Locations: Paris, France & Berlin, Germany
Program: International Business Study Abroad
Date & Duration: Spring Break (March) 2017, 10 Days
Companies visited: Axel Springer, Radeberger Brewery, BMW Motorrad, International Finance Corporation, and American Chamber of Commerce.
As a student in the Honors in International Business Program, I was required to complete a study abroad program for credit, and upon finding out about the Berlin/Paris program I saw it as a great opportunity to fulfill this requirement. Our trip consisted of company visits, educational tours and sight-seeing. We delved into the manufacturing process of BMW Motorbikes, as well as the traditional German brewing process used by Radeberger. The company visits allowed us to see how large companies like these operated, and how differently or similarly they operated in comparison to companies in the United States.
We also got to compare how differences in culture played a role on company dynamics and corporate cultures with regards to aspects like working hours, work-life balance etc. Our visit to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Paris was the first time I heard about this organization, and upon finding out about their mission and company vision, I knew that I would one day want to work in a company like this that combined international business and finance with uplifting and developing communities. This first encounter with the company set me up to acquiring an internship with the headquarters in Washington D.C. a few months later.
Overall this journey to Paris and Berlin gave me a first-hand insight into how companies do business abroad and how differences in culture were key factors into how companies operated. Interacting with locals, employees from the companies, as well as the other students and professors on the trip heightened my experience and made it a richly international trip.
Program: International Business Study Abroad
Date & Duration: Spring Break (March) 2017, 10 Days
Companies visited: Axel Springer, Radeberger Brewery, BMW Motorrad, International Finance Corporation, and American Chamber of Commerce.
As a student in the Honors in International Business Program, I was required to complete a study abroad program for credit, and upon finding out about the Berlin/Paris program I saw it as a great opportunity to fulfill this requirement. Our trip consisted of company visits, educational tours and sight-seeing. We delved into the manufacturing process of BMW Motorbikes, as well as the traditional German brewing process used by Radeberger. The company visits allowed us to see how large companies like these operated, and how differently or similarly they operated in comparison to companies in the United States.
We also got to compare how differences in culture played a role on company dynamics and corporate cultures with regards to aspects like working hours, work-life balance etc. Our visit to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Paris was the first time I heard about this organization, and upon finding out about their mission and company vision, I knew that I would one day want to work in a company like this that combined international business and finance with uplifting and developing communities. This first encounter with the company set me up to acquiring an internship with the headquarters in Washington D.C. a few months later.
Overall this journey to Paris and Berlin gave me a first-hand insight into how companies do business abroad and how differences in culture were key factors into how companies operated. Interacting with locals, employees from the companies, as well as the other students and professors on the trip heightened my experience and made it a richly international trip.