Class of 2009 International Trip

For ten days in May, the EMBA Class of 2009 experienced the business climates of Budapest and Vienna during their international residency trip. Students attended a full schedule of meetings and classes, but still found time to feast on local culture, history and cuisine, including a concert in the grand Kursalon, which was once a spa in Vienna. MBA candidate Daryl Groseth said that he and his classmates "forged lifetime bonds with each other'" during the trip.

There was no shortage of educational opportunities in and out of the classroom as the students learned more about doing business in Eastern and Central Europe. They attended classes in the former Karl Marx University in Budapest, which is now Corvinus School of Management.

Among the lectures at Corvinus were "EU-Russia Energy Relations" by Peter Kaderjak, Director of Regional Center for Energy Policy Research; a case study analysis by Professor Konrad Wetzker, Chairman of CSM and Director of the Boston Consulting Group, Budapest; and "Economic Issues in Hungary" by Professor Peter Bod, Head of Economic Policy Department and Director of International Affairs.

Besides the city tour of Budapest's historic sights, students had the opportunity to shop in an authentic Hungarian marketplace (across the street from the university) filled with produce/meat stands, and clothes/souvenir vendors.

Some of the company visits in Budapest included MOL Ltd. (an energy/oil company), and Videoton Ltd. in the electronics industry. On a bus ride to Vienna, the group made a stop at a Nokia manufacturing facility where security was tighter than the airport!

Once in Vienna, company visits included Strabag (an Austrian construction company where students were amazed by the extensive art collection of the CEO, an avid supporter of the arts), and Henkel (consumer products). At Ströck, one of the largest family owned bakery chains in Austria, the EMBA students watched how they make bread and learned how they ship to other countries their most popular items.

At the University of Vienna, students attended lectures titled,  "Doing Business in CEE Countries" by Prof. Arnold Schuh, Director of Competence Center for Central and Eastern Europe; and "Austrian Economic History" by Prof. Peter Berger, Institute for Economic and Social History.

Social outings included a group dinner in a traditional Austrian wine hall. And the students took advantage of their free weekend in Vienna to visit other attractions like the Schönbrunn Palace,  St. Stephen's Cathedral and the oldest Ferris wheel still working today in the Prater.

The class met an American businessman living in Austria, who was working for Strabag, as well as an alumnus, Jeff Schavland, who works at the US Embassy in Budapest. Class president Steve Nerheim said, "The international residency in Budapest and Vienna was a very rewarding experience.  It helped me develop new perspectives on managing in an international environment, while providing some great networking opportunities."