A group of 17 Digital Marketing BA Honours students from Westminster Business School recently returned from a field trip to Paris designed to broaden their academic, professional, and cultural horizons and enhance their learning experience beyond the classroom.
A key highlight from the three-day trip that took place between 8-10 December was a visit to Havas Paris, where students were welcomed into a leading global communications agency and gained first-hand insight into international strategy and agency practice. The session was hosted by Westminster alumna and Account Director at Havas Paris Morgane Atoumo, alongside senior leaders from the Havas Group, including Marion Hivert Coubard, H/Advisors Chief Integration & Acceleration Officer and Chief of Staff, who also delivered the main session. Students also met Damian Porter, Executive Chairman of Public Affairs in London at H/Advisors Cicero, as well as Jacques Séguéla, one of France’s most influential advertising figures and a senior leader at Havas.
Students further applied their learning through a field-based digital marketing challenge at Galeries Lafayette, a renowned French department store group founded in 1893, where they analysed marketing strategies across luxury and mainstream brands. This exercise encouraged critical reflection on brand positioning, customer experience and the inner workings of one of the world’s most iconic retail environments.
The academic programme was enriched through a visit to ISC Paris Business School, one of Westminster’s partner institutions, where students joined a live session alongside students at ISC. This enabled meaningful cross-cultural exchange and discussion around international marketing practices, sustainability and contemporary digital strategy.
The cultural programme included a visit to the Montparnasse Tower and a Seine river cruise, offering students the opportunity to experience Paris from a broader cultural and historical perspective.
The trip reflected the School of Management and Marketing’s strong commitment to high-impact, practice-based learning experiences. The trip was led by Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Marketing Dr Dunni Omebere-Iyari and supported by Deputy Course Leader Dr Maria Bortnovskaya.
The Paris field trip marks a development within the Digital Marketing BA Honours course and reflects WBS’s approach to incorporating globally oriented, industry-engaged and student-centred education. Building on its success, the course aims to continue integrating international experiences, live industry engagement and experiential learning opportunities to support graduates in developing the skills required to operate effectively within a global marketing environment.
Rebekka Justus, a third-year student, said: “I had an incredible time in Paris with my classmates and lecturers. One of the most insightful parts of the trip was visiting the global advertising and PR company HAVAS, which really made me rethink my future ambitions and opened my eyes to a whole new world of career possibilities. Huge thanks to the University of Westminster, and to Dunni and Maria for organising such an inspiring experience.”
Amanda Da Silva Codea, another third-year student, added: “Visiting Paris gave us a valuable global perspective on marketing in the real world, from seeing luxury branding in action at Galeries Lafayette to learning about agency life and career progression at Havas Paris. It was also an incredible opportunity to experience the city itself and visit ISC Paris.”
Dr Omebere-Iyari said: “A field trip like this is not just about visiting a city; it’s about expanding minds. Our visit to Paris offered our students real-world business exposure, cultural confidence and learning beyond the classroom. Experiences like these spark ambition, deepen understanding and strengthen the sense of community that defines our course.”
Dr Bortnovskaya said: “Learning outside of the classroom provides space for informal peer networking, cultural immersion and personal growth. These experiences are especially valuable for students approaching their final year of study, where confidence, reflection and resilience are essential to both academic success and future employability.”
This trip directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Marketing courses at the University of Westminster.
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