Last month, 16 Penn State Great Valley students examined sustainable business practices, innovation, and the design of work on a trip to Strasbourg, France, that incorporated company visits in France, Germany, and Switzerland.

Located in the “Grand Est” Alsace-Lorraine region on the France-Germany border and less than 90 miles from Switzerland, Strasbourg is known as “the capital of Europe.”

This historic city is a cultural hub and home to the Council of Europe, the International Court of Human Rights, and the European Parliament – one of the students’ first site visits. There, they had an opportunity to participate in a role-play activity negotiating, representing constituents, and making difficult decisions to draft legislation tackling important issues.

The students participated in master classes led by Frank Becker, chief operating officer of ADIRA, the economic development agency for the Alsace region, and Kevin MacGabhann, associate dean of international relations at École de Management (EM) Strasbourg.  

Cultural tours include walking and boat tours of Strasbourg, a French cheese-tasting workshop, and a guided tour of Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, one of the most visited castles in France. Students completed their week abroad with a day in Paris.

Jashwanth Varma Adiraju, an MPS data analytics student who also works as a graduate research assistant and serves as a student senator at Penn State Great Valley, found the opportunity to see how work culture is highly influenced by the regional culture to be remarkable.

“We visited several organizations separated by borders, but not much by distance, and could see the drastic differences in their functionality. I would strongly recommend this trip to future students without second thoughts for its exposure to unique cultures, as well as for the experience of working and traveling as a team.” 

Denise Potosky, professor of management and organization, taught the 3-credit course (BA 836: Global Immersion) which was the basis for this trip, organized the visits and led the immersion experience. She has been collaborating with colleagues at EM Strasbourg since working there as a Fulbright (Alsace Region) research scholar in 2011.

The trip was partially funded through the Warren V. Musser Travel Fund for Entrepreneurial Studies. Established by Linda Hogan and the now-late Gerald Hogan in 1999, the fund is designed to broaden international experiences and opportunities for Penn State Great Valley students.

On Wednesday, April 17, from 4:30-7:30 PM, student teams who participate in this global immersion course will present their comparative analysis of sustainable business practices, innovation, and the design of work in U.S., French, German, and Swiss organizations.

These presentations are open to the Penn State Great Valley community and will be held on campus in Room 230 Main.

Read more about the global immersion course on Penn State Great Valley’s website.

Tour of Penn State Great Valley