By Betsy Dougert
Each year, approximately 600 William & Mary undergraduates study abroad, according to the Reves Center for International Studies. The most commonly cited motivations are the opportunity to take classes that enhance their majors and the potential to explore a new culture from the inside.
The increasing popularity of study abroad has prompted the Mason School of Business to launch a new summer program in association with Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary.
“As part of our strategic plan for the undergraduate program in the business school, we have made a commitment to provide our graduates with a global perspective,” said Professor William Geary, assistant dean of undergraduate programs and an associate professor of accounting in the business school. “This is accomplished inside and outside of our William and Mary classrooms. Our faculty has endorsed the goal of including an international experience for every graduate.”
Geary said that program’s location had been selected for several reasons. “Our host university is Corvinus, an excellent university,” he said. “Both the university and the housing are located in a very vibrant downtown district in the center of Budapest.” The city itself was also attractive. “It was important to us to select a location other than Western Europe so students will gain added insight by being outside of their comfort zone,” Geary said. “Budapest is a wonderful European capital that is on the verge of being discovered.”
Travel possibilities and a favorable exchange rate add to the program’s appeal. “Weekend travel opportunities are excellent and the Budapest-Vienna connection is very strong,” Geary said. “This location provides a much better value than most other European locations, given the currency exchange rates.” As of February 19, 2008, the exchange rate was 1 U.S. dollar to 179.763 Hungarian forints, according to the International Monetary Fund.
The program dates were selected to accommodate busy business students. “Our students have different objectives and different constraints. For example, some students are planning summer internships, others are involved in athletics and, for others, the financial challenges dictate the need to seek out exchange programs,” Geary said. “So, we have been intentional in pursuing a summer program offered later in the summer … to allow for the possibility of work or an early summer internship.” The program will begin July 10.
Business major Malika Mukhamedkhanova ’09 confirmed the appeal of this scheduling choice. “I would choose this program over others simply because it is a great opportunity for a business junior to get a study abroad experience without having it conflict with summer internships,” Mukhamedkhanova said. “I feel like that it is this flexibility that is absent from many other summer programs.”
Students participating in the program will take three courses for a total of seven credits, all of which will be transferred back to the College. Program Director Brent Allred, an associate professor of international business and strategic management, will teach BUAD 433: Strategies of Entrepreneurship, a required class for business majors. Students will also study Hungarian language and culture in a one-credit class taught by Agnes Mester, a Corvinus faculty member. Another local professor, Dr. Csaba Toro, will teach the three-credit course: European Union Integration and Enlargement.
The European Union course will include several pre-arranged visits to business and government agencies in Budapest. Locations include the US Chamber of Commerce, the Hungarian Treasury and the Hungarian Departments of Defense and Agriculture. The program also features a study trip to Prague.
The Budapest program is open to students of all majors who have completed the prerequisites for the business program. These are: a minimum of 54 credits, microeconomics and macroeconomics, introductory statistics, calculus and an introductory accounting course. Geary said that the business school may consider waiving some of these requirements for students interested in the program. The credit requirement, however, is inflexible.
Faculty and students alike are looking forward to their study abroad experience in Budapest with excitement.
“It is a great opportunity to get an international scope on the business environment in addition to experiencing a different culture and a different country,” Mukhamedkhanova said.
“It’s all about experiential learning,” Geary said. “And the personal experiences that students will create are likely to be among some of the most powerful memories of their undergraduate studies. We also hope that the participants will come back into their familiar worlds able to be more aware and conscious of the forces and choices that shape their lives.”