Real-World Learning in Action: International Sharing School Connects Students with Industry Leaders

As part of this approach, IB DP Business Management students recently visited Samsung Headquarters, gaining first-hand insight into how a global company operates, builds strategy and responds to a highly competitive, fast-moving business environment.

The visit gave students the opportunity to connect classroom learning with real business practice, exploring how international companies build brands, understand customers, develop strategy and continue to innovate across different markets. For students studying Business Management, the experience helped bring key concepts to life, showing how decisions made inside global organisations influence both business growth and consumer engagement.

Experiences like this form part of a wider direction being developed by International Sharing School Lisbon, which aims to create more opportunities for students to engage with professional environments before leaving school. The school is working to build a programme that allows students to explore different career pathways, meet professionals and understand how the skills they are developing in the classroom can be applied in the workplace.

This focus was also reflected in the school’s recent Career Week, an action-packed programme designed to help students connect their learning to future academic and professional opportunities.

Throughout the week, students explored essential professional skills, including communication, networking, teamwork, adaptability and self-presentation. Through mock interviews and CV-writing workshops, they were encouraged to reflect on their own achievements and experiences, learning how to present them as meaningful strengths for future university applications, internships and career opportunities.

After a series of preparatory workshops, students had the opportunity to see these skills in action during a visit to Incubadora Taguspark. There, students learned about the role of innovation incubators and met several of the startups based at the Incubadora, gaining a closer look at how new ideas can be developed into real businesses.

The visit also included hands-on activities with RAISEBOX, BAC3GEL, KLIVON and NOCKTRONICS. Students took part in experiences that included building robots, creating spherical gels, performing DNA tests and soldering personalised keyrings for laser-printed keychains.

For International Sharing School Lisbon, the first collaboration with Incubadora Taguspark was an important milestone and created a strong foundation for future partnerships. It also reinforced the school’s vision of career learning as something practical, active and closely connected to the world students will enter after school.

By bringing students closer to companies, startups and professionals, International Sharing School Lisbon continues to strengthen its focus on innovation, technology and applied learning. More than preparing students academically, the school aims to help them develop confidence, curiosity and a clearer understanding of the opportunities available to them in the future.