USA
MULT-UB 137: Global Business of Chocolate: Sustainability, Strategy & Hawaii | With a focus on the cocoa industry, explore Hawaii's agriculture industry and how cocoa serves as a microcosm of the global economy.
Stern Around the World in the USA - SPRING 2025
The cocoa industry today serves as a microcosm of the global economy and faces considerable ecological, economic, social and cultural challenges that need addressing on a global scale. This course will study the fascinating world of chocolates over its entire value chain from bean to brand, exploring topics pertaining to history and culture, cultivation and economic development, business and economics, marketing and branding, international politics and trade, science and nutrition, sustainability, farming, child labor and water management, as well as future of the industry in a world dealing with climate and developmental challenges. The ideal locations for growing cacao are tropical regions that fall within 20 degrees latitude north or south of the equator, in areas that are warm, humid, with plenty of rainfall, but also with sufficient shade and drainage to avoid waterlogging. Hawaii is the only US state that has a climate conducive for cacao cultivation. Although it is not a major supplier to the global cacao market, Hawaii produces limited quantities of high-quality cacao. Insights derived from this course will be relevant not only to the chocolate industry, but also to several others that grapple with similar issues on a global scale.
The required trip to Hawaii in March will include a tour of a cocoa farm, as well as visits to other agricultural producers on O’ahu Island and Hawaii Island/Big Island.
Course Overview
MULT-UB 137: The Global Business of Chocolate: Sustainability, Strategy, and Hawaii Trip
3 credits | Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00am - 12:15pm
Course: Spring Semester | Spring Break Travel March 2025
Instructor: Professor Sunder Narayanan (snarayan@stern.nyu.edu)
Course Objectives
1. Understand and analyze global value chains with a special emphasis on the cocoa industry.
2. Apply frameworks for country, industry and company analysis to global competition in the cocoa industry.
3. Study the cultural, social, and environmental factors affecting the cocoa industry.
4. Understand the role of cocoa and other agricultural products in Hawaii’s local economy.
5. Delve into the local culture and economy of Hawaii.
This course includes a required trip to Hawaii (O’ahu Island and Hawaii Island/Big Island) during March 2025 Spring Break. The trip will provide first-hand exploration of the cocoa, as well as other Hawaii agricultural industries and tours/activities designed to delve into the local economy and culture of Hawaii. Participants will be required to take the group flight that is arranged by NYU Stern to and from New York City. Deviations are not permitted.
This 3-credit course can count towards:
- Marketing Concentration Elective
- Sustainable Business Elective - Issue Area
- General Stern Elective
*Please note: a max of one SAW travel course can be applied per concentration or minor
Eligibility
This course is open to NYU Stern students - Sophomores and up - who meet the following prerequisites:
- Must be in good academic and judicial standing with Stern and NYU
- Must be enrolled at Stern in New York City during the semester you take the course
- First Year students are not eligible to enroll in this course
- No application required! But attending or viewing an Info Session is required when enrolling in this course (requires Zoom sign-in via NYU SSO).
- Enrollment is done through Albert for this course. This SAW course has two registration periods:
- Priority Registration: During the first week of course registration, only Stern students who meet the requirements listed above, and also have NOT already completed or are NOT currently enrolled in a SAW course, will be able to register or waitlist for this course.
- Regular Registration: Starting the second week of registration, the course registration and waitlist will open to Stern students who are currently or were previously enrolled in a SAW program - pending available space in the course and/or waitlist.
- Enrollment is open to NYU Stern Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors and is first-come, first-served, based on your registration time and the registration schedule listed above.
- If the course fills up, there will be a Waitlist. Set up ‘Edit Swap’ function on Albert to ensure you’re not stuck on the waitlist
- If you successfully enroll, you will be contacted via email with next steps. See additional details below.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: This course has an early drop/add deadline of January 10, 2025 due to the airline ticketing deadline for the required group flight.
Program Timeline
| Date | Event/Deadline |
|---|---|
| Week of November 18th | During registration for Spring 2025, you will register yourself via NYU Albert. (Enrollment/waitlist according to the Priority and Regular registration schedule listed above as long as space remains available). Viewing an Info Session is required when enrolling in this course (requires Zoom sign-in via NYU SSO). |
| Early December | You will receive an email with next steps - including information on confirming your spot by submitting the program contract along with a copy of your valid Travel ID (see information below). *All Stern undergraduate students who are registered for this course will be automatically evaluated for the need-based SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship. You will be notified in the next steps email if you have received a SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship - and if so, the amount. |
| Early December | Spring NYU Bursar bills post - will reflect program fee and SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship award if awarded (see "Estimated Expenses" below.) |
| End of December | Deadline to submit contract with copy of your Travel ID |
| Early January | Spring NYU Bursar bills due |
| January 10, 2025 | Airline ticketing deadline - no additional trip participants can be added after this date. This is also the deadline to drop this course. |
| Week of January 20, 2025 | Class begins in NYC |
| Mid-March | In-class trip pre-departure session |
| Morning of Friday, March 21, 2025 - morning of Friday, March 28 ,2025 | Required Hawaii trip - this trip has a required group flight to/from NYC to Hawaii - everyone must take the group flight - no deviations allowed (see draft itinerary linked below) |
| May | SAW: USA class ends |
**Participants will be required to take the group flight that is arranged by NYU Stern to and from New York City. Deviations are not permitted.
Estimated Expenses
Please note: Although you will register for this 3-credit course as part of your Spring schedule, NYU tuition and registration fees do not cover the additional fees for the trip.
| You are Responsible For: | Estimated Expenses: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| Travel, Housing & Program Fee - including required group flight | $3,800 | Global Immersion Scholarships available (see below). |
| Personal Expenses | *$350 – $400 | *Estimate. |
| Checked bag fee ($40 per flight - 3 flights) | *$120 | Only required if you decide to check a bag |
The Travel, Housing & Program Fee will be required of all participants* (see scholarship info below). It will be added to your Spring 2025 Bursar bill, which will be due in early January. Please check the NYU Bursar’s website for the Spring 2025 payment deadline. Please note: the program fee is non-refundable after January 10, 2025 unless the trip is canceled by NYU Stern.
The Travel, Housing & Program Fee covers:
- Required group round/trip bus to/from airport in NYC
- Required group flight to/from NYC
- Group hotel in Honolulu & Kona, Hawaii
- Some meals as noted on itinerary
- Local transportation
- Group excursions
SAW: USA Stern Global Immersion Scholarship
All Stern undergraduate students who register for this course will be automatically evaluated for a Stern Global Immersion Scholarship.
- This need based award is to help cover the additional travel cost of participating in this program. Awards granted to eligible students with demonstrated financial need will cover up to the cost of the Travel, Housing & Program fee for the travel portion of the class. Following is the estimated SAW: USA Travel, Housing & Program Fee for Spring 2025 (which includes the cost of the required group flight):
- Travel, Housing & Program Fee SAW: USA: $3,800 (includes required group flight)
- Students must have a current FAFSA or CSS Profile application on file with NYU to be considered for an award. Students will be notified if they will receive a Stern Global Immersion Scholarship - and if so, the amount - according to the schedule above.
- *Note: Only one SAW Global Immersion Scholarship will be granted per qualifying student. If you have already applied a Global Immersion Scholarship to a different SAW course you will not receive any Global Immersion Scholarship funds for this course.
Travel ID and Health Insurance Requirements
Travel ID: Participants must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. For U.S. Citizens this means a valid Driver License or photo identity card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Non-US citizens can show their valid passports. Please view the TSA website to see the full list of IDs accepted for domestic air travel.
Health Insurance: Participants must have valid health insurance in order to participate in this domestic course/trip. NYU requires that all students registered in degree-granting programs maintain health insurance. Most likely you already have the required coverage, but you will be asked to submit your valid insurance coverage information to confirm your enrollment in the course.