JCU has a long tradition of integrating experiential learning with other academic activities. Learn-Do-Share is the initiative that brings real companies and real problems into the classroom, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
Typically companies brief students who then work in teams, supervised by a professor, to solve problems or seize opportunities; the work spans several weeks and concludes with an oral presentation to the company, supported by a written analysis and recommendation.
Students participating in these projects:
In addition to fulfilling a positive social role, client organizations receive valuable benefits, as they:
Please contact [email protected] for more information about the program.
The projects come in multiple flavors, the only constraint being that they must be contained within the time frame of a semester or summer session. Projects will be selected on the basis of their scope and educational value. Examples include:
Need: The Roman Opera House targets mostly tourists and wants to develop a communication plan to better target the tourists who come to Rome.
Scope of Project: Advertising Management students followed by Prof. Antonella Salvatore will discuss, develop and implement a communication plan to promote Teatro dell’Opera to an international audience. Four teams will analyze how to target four different markets (USA, Italy, Gulf countries, China) and what uncontrollable elements the Opera House will have to take into consideration to be successful with its campaign.
Deliverable: Communication Plan and presentation.
Need: UPMC San Pietro FBF had just opened a new radiotherapy facility that revolutionizes the treatment of cancer, using the most advanced technology currently available in the market worldwide. They need to develop a creative artwork proposal in line with the existing graphic brand identity of UPMC, using the text and pictures provided by the organization.
Scope of Project: The project required an in-depth approach to every aspect of the production of graphics, as well as a deep understanding of the relationship between a professional and the client. Student Silvia Bezzi will work on this project followed by Prof. Sabrina Schmidt.
Deliverable: two brochures, on for Italian patients and one for foreign patients.
Need: Gioielli D.O.P. is a startup that combines jewellery, Italian craftsmanship and Italian food excellence into a special collection that is currently finding its way to the Italian market through the network of Italian jewelers. The next challenge is to internationalize the brand to reach a wider public.
Scope of Project: students in Prof. Riccardo Maiolini's International Management class will work in groups, competitively, to analyze the US market and determine an entry strategy that will enable Gioielli D.O.P. to establish a presence in the United States.
Deliverable: entry strategy plan, containing an analysis of the environment, the market, the channels and the competitors, and presenting a complete strategy to maximize entry success.
Need: Watchado is a novel way of presenting the corporate image to potential hires through videos. Newly established Watchado Italia needs to quickly ramp up the production of videos for its database.
Scope of Project: students, guided by Media professor Brian Thomson, will meet with 16 subjects, guide them through the steps of the interview, video-record their responses and apply video production and editing techniques to generate the videos for the Watchado platform.
Deliverable: 16 ready-to-upload videos.
Need: Pedius, a social start-up, sells a communication system that enables the deaf and hard-of-hearing to make phone calls using speech recognition and synthesis technologies. Pedius is currently established in Italy and plans its international expansion in the US and France.
Scope of Project: The class of Strategic Marketing Management followed by Prof. Alessandro Signorini was assigned the task of designing the international marketing strategy for Pedius’ US launch.
Deliverable: entry strategy plan, containing an analysis of the environment, the market, the channels and the competitors, and presenting a complete strategy to maximize entry success.
Need: Mind the Guide is the market place for travelers and tour guides. Creative and skilled tour guides can market their tours to travelers who can book directly the best guided tours of Rome, without intermediaries. They want to plan an entry strategy for social media activity in USA and UK.
Scope of Project: The class of Strategic Marketing Management followed by Prof. Alessandro Signorini is asked to identify the interests of these segments in order to create a Facebook campaign addressed to their target customers.
Deliverable: complete marketing plan with Trend Topics, Influencers, Opinion Leaders and Media that contribute to inform and orientate customers’ choice.
Need: Progesi SPA is a leading Italian company in the Aerospace, Defence, Security, Telecommunications, Public Administration markets. Progesi SpA wanted to identify commercial markets for their touch screen tables.
Scope of Project: New Product Management students, guided by Professor Pietro Paganini, investigated the domestic and European touch screen markets, analyzing the competition, identifying the top three players able to offer customized and tailored solutions, assess current market trends and forecasts economic value and growth rate.
Deliverable: report and presentation highlighting the insights of the study.
