Caldwell College International Study Trip

Course: BU-491A
Travel Experience International Business - European Issues

Professor Bernard C. O'Rourke Department of Business Administration

Academic Program

Description

This course takes an in depth look at the current status of the European Union (EU) from the perspective of Brussels, capital of the EU and Paris, one of its largest business centers. Students will explore at first hand the business and economic landscape of an on-going European integration and its implications for the USA and American business. Topics covered will include:

EU Institutions (commission, council and parliament)
The common currency (Euro)
Trade and Anti-Trust policies
How multinational companies are dealing with the challenges of the new European dynamic

Objectives

To obtain an overview of the European Union
To gain practical insights into international business issues, especially the impact of culture.
To become familiar with some of the European aspects of global business.
To understand the broad role of political and governmental institutions and their impact on the world of business.

Academics Requirements

For their academic program, students were required to:

Read a required text on the European Union in advance of the trip. Understanding The European Union, a Concise Introduction First edition, John McCormick, Publisher: St. Martin's Press (specified chapters only)
Take comprehensive notes from our meetings with ADP, the European Commission and the OECD
Compile a journal with their day-to-day observations (especially cultural) from the trip. Based on the journal, students were required to submit a paper entitled "European Impressions" to contain their personal reflections on the cultural and related issues of international business in the countries that we visited.
Complete a second paper on one of the following topics:
1. The European Union and how it works
2. The EU and how it is organized
3. The new European Currency (Euro)
4. The future enlargement of the European Union

Home - Academics - Agenda - Automatic Data Processing Visit

European Commission Visit - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Visit

Amsterdam - Brugge - Brussels - Paris - Impressions - Scrapbook

Site designed by Jim Lavelle - Caldwell College Class of 2004