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 When: Spring Break
March 20-28, 2008
A core objective of this program is to give MBA students a perspective on doing business in Europe, with an additional focus on French culture. The program balances coursework with company visits that encompass a variety of industries relevant to US and European-based multinationals, including companies such as Airbus, Benneteau, GE, and L'Oreal. A US Embassy visit in Paris offers students the chance to learn about US-French trade and relations from a US perspective. In addition, students have the opportunity to experience French culture and history, through visits to historical sites such as Mont St. Michel, the Normandy beaches, the Chateaux of the Loire Valley, and many sites in Paris.
During the Nantes component of the program UC MBA students participate with CoB's partner, Audencia Nantes Ecole de Management MBA students in classes such as Change Management and European Management, while gaining a unique perspective on European business and culture.
Nantes, France
Nantes (pop. 550,000) is France's sixth largest city, and the largest city in western France. Situated at the point where the Erdre and the Loire rivers meet, Nantes was once the capital of Brittany, and has been home to many historically noteworthy figures, including duchess Anne of Brittany and Jules Verne. Nantes is also famous for the Edict of Nantes (1598), which gave Protestants the right to worship freely, and for many years it served as the most important trading port in France. Today, the city is a leader in technological and international industries, with a strong agricultural and maritime base. It has a vibrant cultural life and easy access to the Atlantic coast and Loire Valley castles. Nantes is just 2 hours from Paris by high speed train (TGV), and offers a rich variety of easily accessible dining and shopping options.
Paris, France
Paris (pop. 2,150,000), also known as the City of Light, has been a global cultural center for centuries, and is without doubt the world capital of art, fashion, food, literature, and ideas. Split in half by the Seine river, and divided into 20 arrondissements (independent governmental jurisdictions), Paris is home to a myriad of museums housing some of the world's greatest art collections, such as the Louvre and Musée D'Orsay. Monuments and churches are also spread throughout the city, with renowned sites including the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, and Sacré-Coeur basilica.
As the capital of France and a European center, Paris is home to French government infrastructure, diplomatic missions from all over the world, and a variety of support industries. The greater Paris metropolitan area comprises the Paris-Ile-de-France region, that is home to the global or regional headquarters of many multinational corporations, and supports a highly diversified industry base, including aerospace, telecommunications, insurance, agriculture, biotechnology, automotive, electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. With a workforce of 5.5 million and more than 8,000 multinational companies based there, the Paris-Ile-de-France region is a major economic center, generating almost one-third of the total French GDP.
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