Written by Matthew Rodgers, MS. International Business '21
As I write this blog post I’m currently sitting in the back of an airplane, flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean just south of Iceland. I’ve now spent a total of 12 days traveling through Europe with the majority of those days spent at the Grenoble Ecole De Management (GEM) located in Grenoble, France. This trip has exceeded my expectations in every aspect from academics to cultural activities to the people I’ve met along the way.
The two courses that I enjoyed the most while studying in France were Serious Games taught by Helene Mitchel and Design Thinking taught by Jose Gotsch. Both of these involved hands-on, engaging activities that included giant Rubik’s cubes, Legos, and classic craft materials like construction paper and glue sticks. Aside from the intellectual aspects of these classes, it was refreshing to create a tangible item, something that is uncommon in most graduate level business courses. These sessions forced students to take an active role in creating innovative ideas and designs that could solve problems faced by businesses or students of the classes. I left these classes with a deep appreciation for the creativity required to find unique, innovative ideas, as well as the detail needed to ensure the ideas are practical.
The site visits to companies in Grenoble provided a glimpse into how the principles learned during the class sessions play out in the real world. We met with leaders of two separate companies on different days. Both companies operated in the technology industry and stressed the difficulties they faced and the need to turn research and prototypes into products that meet consumers’ needs and wants. This helped drive home the applicability of the lessons learned in our classes.
Through these classes, site visits, and GEM coordinated cultural activities, all of us students came into contact with the local French citizens on a daily basis. Although it may seem obvious to study the local language before traveling to a foreign country, I had not taken enough time prior to the trip to study the basics of French. Fortunately for me, the citizens of Grenoble are friendly, and most speak some English.
Aside from the academics, the food in France is outstanding. We ended the program with a dinner at a prominent restaurant specializing in French cuisine. This dinner featured local products such as wines, cheeses, and walnuts, which Grenoble is known for producing. This was my favorite meal of the entire trip. Through it all, the students from George Washington University, University of North Carolina (UNC), and Duke University became close friends. A few other students from UNC and I even ended this study abroad trip by renting a car together and heading to Geneva for a brief tour before returning home.
I can’t stress how highly I would recommend this program to students considering participating in a Short Term Study Away Program. I can’t think of a more rewarding and exciting way to spend the winter break between semesters. This trip certainly won’t be the last time that I visit France.
