Students. Students were able to learn about the dynamic nature of the business, as a social enterprise, and visit a popular tourist attraction. Our adventure proved to be both educational and recreational,” added Programme Manager Christopher Cross, who is now planning to take another group of International Foundation Business students to the Eden Project in March.