We started off our day with a bus ride to Limassol. There was a scenic drive before our arrival, and I really enjoyed looking out the window at the landscape, which is very different than any that I have seen before. We also got to see the sea for the first time today. I was intrigued to learn about how the cruise ships have been abandoned in the ports here since the beginning of Covid because the taxes are cheaper. I am looking forward to returning to Limassol tomorrow and to exploring more of the area.

During the Medochemie visit, what stood out to me was learning about the different things that they must consider regarding their location and production. It was interesting to hear them talk about the different decisions that they must make regarding quality as compared to cost and how they choose to focus on meeting EU guidelines rather than the US guidelines. This made a lot of sense to me, especially as they began to explain some of the smaller parts of the process such as the different labeling that is needed for the different packaging of every country, which they are responsible for producing. These are tiny details that I would not have previously considered regarding international businesses.

After that, we went for lunch at the University’s dining hall, and I have must say that I wish that the Pitt dining hall had that quality of atmosphere and food. I think it would be lovely to eat lunch outside on the majority of days. The island seems so relaxed and I really appreciated how things are a lot less rushed. This tends to be particularly noticeable at meals where the people here take time to eat and appreciate the company of others.

Finally, we met with Wargaming. I had not previously heard of this company, but I found it interesting to hear about their design process, which connected a lot to engineering. It was interesting to hear about how they go about the process of prototyping and getting feedback on their designs as well as learning about the different perspectives necessary in a group, including having someone there to critique and make sure that only the more promising ideas receive the companies time and energy. This helps the company to save money as they are able to find and locate the ideas that may not succeed earlier on in the design process.

After that, we headed back to the hotel to get some much needed rest. We then went out to get some dinner and some ice cream.