Toulouse 2024

Welcome to Toulouse Business School (TBS). Our MBA journey kicks off with a warm welcome, breakfast and a registration session. Students were introduced to the history of TBS and its global significance as a school and a partner of Aston Business School.

Staff talked to us about the region, Toulouse as a city, and France as a whole, including its important social and cultural etiquette. After that, we explored intercultural management with a professor from TBS, where students learned about different styles of communicating across cultures - a vital skill for future business leaders.

We then went on a walking tour of Toulouse, seeing some of the main historical attractions that the city has to offer.

Toulouse is not just a vibrant cultural hotspot; it stands tall as Europe’s aerospace powerhouse. On our second day, we embarked on an exploration of its dynamic aeronautics and space industry with a visit to the multinational aerospace corporation Airbus and the Aeroscopia museum. We gained insight into Airbus's manufacturing processes and technological advancements and reflected on the complexity of these industries.

In the afternoon, we took advantage of some free time and absorbed some of Toulouse's famous culture.

On our third day, we ventured into the world of business operations with a tour of the Nougalet chocolate factory, a manufacturer of nougat, chocolate, sweets and more.

Exploring production processes, supply chain management, and brand strategy, the tour guide discussed how they produce and sell products to shops and supermarkets, as well as 'white label' products for other businesses who add their own branding. This allowed students to deepen their understanding of modern business management in a real-world setting.

Our MBA students were also taken on a tour of the factory assembly line and shown where and how the different products are made, and more importantly, they got to taste test along the way.

Venturing into history, we traveled to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Carcassonne.

Carcassonne is a hilltop town in southern France’s Languedoc area and is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defenses encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets, and its fine Gothic cathedral. It is a testament to medieval architecture and heritage.

Our tour consisted of a historical account of Carcassonne followed by a visit to its Gothic cathedral and then a wander around the streets of the city.

After this, students enjoyed some free time to taste French cuisine, visit the 12th-century Château Comtal, and explore some of the small shops and boutiques.

Carcassonne is about a one-hour drive from Toulouse, and there are beautiful views of the surrounding areas and countryside from the walls of the castle.

Concluding our trip, we visited a local winery, delving into the business of wine production and marketing - unlocking insights into niche markets and branding strategies to enrich our MBA experience.