Know Europe

Objectives

• To develop an awareness of the diversity of the European business context, in the light of the North-South European cultural divide.
• To build up the field experience needed to take up positions in international marketing.
• To offer graduate students and majors the opportunity to gain international business credits on an intensive 4-week course in Europe and maximize the time they can reasonably be away from home and office.

Organised by the Normandy Business School as the project coordinator, the program is supported by three other European universities: HUB Business School (Brussels), INHOLLAND (Amsterdam) and FIB Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Barcelona).Each host institution faculty gives a different perspective and coach participants on the specificities of the area's business scene. In addition, mentor students are present to help participants integrate the social life right away and maximize their time in the country

Public concerned

Aimed primarily at MBA/MIB/MSc/MA/Mcom students or equivalent, and Majors in Business–related bachelors. This program has proved attractive to law, science and language students who believe that business practice is an ideal key to cultures. Age is not an issue provided there is evidence of a mature approach of making the most of all activities in the program, whether academic, professional or social.

Pedagogy

4 locations in succession : Brussels / Amsterdam / Le Havre & Normandy / Paris/ Barcelona

A very special feature is the team project assignment. Throughout the program students conduct the necessary research and creative work to produce a business plan into Europe, to be presented to a panel of experts on the last day. This enhances team building and constitutes an exhilarating challenge, while ensuring that participants are in touch with the real business life in each of the countries. All input academic modules are planned to give the information needed to build up a business plan relevant to the environment: EU institutions and business law are reviewed in Brussels, international marketing in Amsterdam and logistics & transport issues in Le Havre.

The focus is on wines/spirit & soft drinks or tourism products and provides a unique means to approach the cultural differences in each country visited.

Degree / Training validation

Gain business credits (up to 6 US credits depending on home universities).
Please check with your university’s international office.

Requirements

Admission

Partner universities: contact the international office or your advisor.

Download the prospectus

Download course prospectus Know Europe 2011 (PDF format)

Know Europe 2011

17TH edition Know Europe summer program (June 5 - July 1)

The 15th edition of our Summer Programme on Doing Business in Europe opened on Sunday 5 in Brussels. This programme, supported and hosted in turn by four EU institutions (*), focuses on strategic marketing issues  (marketing, regulations, consumer bahaviour, cultural constraints, logistics, etc.) and is  designed for MBA  and BBA Majors from outside the EU.

Participants are required to bring along real life projects commissioned by companies they have approached in their home countries with a view to producing a business plan into the EU market, to be defended during the final week.

All academic input modules as designed to supply the project teams with the information and data they need as they progress along in their research work as export consultants. Accordingly, the first week is naturally at HUB Brussels, and covers all institutional, legal and regulatory aspects which govern business exchanges between the EU and third party countries.

On this occasion, the group is also entertained by the EU Commission for a series of briefings on current policies that affect imports from the country concerned.

The second week is hosted by  IN HOLLAND Haarlem & Amsterdam to investigate further intra EU marketing issues, while the third week the group transfers to EM Normandie in  Le Havre and Paris, France, where they cover all the logistics aspects of their proposed business plan.

Finally, at the end of the fourth week in Barcelona at UPC FIB, the projects are defended before a panel of specialists on the final day.

During the programme, city visits, excursions and professional field visits complement the input to help participants get a better perception of the North-South cultural differences that do affect marketing policies and strategies when doing business with the EU.

Contact

Fabienne Peltier-Mahu - f.peltier-mahu@em-normandie.fr