Campus Abroad: Almost 150 students head off for 8 destinations
May 2, 2012
This year, close to 150 HEC Montréal students will be taking part in the Campus Abroad program and heading to other lands. The unique experience will immerse them for two to three weeks in another business culture and give them valuable exposure to the cultural, political, social and economic realities of another country, guided by experienced faculty with well-established networks.
The Campus Abroad program has been offered since 2006 for MBA students. In 2008 it was extended to Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students and, in 2011, to the MSc in Administration (MSc) program. The number of participants is growing every year, and rose by more than 20% between 2011 and 2012.
The Campus Abroad program is intended to widen participants’ global awareness, by focusing on learning through experience, so that they can:
- understand the economic context and the cultural and socio-political aspects of another country;
- compare business practices in the host country and the participant’s home country;
- integrate the intercultural knowledge they acquire, to become more involved global citizens.
“A Campus Abroad term is definitely a rewarding experience for everyone involved,” emphasizes Claude Desranleau, Director, Campus Without Borders. “It lets them immerse themselves in a new business environment and cultural context by touring companies, meeting government representatives, taking seminars at partner universities and joining in unfamiliar cultural activities. The openness to the world that they gain is sure to be very useful in their careers.”
A new country has been added every year since 2009, and in 2012 there are not one but two new destinations: Argentina/Chile and Switzerland. This brings the number of options to eight, including Brazil, elsewhere in Canada, France, India, Morocco and Russia.
Campus Abroad courses are worth three credits, and include not only the stay abroad but also pre-departure training on what to expect in the host country and the companies that will be toured, as well as a final assignment/report once students return home.
Argentina-Chile
Dates: May 6 to 23, 2012
Number of participants: 20 BBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Santiago and Viña del Mar
Objectives: Learn about leading industries in the two countries and compare their different approaches to marketing and brand image.
Program: Meetings with heads of businesses and government representatives; university seminars
Partner universities: Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Buenos Aires) and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (Santiago)
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Aurélia Durand, Professor (International Business)
Accompanying staff: Marie-Pierre Charette, Co-ordinator, Campus Without Borders
Brazil
Dates: May 19 to June 3, 2012
Number of participants: 20 BBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Fortaleza and Jericoacoara
Objective: Produce business plans on waste management and the marketing of local arts and crafts.
Program: University seminars and tours of companies recognized for their sustainable development practices
Partner university: Universidade de Fortaleza (UNIFOR)
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Marlei Pozzebon, Professor (International Business) and Academic Co-ordinator, Campus Abroad
Accompanying staff: Luciano Barin Cruz, Professor (Management)
France
Dates: May 19 to June 5, 2012
Number of participants: 20 BBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Grenoble, Lyon and Saint-Étienne
Objectives: Learn about the specifics of entrepreneurship and SMBs in the Rhône-Alpes region and the connections that make the region an ideal partner for Quebec.
Program: University seminars; company tours; activities to discover the rich French culture
Partner universities: EMLYON Business School and ESC Saint-Étienne
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Claude Ananou, Full-time Lecturer (Management)
Accompanying staff: Valérie St-Jean Larouche, 2012 MSc graduate
Morocco
Dates: June 2 to 18, 2012
Number of participants: 20 BBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Casablanca, Fez, Rabat and Tangiers
Objectives: Explore and understand the business environment in one of the leading countries of the Maghreb.
Program: Tours of major companies, both traditional and modern
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Belgacem Rahmani, Full-time Lecturer (International Business)
Accompanying staff: Zineb BenMoussa-Zahar, PhD student
Canada
Dates: June 18 to 29, 2012
Number of participants: 12 MBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Montreal
Objectives: Get a close-up look at the Canadian energy industry and an in-depth understanding of the challenges and issues facing the industry, from a global perspective.
Program:
-First week (Eastern Canada): Activities revolving around nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, solar, wind and schist gas power
-Second week (Western Canada): Activities focusing on oil, natural gas and coal, including a tour of a sedimentary basin and meetings with private operators, regulators, research centres, universities and pressure groups
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Paul Lapensée, Lecturer
Accompanying staff: Marie-Pierre Charette, Co-ordinator, Campus Without Borders
Russia
Dates: June 19 to July 3, 2012
Number of participants: 20 MBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Moscow and St. Petersburg
Objectives: Learn about the Russian business environment and understand its economic, political and sociocultural context.
Program: Meetings with managers of Russian companies and foreign companies based in Russia, looking at the challenges and advantages of doing business there; cultural activities
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Ekaterina Turkina, Professor (International Business)
Accompanying staff: Pierre-Emmanuel Cardinal, Co-ordinator, Campus Without Borders
India
Dates: June 25 to July 7, 2012
Number of participants: 16 MBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Bangalore and Mumbai
Objective: Learn about two major industries in the Indian economy: entertainment and media, and information technology.
Program: Meetings with company officials, company tours and seminars
Partner university: Indian Institute of Management
HEC Montréal co-ordinators: Johanne Brunet, Professor (Marketing), and Jean Talbot, Professor (Information Technologies)
Switzerland
Dates: June 26 to July 10, 2012
Number of participants: 21 BBA and MSc students
Cities visited: Berne, Geneva and Zurich
Objective: See how a country has managed to create a prosperous and diversified economy, despite its limited natural resources.
Program: Meetings with officials from financial and agri-food companies, and from international organizations
HEC Montréal co-ordinator: Iwan Meier, Professor (Finance)
Accompanying staff: Pierre Saint-Laurent, Full-time Lecturer (Finance)
