Students in Loyola’s Management of Global Information Technology course study what led multinational corporations to base their overseas businesses within a specific location.

Students attend a series of classes during the regular semester before embarking on an international immersion trip, called Tech Trek, to meet with company executives and to tour company facilities. Tech Trek is designed to expose students to the challenges of establishing a successful and globally competitive IT industry.

Tech Trek Students Explore

• Historical, economic, political, labor, and social factors involved in managing IT in a global environment
• Why multinational corporations have based overseas activities in certain countries—and why certain countries emerge as global centers of excellence in this field
• How taxation policies allow companies to reduce their tax liability
• The role various governments play in attracting foreign investment
• The complexities of managing information technology around the globe

Paul Tallon, Ph.D., professor of information systems, teaches the course and leads Tech Trek. In the past, groups have traveled to Northern California and Silicon Valley, where they visited the Google offices and met with engineers from Australia and London and other executives.

Since 2016, Dr. Tallon has led groups to his native Ireland, where students met with leading tech companies based in Dublin and Cork.

Throughout the trip, Tech Trek students enjoy the local culture and history through visits to Blarney Castle, the Cobh Heritage Center, the Cobh Titanic Experience, the Jameson Distillery, the Guinness Storehouse, and Dublin Castle.

Tech Trek is a cornerstone of this 300-level information systems elective, during which students can expect to…

Take Pre- and Post-Travel Classes

Students meet four times before the trip and once after. They become familiar with the key themes pertaining to the globalization of information technology, and study the companies they’ll be visiting during the trip.

Research Companies in Depth

Students will work in teams of two to study a company in depth. Each student will be an expert on one of the companies and will present findings to the rest of the class before the site visits.

Make Connections with Alumni

Whenever possible, Dr. Tallon arranges alumni events with Loyola graduates living in Ireland. They walk students through the process of moving and working abroad in IT and share their experiences since graduation.

Demonstrate Breadth of Understanding

Students record notes and observations from each site they visit during Tech Trek, detailing the most important insights and takeaways. The log serves to demonstrate how much students’ understanding grows throughout the experience. Students are often tasked with documenting the trip through photos, while Dr. Tallon shares the group’s experiences on his Tech Trek blog for the trip.

Learn more about Loyola’s Tech Trek