Testimonials about Forum-Nexus

Traveling in Europe is on everybody's to-do list. Forum Nexus provided me with an organized, comfortable way to do this while studying business and culture. I learned a lot in class of course, but the majority of what I learned came from experiences outside the classroom. What makes this trip special is all the little experiences that add up, from seeing people dressed as rabbits on the beach in Barcelona, to sampling cheese in a French street side café, to realizing that you can read Italian because you already speak Spanish, to meeting friendly old Greek men who pick you flowers, to listening to DJ Hugo's music on the bus, and of course making new best friends. You'll have a lot to think about when it's over. And a LOT of pictures.

Jacqueline Boss, University of Miami, (studied with Forum Europe Summer 2009) Download Testimonials

Forum-Nexus is an excellent program! It offers the opportunity to travel to several countries while at the same time you learn a whole lot both inside and outside the classroom. My major is International Relations and I really like everything related to Europe; I have taken on-campus courses about the European Union but nothing compared to what I learned in Forum Europe! The classes were really interesting and not at all boring. The professors are great and speak a lot of languages; they know a lot about business, culture and politics in Europe and the rest of the world; they are friendly and patient and give you keys for learning better. The visits to companies and organizations helped me a lot because I learned not just the typical things from school, I learned how they really operate, how they manage their worldwide structures, their human resources, their global strategies, etc. The cities we visited were amazing. The people were friendly and I made lots of new friends. I was able to do some travel on weekends and visit different places. I learned about the different cultures in every city we visited. Of course, one of the main things for me were the close friendship that we developed among the students in the Forum-Nexus group! Before the program started I thought that it would be difficult to make friends, especially with people from different countries, but we all just needed one day to be friends! We went out together everywhere, we helped each other in every way and we learned a lot about each of the different home countries: Brazil, Thailand, Holland, USA, Mexico, Indonesia, Egypt, India, like the culture, the customs, the values, manners, body language and even language, we all learned how to say basic words in Portuguese, Arabic, Indian, Spanish, Dutch. We made such good relations than I am sure will last for many years. I think that this program is one of the experiences I will never forget in my life.

Diana Aguilar, "Universidad de las Americas", Mexico, (studied with Forum Europe Summer 2009)

Forum-Nexus was a once in a lifetime experience. The professors were more than qualified to teach the courses and the atmosphere for learning couldn't have been better. I have never been to Europe before so this was all new for me. I met so many different people and created long lasting bonds with them that I really appreciate. The classes were better than normal classes at my university because they were smaller and more intimate which allows for so much more learning and understanding of the subject. The professors were great in and outside of the classes; we could be at dinner discussing how we are seeing first hand what we learned in class. Also, they all have such diverse and business-filled backgrounds it is an opportunity to get to know them individually, learn from their past experiences and take advice from them for my own future career. Company visits were extremely interesting to see how the material applies to real businesses. This is more important than knowing the class material alone. The hotels were great. The cities were amazing. I am definitely coming back! Every student needs to experience a program like this, it will open their eyes to a whole new world and they will learn more in these short weeks than they could ever possibly learn in a semester in a classroom.

Christina Gambino, Junior, Entrepreneurship and Music, Baruch College, City University of New York

The Forum-Nexus program was an excellent addition to my MBA education. Studying concepts like cross cultural communication, team leadership and international marketing in the classroom is one thing but actually getting the chance to study and apply them during our travels was a much more powerful experience. The Forum-Nexus professors were very well selected. They were passionate about their subjects and each had a lot of applicable experience working and teaching internationally; this combination made the classes so much more valuable. I also enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the professors in and out of class. The diversity of the students in this program really added to the experience and helped facilitate the growth of my International IQ. I would definitely recommend this program to other students.

Chris Schwalm, MBA Student, International Business George Washington University, D.C.

Forum-Nexus was beyond any expectation I had. I found the program online and after reading the itinerary I wrote an essay for the application immediately. I had never traveled internationally and I did not know anyone going which worried me a little (even though Dr H and I became phone/email buddies...). The day I reached Barcelona I was warmly greeted by the professors and student helpers. Everyone was so nice and I realized that everyone was in the same position as I was. After getting to know everyone and spending a lot of time with students from many different countries my International IQ skyrocketed! I learned so much from other students, the professors, the classes, the professional visits and from just traveling around. The professors were great and tons of fun...Each city was unique and had a lot of history and culture. The company visits covered many topics that we discussed in class such as planning, developing and marketing. The hotels were very nice and comfortable. The students were so nice, I now have good friends in Mexico, Brazil, Egypt and all over the US. I would highly recommend Forum-Nexus to any student interested in studying abroad. Studying in one foreign country is great but Forum-Nexus provides an opportunity to see it all. It is definitely worthwhile and I am so glad I had the chance to participate. Actually, if I can come up with the money or if I can get financial aid I would love to come back for another program. It was an amazing experience and I have difficulty expressing all the emotions I feel today, as I write these words, on the last day of the program in Istanbul.

Salima Nathoo, Junior, Accounting University of Houston, Texas

This was the experience of a lifetime! For anyone with minimal international exposure this program would be a dream come true. It is a great opportunity to meet many new and amazing people and see many new and amazing places. Time of my life! Thanks Dr. H!

Jim Sweeney, Senior, Economics Fordham University, New York

I enjoyed Forum Europe even more than I thought I would, it is truly too good to be true! Being able to travel to all these countries in 4 weeks is an amazing experience. Not only that but our visits to these cities were a lot different than my regular travel experiences; it got me a lot more mindful and opened my eyes to a lot of different things. What was also great was being able to see the topics you are studying being actually applied in real life and listening to speakers from prominent companies emphasizing them, it makes you understand and appreciate more the value of the knowledge you are gaining. The relationships I made on this trip are definitely something that I'll cherish for a lifetime and it helped me erase a lot of shallow stereotypes that I had. I developed so much throughout this trip and I am so glad I participated! I would definitely advise anyone to go for it if they can!

Menna Afifi, Business Senior, American University in Cairo, Egypt

This experience has changed my education for the better! Meeting students from different countries made it even more fun and interesting because I also learned about cultures and places we didn't even visit. The first person I met on the trip was from Brazil and I think that we learned so much from each other as we became really close friends. The program taught me a lot about Europe and about myself! It made me more independent and it helped me find my passion for traveling and for expanding my international knowledge.

Nicke Buczek, Sophomore, Communication Studies Loyola University, Chicago

I really liked the program, it's a once in a lifetime experience. You not only get to visit some of the most important and exciting cities in the world but you also get in touch with so many businessmen and women who give their personal and professional opinions and views of what it's like to work in some leading companies; being able to visit them and to see how they operate and succeed is something you could never do on your own. The hotels we stayed in were great, they are top class business hotels and if you had to stay in them on your own it would be virtually unaffordable. The classes were really good and the interaction with students from around the world was really the best part of the program, you learn a lot not just in the classes but also from talking to your classmates.

Jenny Tanaka, International Relations, Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Amazing program! I really enjoyed everything and learned a lot about Europe. I had many new experiences and met many interesting people and made new friendships. The classes were very enjoyable and the professors were really good. The company visits were cool and learned a lot about how companies are ran. The international background of the other students was really interesting. I would recommend this program highly to anybody who wants to see Europe, expand their International IQ, and have an amazing time while meeting new people and making new friends. Dr Hervitz is really a genius and truly mastered this type of programs to make it into an awesome educational experience. I hope that in the future I'll be able to participate again!

Isaac Maleh, Sophomore, Business Pace University, New York

This was hand down one of the greatest experiences in my life. I am very happy I joined this program! I learned so much in just a few weeks. The professors are very smart and very experienced. I recommend it very highly!

Hiram Haddad, Junior, Real estate Investment Baruch College, City University of New York

It was an eventful, fast-paced experience. I enjoyed it! The classes were intense and challenging. I definitely learned a lot. The professors were laid back and awesome. I would recommend them to anyone. The company visits were great. The international background of the students helped us develop a better appreciation of other cultures. I would definitely recommend this program to any interested student.

Molly Makor, MBA Student, Marketing Texas Woman's University, Dallas

For me this was an experience of a lifetime, really one of a kind. I liked the way we mixed studies and cultural experiences, like trying to understand the way people behave in different countries. This helps develop your cultural tolerance and acquire an open-minded way of thinking. The best point of the program was the people, the students and the professors, we all learned a lot from each other. Also, the professional visits help you understand how countries and companies work in the real world. Overall it was a great experience for me. I have wonderful memories and I strongly recommend the program!

Lilia Elizalde, Graduate, Food Engineering Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico

It was an amazing experience I'd like to repeat! I really loved it. I got to visit a lot of beautiful places and I enjoyed going out socially with a lot of new friends from many countries that will remain good friends in the future. I learned a lot of international finance and marketing and I learned to ski in Switzerland. I liked both of my classes; Peter and Brian were great professors! I learned about the risks of investing in foreign markets and about the influence of political and legal issues. In the professional visits I could see that what I was learning in class was actually applied by them in real situations. The cities we visited were wonderful and the hotels were very comfortable and had good food. I think that the program is a really good experience. I'll tell my friends to come in the future and I myself would like to come back.

Mateus Araujo Tajra, Business Junior ESPM Business School, Sao Paulo, Brazil

I enjoyed participating in Forum-Nexus. I had the opportunity to learn a lot not only from the places I visited but also from the other students in the program. The Cross Cultural Communication class had a lot of intriguing material I will be able to apply to the rest of my life. I was very impressed with the international background of the students which was definitely one of the strong points of the program. I would most definitely recommend the program to other students!

Christina Welch, Sophomore Monterey Peninsula College, California

Excerpts from Course Evaluations

• I learned a lot especially working on my cultural intelligence
• I improved my International IQ a lot
• Great program. I loved the fact that we were able to see multiple countries.
• I had the time of my life!
• Dr. Hervitz runs a well organized and unforgettable program
• Fantastic program. A great way to learn and have fun at the same time
• Hugo is the best! Thanks for everything!
• Thank you Dr H immensely for being so warm, comforting and insightful with your opinions and advice and for your support of each student, this set the tone for the entire trip!
• I love Forum-Nexus!

Comments about Peter Resch, professor of International Marketing and Cross Cultural Communication

• Peter was always giving real life examples of all the concepts and linking them to his personal business experience
• Peter was very professional, friendly and relaxed
• Very friendly with students, very easygoing. Made students feel comfortable and confident.
• Great professor!

Comments about Georges Rocourt, professor of International Business and Introduction to the European Union

• Georges was great, very knowledgeable and helpful. I learned a lot from him about European cultures and countries
• He answered questions to the fullest
• He was very nice, understanding and fun
• He knows more about the subject than the author of the textbook
• Wouldn't move on unless students understood everything
• Georges was very knowledgeable and friendly
• Very well informed and up to date with current information
• Was open to questions and answered each of them in great detail

Comments about Brian Butler, professor of International Finance

• I learnt a lot with Brian and I will definitely use the concepts in the future to understand the global economy and to apply them at work and in my future studies
• Brian is a great teacher!
• Very good professor, presented info very well
• Loved his teaching style
• International Financial Markets was a great course, I am glad I took it!

Testimonials on Facebook

Read the original testimonials on the Forum-Nexus student Facebook group here

Testimonials on YouTube

Winter 2010

Richelle Healey, University of Baltimore Patrick Chevrel, Rollins College Sunny Shakhawala, Penn State University

Portuguese-language Testimonials: Brasil

Depoimento Forum Nexus Testimonials Brasil (Forum-Nexus Europe, July 2009)

Spanish-language Testimonials

Forum-Nexus Europe, July 2009