The ‘Business Administration in three years’ course at Hanze Groningen has a number of unique aspects. One is the fourth semester, called Internationalisation in which a number of foreign students enter. They do this as a minor part of their studies. This year the students come from Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Turkey, Japan and Korea. These students are divided among the project groups of the Dutch students and the language of instruction is English during this period.
The students work in groups to help companies implement their export plans to various foreign countries. In addition, they carry out an individual (see https://www.gic.nl/partner-artikelen/de-mooiste-hbo-opleiding-van-nederland-vind-je-in-groningen for more information) pregnancy, related to cultural differences between nationalities. Last week, two workshops were central, with the remarkable fact that there was approximately 6,000 kilometers between the two workshops as the crow flies.
A large part of the group was in New York. The study trip that is also part of the semester. Some also stayed in Groningen. “Participation in the study trip is not mandatory, partly because of a personal contribution that we ask from students, but also for other reasonable reasons, it may be quite legitimate that students cannot or do not want to go on this study trip,” explains Bas Baalmans, together with his college Kelly Boonstra and Dirck Bankers, one of the coaches who traveled with us.
“We make the study trip so attractive for our students that it becomes ‘an offer you can’t refuse’. We see the number of participants increasing every year.” The week in the Big Apple consists of a nice combination of company and organizational visits such as Fordham University, the Rabobank, Peetoom, PX and the consulate, as well as sufficient free time for the students to visit the regular highlights of New York such as 9/11. , Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building and Central Park.
Halfway through the week, the students in New York go to the Rabobank where host and location director Rob Derikx tells the students more about the ins and outs of the bank in the states and where Annette van der Feltz of the Dutch American Connection will then give the workshop on ‘cultural differences’. Van der Feltz, who has lived and worked in America for many years, takes the students through Erin Meyer’s theory, Country Mapping, into the world of cultural differences in business life between various countries. Van der Feltz manages to grab the students from minute one by showing a weapon. What does it evoke for you? The Dutch students react with fear and danger. The American would say safety and protection of family and loved ones. It ends in a number of role plays that open many students’ eyes (further) to the world of cultural differences between nationalities. In several areas, think of language, food, holidays, body language, showing emotions, communication, collaboration and much more.
In Groningen, at the same time – while maintaining the time difference – in the Marie Kamphuisborg where the ‘Business Administration in three years’ course is located, colleague Bernoud Jonker, together with Henk Ensing, is working on his workshop for those ‘staying at home’. Hofstede’s theory was particularly central here, in combination with the arrival of three business professionals who settled in the Netherlands from abroad (Dominican Republic, Ukraine, Germany) and talked about their experiences with Dutch culture and adapting to it. and could be questioned by the students.”
Jonker is also enthusiastic about the content of the program: “The influx of international students creates a unique opportunity to compare and delve deeper into cultures. In my opinion, unique and special because we 1) have the New York study trip in the program, 2) have the unique influx of our international students and (3) pay extra attention to cultural differences. An extremely important aspect to pass on to students during their studies.”
