Understanding European Business, Politics and Culture
June - July, 2010
Enjoy great European cities (Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Athens and more)
Study and travel across Europe this summer
Visit leading multinational and European companies
Take classes with top professors who will be traveling with you
Cruise-style boat to Athens and to the Isle of Rhodes
Earn credits transferable to your college or university
Increase your international IQ
Traveling Study Abroad Program
Forum Europe is a traveling program where the students travel together in a group (with the professors) across Europe over the course of 4 weeks in the summer and during the Winter Break, visiting universities, companies, international organizations and more. Students study in classrooms in the morning, visit companies in the afternoon, and have abundant intercultural and tourist opportunities throughout a full month (all within the confines of a well structured university setting).
The program starts in the beautiful city of Barcelona, with its gorgeous coastline, mountains, museums, and restaurants. In addition to its architectural and natural beauty Barcelona is a powerful center of industry and commerce with the largest port on the Mediterranean. Students will visit several leading Spanish and multinational companies and will take classes at the campus of the AACSB-accredited IQS Business School, part of the prestigious Ramon Llul University. During the weekend, there will be optional trips to Madrid, Ibiza or Seville.
PARIS (...plus London, Amsterdam or Brussels)
Then the students travel with the professors to Paris, the most visited city in the world and the heart of French culture, politics and business. In Paris there will be challenging classes and interesting visits to multinational companies and international organizations. Students will be able to visit the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe, as well as stroll along the banks of the Seine River and the Champs-Elysées. During the weekend there will be optional trips to London, Brussels or Amsterdam.
SWITZERLAND
From Paris the program continues on to Switzerland, starting with a visit to two prominent international organizations in Geneva! We will visit the highly influential World Trade Organization as well as the European headquarters of the United Nations in the beautiful and historic building called Palais des Nations. After Geneva the group will take a break from big cities by staying for two days in the charming resort town of Interlaken, in the middle of the Swiss Alps surrounded by lakes and forests.
MILAN (...plus Venice, Florence or Rome)
From Interlaken we will travel through the mountains to get to Italy, to Milan, the country's economic and financial center and world capital of fashion. Classes are held in the beautiful historic campus of the Catholic University of Milan, housed in the buildings of a 14th century monastery. There will be great professional visits to leading companies in fashion, advertising and electronics, as well as optional trips to Venice, Florence or Rome.
ATHENS (...plus Santorini, Mykonos or Istanbul)
The last week starts with a cruise-style 24-hour boat trip to Greece, the cradle of democracy and home of the great classical philosophers. Athens, a bustling metropolis crowned by the famous Acropolis, offers an exceptional insight into Mediterranean culture and business. After an intensive 3 days with classes, professional visits and a cultural tour of the Parthenon, there is a second cruise-style overnight boat trip, this time to Rhodes, one of the most striking islands in Greece. There will be optional weekend trips to Istanbul, Mykonos or Santorini.
ISLE OF RHODES
Students will stay in a 5-star beachside resort, will have classes in the resort's conference center, and will have the opportunity to visit the charming Old Town encircled by impressive mediaeval walls. On the last day of the program, there will be a festive farewell dinner and diploma ceremony featuring traditional Greek food and music.
Courses
Forum-Nexus programs are AACSB-accredited through our academic partnership with the IQS Business School of the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona and are co-sponsored by the Catholic University of Milan (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, member of the ISEP Network)
Earn 3, 6 or 9 credits in the summer while studying in 7 amazing cities: Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Interlaken, Milan, Athens and the Island of Rhodes. Acquire a solid understanding of the culture and politics of the European Union and learn about business and marketing strategies to succeed in European markets. Forum-Nexus Study Abroad has a track record of 20 years of successful multi-country summer and winter programs in Europe. Learn more about our International IQ workshops here
All classes and professional visits are conducted in English. Depending on the city, classes are held either on campus or in conference rooms at the hotels. The main professor for each course travels with the group from city to city. The professors are highly experienced, multilingual, and cosmopolitan (learn more about the professors here). Classes are usually held Monday through Friday in the morning. There are usually no classes on Saturday or Sunday.
COURSES OFFERED
Please note: Courses with the same section # ("01" or "02") are taught at the same time and cannot be taken together.
1. Undergraduate Level (each course is worth 3 credits)
EUR 337-01 Introduction to the European Union: Economics, Politics, Culture and Society
COM 312-02 Cross-Cultural Communication: Understanding Cultural Differences in Europe
ACC 330-02 Financial Accounting
ACC 331-01 Managerial Accounting
ENT 345-01 Global Entrepreneurship
IBU 326-01 International Business
IBU 326-02 International Business
FIN 388-02 International Financial Markets: Understanding the Global Financial Crisis
Forum-Nexus offers a variety of alternatives regarding the dates and duration of the program, so that students can customize their choice based on their specific constraints. Most students enroll in two courses in Session A1 (4 weeks, July 1-30). Students who prefer a longer program may select a 5-week session (B1, June 24-July 30). Students with a tighter schedule opt for a 3-week session (D1, July 1-22, or D2, July 8-30).
I will never forget the summer of 2008, it was, not only, my first time in Europe, but I just had a once-in-a-lifetime experience!!!! I met wonderful people, I got to know beautiful and exciting places and learn about them. The classes were so interesting, and I could apply them to all the professional visits that we made!!! It was AMAZING!!! I just loved the Forum-Nexus Experience!!! and I miss it so much!!!
Luis Bueno Bragado
I truly recommend the program, you learn a lot, and besides that you get to know so many different cities. It's just a summer, but it is really worth it. I'm really happy I went last year, I made a bunch of new friends' I really don't regret a single moment of it. Keep in touch!!
Mike González
This program is so complete, the great cities, the best professional visits, the classes, the different cultures!!!! And the boat trips are the best!!!>
In each city, students participate in two types of activities: classes and professional visits.
In addition to insightful classes, students learn a great deal from a number of valuable professional visits. Based on the courses they are taking, students will be able to visit leading European companies, international organizations, financial institutions, government agencies, multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations. Most visits include detailed discussions with officials of the companies and organizations. Each student will visit at least four companies or organizations per class. The professional visits are usually held in the afternoon.
The 2010 schedule of visits has not yet been finalized. The following is a list of companies and organizations visited in previous years:
Volkswagen (SEAT)
Codorniu Winery
Barcelona Stock Exchange
Banco de Sabadell
Air France
OECD
UNESCO
Credit Agricole
L'Oreal
World Trade Organization
United Nations European Headquarters
Louis Vuitton
Philips Electronics
IGP Decaux
UniCredit Group
Metaxa (Rémy Cointreau Group)
National Bank of Greece
HOTELS
Students will stay in comfortable 3 and 4-star hotels in central locations.
Santorini, Mykonos or Istanbul (July 24-25 or July 30-Aug 2)
Sponsoring Universities
IQS Business School (AACSB accredited business school, part of the prestigious Universidad Ramon Llull in Barcelona)
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, a leading private university and a member of the ISEP network)
Course transcripts will be issued by either IQS or UCSC. Students who have a specific preference may elect for the transcript to be issued by the school of their choice. Classes are usually held on campus at our partner university. For example: In Barcelona, our classes are held at the beautiful historic building of the IQS Business School, of the Ramon Llull University. In Milan, our classes are held at the Catholic University of Milan, in the 14th century monastery campus in the heart of Milan. In other cities such as Paris, our classes are on the campus of a local university while in other cities such as Athens we have classes in the conference center of the hotel.
Application Process
Admission is on a rolling basis, however you are encouraged to apply as early as possible since the program will accept a cohort of 40 students. The last day to apply is April 25, 2010. Late applications are usually accepted if there is space available.
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