Global Business in the Midst of Economic, Political & Cultural Change -- Managing the New Europe
Frequently Asked Questions
1. May I just take 3 credits during the program (i.e., either BUAD 843 or BUAD 840/867, but not both)?
No. All participants must enroll for 6 credits (regular enrollment, not auditing).
2. I've applied for the program. When will acceptance decisions be made?
Applications will be taken until the program is filled, or early October, whichever comes first. Review of applications, and acceptance decisions, might start as early as summer, provided there is a sufficient pool of applicants. Thus it is to your advantage to apply early.
3. How many students will you take on the program.
Most years we are able to take fourteen students (although in 2008 we were able to take more).
4. May I bring someone else along (e.g., spouse)?
Maybe, but (a) we can't tell you for sure until autumn, when we see how many students are going on the program, and (b) it will depend partly on whether the additional person wants to go along on our company visits, etc., some of which may have size limitations for our group. Any person who accompanies you will need to pay the full program fee (but not tuition). Also, UD requires that any person not a student in the program who accompanies you be a legally recognized family member.
5. Will you obtain any necessary entry visas for non-U.S. citizens?
Non-U.S. nationals will need to arrange for their own visas, if required, for entry to any other countries we visit or pass through. Please note that trains between some of the countries we visit might pass through another country en route; please check with the instructor to see if we'll be transiting through countries for which you might need a visa. U.S. citizens currently do not need visas for any countries we might visit or pass through.
6. What about personal safety?
There are no serious health-related travel warnings for any of the places we will visit, and good medical care is available. Information about any necessary vaccinations or other health issues will be provided to participants later in the year, but you can look things up on your own at the State Department web site. Also check the Center for International Studies web site for health related information and links. And yes, the water is safe to drink.
The only problems we've had have been typical tourist scams -- in the past a few students have encountered some overpriced taxis or similar petty fraud. According to U.S. embassy sources, the most frequent problems foreign visitors have in Prague and Budapest involve incidents such as pick-pocketing, especially in crowded shopping, tourist, and transportation centers. Some care needs to be exercised in Budapest and Prague involving some fairly predictable tourist-oriented scams (e.g., taxi drivers who overcharge, nightclubs that don't provide a menu with prices and then charge astounding amounts for drinks, etc.). The State Department describes Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic as having low rates of violent crime (they use the same categorization for places like France and the United Kingdom), with violent crime being especially rare in Austria. But as in most any major city, there may be a few areas you probably shouldn't visit alone late at night.
7. What's the weather like?
The weather is variable. Winters in Budapest, Prague and Vienna are much like winters in Philadelphia or New York -- they can be mild some times, and cold, wet and snowy other times. Our city tours involve considerable time out-of-doors (travel between site visits, walking tours), so you should be prepared for the possibility of cold, wet weather. Also, we often use public transportation and walking in order to get to the companies and institutions we visit. Good footwear, suitable for use in bad weather and on rough (i.e., cobblestones) pavement, is essential.
8. May I arrive in Europe early, or leave later, for some extra touring?
Of course you may do this, as long as you're in Newark for any classes to be held on-campus, either before or after the travel portion of the program. If you go to Europe early or leave later, all hotel and travel arrangements for that extra time are your responsibility to arrange. If you have unusual schedule constraints, please contact the program director.
8. What companies and institutions do you visit? Who are the guest lecturers?
The list varies a bit each year, depending on availability. Over the last five years, we have variously visited companies, non-governmental organizations, and institutions such as:
KFKI Computer Systems (Hungarian information technology company)
Westel (wireless communications) (Hungary)
US Embassy commercial service, Hungary
American Chamber of Commerce, Hungary
Juventus Radio (commercial radio in Hungary)
e-Control (Austrian electric utility agency)
Greenpeace (environmental organization)
Merkantil Bank (Hungary)
Czech Telecom
European Union Affairs office, Hungarian Foreign Ministry
Transparency International, Prague (anti-corruption nongovernmental organization)
General Electric (lighting)
NV Phillips, Ltd.
Czech Airlines
Czeska Sporitelna (Czech bank)
Polo Handels (Austria; packaging products)
Egon Zehnder (Austria; human resources)
Graphisoft (Hungary; software development)
Trigranit (Hungary; real estate development)
Austrian Economic Chamber (employers' association)
Allianz Insurance (Hungary)
Schutz Marketing (Austria -- pharmaceutical marketing services)
ALCOA (Hungary)
Rail Tec Arsenal (Austria; transportation equipment climate testing)
PFK Consulting (Austria; hotel industry consulting)
Fraunhofer (Austria; technology/logistics projects)
Skoda (Czech; automobile manufacture)
Budapest Stock Exchange
Regional Environmental Center (European Union, United States, and corporately-funded agency dealing with environmental issues in the region)
Austrian Business Council for Sustainable Development (corporate-funded sustainable business organization)
We also enjoyed lectures and discussions with people such as the vice-chair of the Hungarian Parliament (i.e., #3 person in the national government), the former president of the Hungarian national bank and minister of trade and industry, and faculty from Central European University (Budapest) and the Czech Management Center (Prague). We also have a dinner with some Central European University MBA students, and spend some time with a small business owner.
9. Do you include any cultural events?
Yes. In 2006, we attended the Image Black Light Theatre in Prague, and a concert in Vienna. We also took an extended walking tour in Prague, and a combined walking/bus tour in Budapest. Also, there is free time in Budapest on the middle weekend, in Vienna on the final Saturday, and on Saturday in Prague if your flight arrives early enough to have some daylight left. In addition, the majority of evenings are free.
10. Will I have language problems if I only speak English?
Language problems are unlikely, and no prior students have complained about language problems. All lectures and company visits are conducted in English. Also, you will find that most restaurants you are likely to visit have at least a few employees who speak basic English, and many other retail establishments, at least in the center of the city (where we spend our time) will have one or more English-speaking employees. And if they don't, consider playing sign-language with a shopkeeper part of the fun of foreign travel.