Colorado State University Business Students Tackle Global Business Issues on International Tour

Colorado State University business students studied issues concerning international business and cultural differences while traveling in Germany and Russia as part of an international study tour June 4-13, 2010.

CSU’s College of Business Denver Executive Master of Business Administration program gave students the opportunity to study supply chain management, economics, marketing and leadership during the study tour. The tour consisted of company visits, interaction with government leaders, history lessons, specialized lectures and cultural immersion.

“The trip provided the opportunity to apply the classroom discussions in a very direct way,” said John Hoxmeier, associate dean of CSU’s College of Business. “From a business perspective, we don’t understand Russia very well. The students had a unique experience.”

The German leg of the study tour brought students to GM Opel, an automobile company, and SMA Solar, a solar energy equipment company that opened a production plant in Denver in 2009. Students also attended presentations at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and European Central Bank, and were special guests at an exhibition on the future of mobility and transportation.

The Russian portion of the study tour included business visits to Kazan Helicopters, Kazanorgsintez Plastics and Efes, a global brewing company. The students participated in a presentation on e-government from Nikolay Nikiforov, the deputy prime minister of the Tatarstan region of Russia, and a presentation on the cultural implications of conducting business in Russia, together with the College of Business Russian MBA students.

While in Russia, students learned about the culture through tours of Moscow and a visit to the Kremlin.
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