WorldStrides Updates

Featured Academic Host:
Bob Coggins

WorldStrides ISA Custom Programs for higher ed typically incorporates immersive global engagements that allow students to meet professionals working in their field. Our unique Global Academic Team works closely with business faculty to develop immersive itineraries that feature visits with business leaders to allow their students to truly understand the business environment in their destination. Spending dedicated time with C-suite level leadership through tours, presentations, and Q&A allows students to experience their curriculum coming to life on an international stage.

Meet Bob Coggins, Managing Director at Havas’ Dublin location. Coggins is a frequent academic host (and faculty favorite!) for programs traveling in Ireland. His global marketing and advertising agency has a diverse stakeholder base, serving clients such as Citigroup, Danone Group, IBM, PayPal, Pernod Ricard, and Sanofi, and the variety allows the full-service creative team (self-described “innovators, strategists and digital obsessives”) in the heart of Dublin to stretch their collaborative expertise. With more than 300 offices in 75 countries across the globe, the company’s extensive network allows for a unique look into the world of international marketing.

A lifelong learner himself, Coggins served as the President of the Dublin Institute of Technology Students’ Union, giving him great insights into the intricacies of campus planning. Among other notable CV highlights, he also serves as a national sponsor and global judge of Enactus, a student competition dedicated to “transforming lives and enabling progress through entrepreneurial action.” With a background in experiential marketing and an inquisitive nature, it’s clear that Coggins practices what he preaches.

“Great advertising revolves around an insight or opportunity, and the marketing solution is about communicating how this product is going to solve customer problems,” said Coggins. “It’s important for [business] education and leadership to understand the context of the markets – and understand the cultural differences and nuances of the customers.”

Coggins aims to show students how necessary and beneficial it is to work across borders, and understand how and why brands engage with creative industries to broaden their scope. A visit to Havas Dublin give students invaluable insight into Ireland’s unique economic position as a favorite for many US firms’ European headquarters, thanks to its well-educated, English-speaking population and its advantageous location. The quirky Havas Dublin office on Leeson Street offers WorldStrides ISA Custom Programs’ students a spectacular glimpse into the secret of a great creative agency – “Turning business problems into creative solutions. That’s what it’s all about.”

Learn more about short-term faculty-led program opportunities to Ireland (and beyond!) with WorldStrides ISA Custom Programs.