Global Learning Opportunities

My study abroad experience in Iceland was an amazing opportunity to learn, explore, and experience a new culture. I loved being able to visit different companies and see how businesses operate outside of the United States.

If you're looking to understand the business realm and want to take a look at what businesses are doing outside of the United States, IBS offers you the opportunity to do just that. Having participated in the SE Asia Winter program, I was provided the opportunity to meet with executives and gain some of their knowledge towards what may be needed to not only rise to the position they may be in, but also gain an understanding of how businesses differ throughout the world. During the seminar we were able to travel around two different countries, not far from one another, and compare the work environment of the people in leading business firms as well as the small family businesses on the city streets. There are large differences between how we see business here in the US and business in Thailand and Vietnam but the fact that we use products made in those areas goes to show that maybe we aren't really that distant from one other. From the shops at the Venice Beach Boardwalk in California to the Damnoen Saduak floating market in Thailand, business is conducted everywhere and in every way and thanks to IBS you can live through it to understand it all the more.

Throughout this entire trip I did nothing but embrace the culture and the information I learned from the six companies I visited while abroad. Each company expounded upon each other, while also providing insight on their own inner workings and operations. Getting to speak with executive and directors of the companies was more engaging and insightful than I had imagined. The allowance for open ended questions gave the opportunity to ask anything I wanted to as a student, and to learn about a topic I was interested in about the company. Never was there a boring presentation in which the group was talked at. It was always thought provoking. Every day and night after company visits and planned tours, I got to visit different food markets, local areas with live music, ride tuk tuks, and enjoy the new culture enveloping me at every step. I experienced what it was like to walk across the street with incoming traffic and try food off a cart in a local market. I floated down rivers in Thailand and Vietnam and drank coconut milk and ate local fruit.From the buzz of the busy city streets to the calm rural areas housing an elephant sanctuary I got more out of this experience than I could imagine. Each moment was one of learning and it was beyond anything that a picture or a google search could capture or explain. I was in awe and shock throughout the entire trip, but I embraced it and soaked in every detail as much as possible.

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IBS Summer in China was an amazing trip and I"m really happy I did it. They got us in to talk with great companies who were very informative on living in China and doing business there. IBS did a great job at making sure we got to experience the cultural and see/learn some amazing things. This program is worth going on!

IBS is such an amazing program! I attended their summer Europe seminar and it was such an awesome experience. You get the time you want to immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy the different cities while also studying the different business practices! I'd have to say my favorite part of the trip was that it was the perfect amount of time to be out of the country. Other programs offer a semester long experience but I did not want to miss everything that was happening on my own campus. IBS gave me the opportunity to travel without experiencing the FOMO (fear of missing out) that I had about traditional programs. The staff on the trip were very experienced and were able to help me with any problems that occurred on the trip and knew what to expect at every turn. I would recommend this program to everyone!

IBS offers a great opportunity to go abroad without spending the time and money required for a full semester. I had never left the country before my trip, and it was definitely helpful to be guided for that experience. Though we were not in any one place for very long, I got a taste of each of the six countries we visited, and I now plan on returning someday. Another interesting aspect of this trip is that it was not a conventional study abroad trip. I was not in a classroom at any point while I was overseas. Instead, we visited various companies everywhere we went, and we learned about how businesses are run in each of the places we went. This offered us insight to foreign perspectives that we may very well come across in the professional world.

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IBS Abroad provided an easy and safe way to learn and visit six European countries. While I was on my trip, I got to learn from international businesses located in each city we traveled to. It was such a unique experience to hear from these countries, rather than sitting in a classroom each day. Having this learning experience also allowed a lot of free time to adventure and explore these European cities. IBS really created an incredible way to visit so many new places in such short time.

I went to China Summer 2019 and it was wonderful! I made lasting connections and learned so much. China is such a beautiful place and it was so fun exploring and learning about another culture. Being able to earn credit was just an add on. IBS allows to you have free time to do your own thing while also providing you with experiences that they plan that show you things you probably wouldn't have done alone. They also set up business meetings for you to be a professional environment and learn while building essential skills for your career.

I chose an 11 day trip thinking that was going to be so long, but the second I came home I wished I had stayed so much longer! International Business Seminars was an adventure in disguise because who would have thought studying abroad would lead to so many fun quests? I had the opportunity to network with other students who were aspiring business professionals as well as learn from local executives about their industries and companies. There was a pleasant balance between professional commitments as well as downtime to explore wherever your heart desired making plenty of time for explorations! I met so many people, made several new friends, explored new places, and even got to see the inner workings of some pretty interesting business related areas of a few companies! I can't be more thankful for time with International Business Seminars and I am sure I will be back!

I chose to attend the Summer Europe trip with IBS versus another program because I wanted a program that would lead me to multiple European countries while also helping me with my future career. IBS stood out to me because it was led by experienced business professionals that would teach me while also giving me room to learn on my own. I liked that IBS was academically focused because it gave me an added perspective on each city compared to just visiting. If I has 60 seconds to convince a friend to attend an IBS program, I would tell them that it will be an experience that will benefit you while you are there, but also when you are back home. You will learn many things about yourself as well as the rest of the world. It is an experience you will keep with you for the rest of your life. From my experience abroad I learned to be confident in myself. I think this simple fact made the trip worthwhile. I was able to face new challenges and adventures everyday which gave me more confidence in my own abilities. I was able to use what I have learned in the past to help me in each new situation.

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I could not have imagined going to Europe through any other program. They are very accommodating to all types of situations, whether you want to use this seminar as a credit or not, and even if you’re a nonbusiness major. This program really gives you the freedom to immerse yourself in the culture as much as you’d like, through all the free time you have to explore the cities. If I had to try and convince one of my friends to choose IBS over any other program, I would show them all the amazing pictures and sights I got to visit. Along with explaining we got to visit really interesting companies including Swarovski, World Trade Center, Cailler, and my favorite place to visit was Redoro.

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This trip is absolutely amazing! You get to visit 6 different countries in a good period of time. What's so great is you get to learn about different companies, and how they are so different to the U.S. Your learning experience is not in a classroom, what could be better than that! I loved being able to try so many different food, and being able to see all the beautiful places in every country. I would definitely take this trip all over again.

IBS Summer Europe was an experience of a lifetime. I was able to grasp so many new concepts. I made many new friends that I still remain in contact with! Going abroad and experiencing companies instead of sitting in a lecture is a unique experience that many programs don't offer. I enjoyed going to companies that i had previously known before but didn't know entirely about. Talking to people who deal with international business on an everyday basis gives you more of an idea on what you could be doing in the near future. IBS is definitely a must program if you want to visit many places with endless opportunities.

This was my first time abroad, and I have to say I connected with these countries much more intimately than I thought I would, especially France. It was cool to feel like a local going to "work" in these cities for a few days and then taking off and going on an adventure, whether it be to the Eiffel Tower, the Alte Pinakotek, paragliding, or seeing the Rosetta Stone! It was amazing to have the chance to actually visit companies and organizations that I have heard about or read about in books like the WTO, BMW, and Lloyd's of London.

This was a great trip for my first time abroad. Everything was well planned out and very interesting and I am glad for the experience! The faculty was really helpful and always checking in with us to make sure we were having a good time. I learned a lot travelling between the different countries. This was a truly unique experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat! This experience was 100% worthwhile and I learned a lot while traveling abroad! My Europe seminar with IBS was my first time traveling out of the country. I’ve traveled some within the United States, but traveling abroad is a completely different experience. In the States we’re so used to the same language being spoken everywhere you go, but in Europe it’s a different story entirely. This trip was amazing because I got to experience several different languages and cultures over the course of three weeks, as well as gain insight into living and working within the European Union. It was a great way to learn more about myself and make some amazing friends as well. There's nothing like studying abroad and I would recommend IBS to anyone interested in traveling internationally and learning more about international business.

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When it comes to the IBS summer seminar in Europe, the overall experience was phenomenal! I've been over to Europe already through an exchange program as well as family vacations, but in all of my travels I really can't compare them to this past trip. The administration that was sent over with the rest of our group was amazing to say the least. Each one of the admins truly wanted to be there (not only because it was Europe) in order to give each of the students a great experience. With a number of different universities being part of the trip, there was a huge opportunity to network with others as well as the businesses that we met with. Transportation was also great! While the bus rides were long, it ended up being a great way to relax and rest up from prior days of running around. During the seminar, hotels were our main points of living for the entirety of the trip, while there were a few hotels that were quite small (due to being European), the hotels themselves offered everything that you would need while abroad. In general IBS put together a great trip, for anyone who is timid on studying abroad for an extended period of time should really look into this organization. The month long trip will definitely give you the right amount of culture shock while also keeping you from wanting to head back home!

A great way to visit several European countries, explore new places, & gain college credit without being confined to a classroom!! Wouldn't want to experience a study abroad any other way. 6 countries, 23 days, and so many memories. The educational experience is gained through visiting international businesses first hand which is both interesting and fun. Afterwards we get more than enough free time to explore each city!

This past winter break I attended the Europe One seminar which was definitely one of the highlights of my college experience. During the two-week seminar I embraced the opportunity of a lifetime to network, learn, and explore 5 beautiful cities with other students and mentors from all over the country. During the trip I traveled to London, Paris, Geneva, Heidelberg, and Amsterdam which are all places I would love to go back to in the future. Overall, this journey made me realize how passionate I truly am about international business which is part of the reason I will be pursuing a career globally when I graduate. I learned numerous things from my experience abroad that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I learned how to navigate through foreign public transportation systems with nothing but a map. I learned how to communicate with local people that did not speak my language. I learned a lot about different cultures and that things that seem normal to me are often unusual for others. I gained insight on global businesses and learned in depth what it takes to work internationally. This experience was extremely worthwhile and I hope to participate in another abroad trip with IBS in the future.

Before this trip, I never studied abroad before and when someone came talk to us in class about an opportunity to study abroad, earn college credit, and do it in a matter of a little bit over two weeks, I got extremely excited. This trip overall was an experience of a lifetime that I will cherish forever. I went on the Winter One trip in 2017-2018 winter break. I went to London, Paris, Geneva, Heidelberg, and Amsterdam. I spent about 16 days in all of these places combined. In a normal study abroad program, it's an entire semester in one place but this program allows you to study in 5 different countries in such a short period and earn that credit for college. I learned a lot on this trip about how businesses operate and how the people in each of these cities live and work.

My experience abroad was completely worthwhile. Hearing how successful people do business is interesting in any country; but even more so when you hear about how they dealt with difficulties and how they overcome them in a culturally different environment. They have to deal with language and cultural barriers in addition to working under different government regulations and are still successful. It was also interesting too to see how different and alike business can be outside of the United States. In addition to learning about business; the experience also helped my communication and networking skills grow. I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with an amazing group of people through this program. People that are attracted to this kind of program / adventure are the types of people you want to be friends with. Everyone on this trip will be super successful in whatever they do. We also had plenty of free time to enjoy the culture outside of the business world.

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