In Professor Gupta’s Corporate Social Responsibility course this week, we learned about corporations and corporate governance. We listened to multiple Wall Street Journal stories, which allowed me to connect the ideas of corporate governance that we learned in class to how they apply to an actual company. We also heard how companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi differ in terms of their corporate governance structure. Yesterday, we also watched a documentary about corporations and the social responsibility they have. This connected to the Wall Street Journal article I chose, “Elon Musk’s Boundary-Blurring Relationships With Women at SpaceX,” which made me think about how the structure of corporations leaves a lot of room for abuse of power to occur. And at SpaceX, it did.

In Professor Swain and Professor Gupta’s internship seminar course, I researched how the industry of my internship impacted the economy of Milan. My internship is in the fashion industry, and Milan is known for being the fashion capital, meaning this industry produces a lot of revenue for Milan. The event Milan Fashion Week also brings tourists and vendors into Milan, boosting the economy greatly. It was interesting to learn about the types of companies in Italy. Most companies have fewer than 50 people, with a minority of companies having more than 200 people. This shocked me as I feel it is the opposite in the United States. We also discussed differences in Italian and American culture, such as school pride like merchandise. This difference comes from the fact that in the U.S., the higher education system is a way to show intelligence and wealth compared to Italy, where the competition is much less, and is available to all who want to attend. This makes it confusing for them as to why we would wear school merch as a sort of identity.

At my internship this week, I worked more closely with one of the directors of MKS Fashion School. We discussed other ways we can market MKS to other schools and institutions. She brought up the idea of finding smaller influencers and having them attend courses at MKS while also giving them the opportunity to explore Milan. We also discussed potential issues regarding creating a program like this, such as the reliability of the influencers, the cost of the trip, and the potential language barrier since the courses at MKS are taught in Italian. I also continued my research on schools and institutions MKS can potentially partner with, and deepened my search by learning about and comparing the different programs the institutions offer and which of MKS’s programs would align best.

Last weekend, I traveled to Florence. This trip was very beneficial for me because I learned how to use the train line app and how to book the trains I need. I also learned to book the train as far in advance as possible, as they tend to become more expensive closer to the travel date. This weekend, I have made plans to go on a day trip to Venice. As I mentioned in my last blog, I am extremely excited to visit Venice as it came highly suggested by my work colleagues. As for Milan, I have been exploring the area near my work and have found many small cafes that I enjoy sitting in, having a coffee, and doing my work for class, or if I am working remotely, doing that work there. I have also begun to feel more comfortable speaking small sentences in Italian, such as ordering at a restaurant or cafe, and have noticed the workers appreciate the effort and always encourage it.

Markets in Florence!

Sidewalk art being made in Florence.

After dinner, the restaurant gave us shirts.