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Basic Information
Full Name: Austin Bolger
UC Email: bolgeran@mail.uc.edu
College: Carl H. Lindner College of Business
Major: Marketing & International Business
Title of Project: KBS Study Tour to Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium
Thematic Area (choose only one): Community Engagement, Creative Arts, Global Studies, Leadership, OR
Research
Expected Project Start Date: March 18, 2016
Expected Project End Date: March 26, 2016
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
As a Marketing and International Business double-major and an advocate for European culture, a study tour to
Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium is the perfect opportunity for me to expand my world view. The trip is open
only to Kolodzik Business Scholars with sophomore status or higher and occurs over spring break. The study
tour and course are centered around european business and culture, combining sightseeing with company visits
and presentations on marketing strategy. Listed below is a sample itinerary of the trip:
Date

City

Itinerary

Friday

Paris, France

Thursday night flight, arrive in Paris Friday morning

City tour throughout day

Saturday

Paris, France

Sightseeing in Paris

Sunday

Paris, France

Sightseeing in Paris (independently)

Monday

Paris, France

AM: Visit US Embassy commercial services.

PM: Visit Unilever
Evening: Train to Brussels, Belgium

Tuesday

Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium

Visit Louvain Business School

Wednesday

Brussels, Belgium

Visit EU Parliament, participate in simulation

Visit Manon Chocolate

Thursday

Antwerp, Belgium

Visit Rosy Blue Diamond Trader

Friday

Bruges, Belgium

AM: Visit De Halve Brewery

PM: Sightseeing

Saturday

Flight home to Cincinnati

In addition to the study tour, students are required to take INTB3098 (Understanding European Business) with a
prerequisite of INTB3080 (Global Business Environment). INTB3080 will either be taken in the fall semester of
2015 or the spring semester of 2016 in conjunction with INTB3098.

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While INTB3098 is a 3-credit hour course, only an hour is spent in class each week, totaling 15 hours over the
length of the semester. The study tour itself is eight days long, excluding travel time and timezone differential.
Assuming that twelve hours is dedicated to immersing myself and reflecting on my experiences each day, this
will account for an additional 96 hours committed to the project.
For more information, please visit:
http://business.uc.edu/international/undergraduate/kbs/belgium-and-france.html
Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
A. Possess global literacy, including knowledge of geography, history, current world issues and similarities and
differences among cultures.
B. Recognize the interdependence of world economies, political systems and the environment.
As part of the INTB3098 curriculum, students conduct research on the business, economics, trade, politics,
history, and culture of the target destinations. This will be accomplished largely from reading relevant books
and articles, but also through watching documentaries and keeping up on recent news in the region. Doing so
will prepare me to have valuable discussions while abroad, from company visits to speaking with business
students at Louvain Business School.
C. Interact with individuals from different cultures and express a sensitivity, appreciation and respect for the
complex range of experiences of diverse peoples.
By immersing myself in the local culture, I hope to learn more about those that call the region home. Doing
so will expand my worldview and understanding of their cultural values. While this may not seem very
important towards my academic career, it could play a substantial role in my professional career. As a
Marketing and International Business double-major, there is a chance that I could be working for an company
abroad or a domestic company with customers across the globe. If I am to develop a marketing strategy or
collect research on a particular region, I need to know about the lifestyle of their customers and how they think.
This valuable insight can be made obtainable though this study tour.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)
A. I have a strong passion for Marketing, which is an obvious reason for choosing it as my major. By
participating in this study tour, I can further my studies outside of the classroom in a completely foreign
environment. As mentioned before, I will gain valuable insights towards the culture and populates of the region,
which will prove beneficial in my professional career. Studying abroad will also strengthen my resume in the
eyes of potential employers, as I will have experiences and world views that many other applicants dont
possess.
B. The following titles were chosen to provide a more detailed knowledge of the region prior to the trip. These
books will not only educate me on the regions history, culture and business practices, but will provide me with
the knowledge necessary to have valuable conversations and discussions while abroad.

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Child, Julia. My Life in France. January 1, 1996.

Humes, Samuel. Belgium: Long United, Long Divided. December 15, 2014.
Macdonald, Mandy. Belgium - A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette. September 5, 2006.
Soros, George. The Tragedy of the European Union: Disintegration or Revival? March 11, 2014.
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
I hope to enhance my experience by gaining elementary proficiency in French prior to the trip using a free
service/app such as Duolingo. The official language of Paris is French, as English is not widely spoken among
the citys populates. Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch, and German. French is the secondmost spoken language in Belgium, with its native speakers accounting for 40% of the countrys population.
French is also the official language of Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, as well as
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. While French is not the majority language of Antwerp and Bruges, it is still used
as a secondary language along with English.1
It should be noted that there is no foreign language requirement to participate in this study tour. However,
initiating the study of a new and applicable language will enhance my experience abroad and contribute to the
success of my project. By acquiring even an elementary proficiency in French, I will gain the ability to venture
beyond the tourist-friendly areas and further immerse myself in the true native cultures. Speaking a native
language will also prove beneficial when performing simple tasks such as navigating the city and ordering food,
which become much more difficult with a language barrier.
5. Reflection
Throughout the study tour, I will have various ways to document and ultimately reflect on my travels. As part of
the INTB3098 course, I will be producing a cultural journal based on our observations and create an assessment
of our various cultural incidents. In addition to this assignment, I will be documenting my travels through an
online journal or blog. At the end of each day, I will publish a reflection on the days activities and record in
details my experiences. Daily entries will include a summary of sights seen, companies visited, meals eaten,
conversations with locals, and general thoughts/opinions formed. This journal will also be accompanied with
pictures taken throughout my travels.
Once I have returned from the trip, I will complete the reflective essay and further document the experience in
my learning portfolio. This will include those elements listed above, including a link to my blog posts.
6. Dissemination
Prior to departing for the trip, I will have a discussion with the Kolodzik Business Scholars program director,
Dr. Marianne Lewis. With her help, my experience can be shared with others through the KBS Facebook and
Twitter pages. Doing so will not only promote the trip to younger KBS students, but will also serve as a chance
to recruit high school students to apply to KBS and the Lindner College of Business. The College of Business
currently has Student Journals for each of their trips on the study abroad website, examples seen here:
http://business.uc.edu/international/undergraduate/kbs/belgium-and-france/journals-belgium-france.html
I will also consider the possibility of documenting my travels through a vlog, or video log. This would also
serve as a great promotional piece for both the trip and KBS. The only setback is the considerable time
1

European Commission. Europeans and their Languages. February 2006

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commitment in creating and editing the video, which could be reduced by partnering with another student in the
creation of the video.
7. Project Advisor(s)
Dr. Mary Steffel, PhD
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Email: mary.steffel@uc.edu
Office: 431 Carl H. Lindner Hall
Phone: (513) 556-7116
Fax: (513) 556-0979
Dr. Mary Steffel is the instructor for INTB3098 and will be leading us on our study tour through France and
Belgium. Dr. Steffel has PhDs in both Marketing and Psychology from the University of Florida and Princeton
University, respectively, and serves as an assistant professor in Marketing at the Carl H. Lindner College of
Business. For more information: http://business.uc.edu/departments/marketing/faculty/mary-steffel.html
8. Budget
Below is an estimated budget for the proposed honors experience, provided by the study tours website:
http://business.uc.edu/international/undergraduate/kbs/belgium-and-france.html
Program fee (includes lodging, train from Paris to
Brussels, and a group dinner)

$1,100.00

Group airfare (estimate)

$1,100.00

Budget for meals ($50/day x 8 days)

Reading materials
UC International block grant
Total out-of-pocket expense

$400.00
$50.00
$300.00
$2,350.00