Forum Europe Summer 2011

Spain - France - Switzerland - Italy - Greece - Turkey

Understanding European Business, Politics and Culture
June - July, 2011

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).

Itinerary

View Detailed Schedules

BARCELONA (...plus Madrid or Ibiza)

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 (by train) or Berlin (flying).

PARIS (...plus London, Amsterdam or Bruges)

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, or Amsterdam (by train)..

SWITZERLAND (...plus Zurich, Munich or Frankfurt)

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 four days in the charming resort town of Interlaken, in the middle of the Swiss Alps and 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 Rome, Venice or Florence.

ATHENS (...plus Santorini and Mykonos)

The next 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. 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. During the weekend in Athens there will be optional trips to the famous islands of Santorini and Mykonos.

TURKEY

The last week of the program will be in exotic Turkey! From Rhodes we go by boat to the world-class beachside resort of Bodrum in the heart of the Turkish Riviera, with its white-washed houses, historic castle, scenic coastline and colorful bougainvilleas. The history of Bodrum goes back a long way, when its tomb of King Mausolus was actually considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. From Bodrum we fly to the amazingly beautiful city of Istanbul, former capital of the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul has been designated by the European Union as the European Capital of Culture. Students will be able to visit leading Turkish and multinational companies as well as many incredible cultural sites such as the Topkapi Royal Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia museum (former mosque and basilica). On the last day of the program, there will be a festive farewell dinner and diploma ceremony featuring traditional food and music.

Earn up to 6 credits in the summer while studying in as many as 9 amazing cities in 6 countries: Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Interlaken, Milan, Athens, Rhodes, Bodrum and Istanbul. 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

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
• POS 371-02 International Political Economy
• ECO 371-02 International Political Economy
• MKT 354-01 International Marketing
• FIN 388-01 International Financial Markets: Understanding the Global Financial Crisis
• ACC 331-01 Managerial Accounting
• IBU 326-02 International Business
• MGT 313-02 Cross-Cultural Management
• ACC 330-02 Financial Accounting

View Course Syllabi

2. Graduate Level (each course is worth 3 credits)

• EUR 637-01 Introduction to the European Union: Economics, Politics, Culture and Society
• COM 612-02 Cross-Cultural Communication: Understanding Cultural Differences in Europe
• POS 671-02 International Political Economy
• ECO 671-02 International Political Economy
• MKT 654-01 International Marketing
• FIN 688-01 International Financial Markets: Understanding the Global Financial Crisis
• ACC 631-01 Managerial Accounting
• IBU 626-02 International Business
• MGT 613-02 Cross-Cultural Management
• ACC 630-02 Financial Accounting

View Course Syllabi

Dates and Sessions

Forum-Nexus offers a variety of alternatives regarding the dates and duration of the program, so that students can make the optimal choice based on their preferences and schedules. The standard sessions are A, B and C. Session A lasts 4 and a half weeks, including a week in Barcelona, a week in Paris, a week in Switzerland and Italy and a week and a half in Greece. Session B includes the same itinerary as A plus a week in Turkey for a total of 5 and a half weeks. Session C includes the same itinerary as B plus an extra week in Barcelona for a total of 6 and a half weeks. In addition to the standard sessions students can choose from a number of customized sessions offering a wide range of alternatives in terms of dates, cities included and duration of the program.

View full details of dates and sessions View more testimonials

PROFESSIONAL VISITS

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 schedule of visits has not yet been finalized. The following is a list of companies and organizations visited in previous years:

Barcelona:

• Volkswagen Factory (SEAT)
• Codorniu Winery
• Barcelona Stock Exchange
• Banco de Sabadell
• Damm Brewery
• Tous Jewelry
• Torres Winery
• Mazel Group (design of sports cars)

Paris:

• Air France Cargo
• OECD
• UNESCO
• Credit Agricole Bank
• Osmotheque (perfume industry institute)

Geneva:

• World Trade Organization
• United Nations European Headquarters

Milan:

• Philips (Dutch multinational company)
• IGP Decaux Advertising
• UniCredit Bank
• Henkel (German multinational company)
• MediaCom (global communications agency)
• L'Oreal (French multinational company)

Athens:

• Metaxa (Rémy Cointreau Group)

Istanbul:

• Nestle
• Louis Vuitton
• Hewlett-Packard Turkey

HOTELS

Students will stay in comfortable 3 and 4-star hotels in central locations (5-star resort in Rhodes).

View full list of hotels

Optional Weekend Trips

• Madrid or Berlin (June 25-26)
• Madrid or Berlin (July 2-3)
• London or Amsterdam (July 9-10)
• Rome, Venice or Florence (July 16-17)
• Istanbul, Santorini or Mykonos (July 23-24)

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.

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 March 15, 2011. Late applications are usually accepted if there is space available.

Apply now!

OVERALL PROGRAM FEES INCLUDING TUITION

Fees include

• Tuition for either one or two courses (3 or 6 credits); transcripts issued by the European university (either Universidad Ramon Llull in Barcelona or Università Cattolica in Milan)
• Accommodations in quality hotels (3 and 4 stars, double or triple occupancy, centrally located)
• Buffet breakfasts in the hotels
• Professional visits
• All transportation within Europe, either by train or private coach, from the first city to the last city in the program
• Two boat trips from Italy to Greece and from Athens to Rhodes with accommodation in sleeping compartments with bathroom
• Boat trip from Rhodes to Bodrum
• Flight from Bodrum to Istanbul
• Health insurance
• Welcome reception
• Farewell dinner

Financial Aid

Please view full details in our Financial Aid section.