Learning distilled: Education Abroad program connects UK students to key Kentucky industry
How far would you go to better understand one of the key industries in Kentucky?
Students in the University of Kentucky Education Abroad program “Interdisciplinary Projects in Distilling” travel across the Atlantic Ocean, to Edinburgh, Scotland in order to compare and contrast the historical, economic and social facets of the distilling industries in Scotland and Kentucky.
Led by Sally Foster, assistant dean for student engagement and director of the Center for Personal Development in the Lewis Honors College, and Ilka Balk, associate director of the James B. Beam Institute, the program serves as the perfect opportunity for students to gain the benefits of studying abroad while completing team projects for organizations in the Scotch Whisky industry and making crucial connections to a key industry in the Commonwealth.
“My education abroad focus is providing students layered opportunities to learn not only about different cultures but to gain knowledge and experience in the global world of work," Foster said. “Students gain a tremendous level of confidence in their abilities and clarity with their career goals during these experiences. As I was looking to develop a new program that provided experience in global work settings, I chose to focus on a specific industry. I approached the James Beam Institute to begin discussions about partnerships they had in Scotland. From there, the program really came to fruition.”
The partnership with the James Beam Institute allowed the program to take off and offered students the chance to gain key career-readiness skills and real-world experience in one of Kentucky’s premier industries.
“The partnership with the Beam Institute has been crucial to the success of this program,” Foster said. “The Beam Institute’s research partners in Scotland provided four projects that our student teams worked on which included topics like sustainability, systems thinking, market research and branding. Students gain so much insight and real-world skills thanks to the partnerships. They’ll be using the knowledge and skills gained in the course in the workforce each and every day.”
Established through a generous, $5 million gift from Suntory Global Spirits in 2019, the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at UK is the bourbon industry’s research and development vehicle. The Beam Institute offers multidisciplinary research strengths to ensure sustained competitiveness of Kentucky’s spirits industry and its supply chain. A further commitment is to develop the state’s workforce and provide opportunities for economic growth via process efficiency and outreach. In creating exceptional teaching, research and outreach programs, the Beam Institute is a leader for Kentucky’s spirits industry from farm to product.
“The program fits perfectly within the mission of the James Beam Institute,” Balk said. “Part of leading the global advancement of the American whiskey industry is in preparing the next generation. This program is equipping that next generation to understand this industry on a global level, so they can continue to grow it.”
Students also gain real-world experience through the interdisciplinary aspect of the course, which fosters collaboration across different disciplines. They are carefully placed on project teams with students from a variety of majors and career goals so they can experience the stages of team development and appreciate the different viewpoints that culminate in the final project.
“The interdisciplinary nature of the course truly prepares students for what’s next,” Foster said. “Whatever job they have or career they go into, they will be solving problems as part of a cross functional team at some point. This program fosters that creativity, collaboration and communication they need to succeed.”
While on the program, students have the unique opportunity to experience distilling at all levels, from larger, multinational companies to smaller, independent distilleries, all while exploring Scotland.
“Students really get a chance to see all sides of distilling,” Balk said. “I think there’s a tendency to glamourize being a master distiller, and on the program students get to really see what that entails, all the hard work and expertise it requires. If they want to get into the distilling industry, the program also works to help them better understand which aspects of distilling they are passionate about or what kind of company they may want to work for in the future. Some students leave the program liking the resources available at a larger distiller, whereas others really appreciate the startup mentality of some of the more independent ones.”
As for the future of the program, Balk and Foster are always looking for new places and new ways to help students grow.
“We are planning on taking students to Scotland again in the summer of 2026,” Foster said.
“The wonderful thing about distilling is that it is truly a global industry,” Balk said. “There are always new places to explore in this industry.”