DOING BUSINESS IN GERMANY
October 26, 2019 until November 2, 2019
NEW YORK November 6, 2019
Hochschule Fresenius – Berkeley College
On Saturday November 2, 2019, 7 Berkeley College MBA Students got on a flight after completing the first Global Immersion Program at Hochschule Fresenius, an elite private business school with campuses across Germany. The program was developed by Maya Reddi (Berkeley College) and Priya Nayar (Hochschule Fresenius). The students were a diverse mix of Americans, many of whom visited Europe and Germany for the very first time. They had the unique opportunity to learn about Doing Business in Germany from Hochschule Fresenius faculty members and experts from our industry partners. President Engelsleben opened the week long activities by addressing the students directly and calling them “pioneers”.
The students began the week first by meeting Mr. Timo Foerster, Program Coordinator for the Global Immersion Program, and then with a meeting with Hochschule Fresenius Master students who had studied in New York. This was followed by activities that included visiting the Chocolate Museum, a walking tour of Cologne, a boat ride on the famous river Rhine and a private tour of Museum Ludwig! This eventful day was concluded by a welcome reception at one of Cologne’s beloved Brauerei Paeffgen where they met President Engelsleben.
On Monday, following a tour of Hochschule Fresenius, Mr. Amit Ray who leads the Master Program in International Business Management organized a presentation. Mr. Ray gave the students a historic and political context of the business landscape in Germany as well as the stakeholders and factors involved in “doing business”. The students visited the impressive offices of NRW-Invest in Düsseldorf – a short train ride from Cologne. As the state-owned economic development agency, NRW-Invest informed the students in detail about the specific location advantages that North Rhine-Westphalia has to offer. Mr. Foerster chose a special art walk for the students following the meeting. International urban art artists have created many hidden sites in the city that shape the image of public space – the students had the unique opportunity to meet with an artist and have a private tour of the city.
On Tuesday, the students travelled to Bayer in Leverkusen – about 40 minutes from Cologne. Here they learned about the pharma industry and had the opportunity to meet with the managing team that gives an overview of the company, the industry as well as the relationship with the US in the European context. This visit was then followed by a company visit to Drees & Sommer, a German SME. One of the Hochschule Fresenius Master students works there and was happy to introduce her work in marketing as well as the company’s profile in the larger context to the participants of the Global Immersion Program.
On Wednesday, the students began their day with a visit to Startplatz, an incubator that supports new enterprises. Dr. Richard Geibel who is the Program Director of Digital Management at Hochschule Fresenius has close ties with the incubator and the companies within it. The students followed up this company visit by joining Mr. Ray’s course on Sustainable Marketing and Leadership where they the unique opportunity to work together with Hochschule Fresenius Master students. The day was closed by a visit to Time Ride where the students saw Cologne from a historical perspective. One of the students exclaimed that this was “the most memorable evening” for them.
On Thursday, Berkeley College Prof. Maya Reddi who accompanied the MBA students to Cologne, organized a visit to Novartis, a company she had previously worked with. The students met with the Chief Financial Officer and his team in Marburg about a 3 hour drive each way from Cologne. This was a production facility where everyone had a chance to see a very specialized manufacturing unit in action.
On Friday, the students closed the week long activities with a visit to the new business capital of Europe – Frankfurt. Here they met Deutsche Bank’s Digital Factory and had a city tour. The evening was concluded with a group dinner hosted by Berkeley College in Cologne’s City Center.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Berkeley College School of Graduate Studies is offering a Global Immersion Experiential Learning Program during the Fall semester as a unique trip that is being offered exclusively to Berkeley College MBA students. The program will be based in Cologne, Germany and will involve day trips to Frankfurt, Marburg and Dusseldorf. Students will have the opportunity to attend lectures, seminars, workshops, and discussions at Hochschule Fresenius – an elite, private, state-accredited University of Applied Sciences. Students will also have the opportunity to listen to a variety of speakers, tour various businesses and facilities, and enjoy several sightseeing visits. The trip to Marburg will be a value addition as it will allow MBA students to understand and appreciate the complexities of multinational corporations operating in a global environment.
Students have taken the first level of core courses in Decision Making, Operations Management, Finance, Leadership, etc., studied functional areas like Operational Processes, Human Resources, Manufacturing, R&D, Marketing and Finance. However, all of this is in a classroom setting and some integrated project experience. The exposure to international companies in Germany, will give students a great opportunity to see how companies operate in the real world. Diversity and cultural exchange is an integral part of their learning process, facilitated by going abroad.
| Saturday Oct 26 | Sunday Oct 27 | Monday Oct 28 | Tuesday Oct 29 | Wednesday Oct 30 | Thursday Oct 31 | Friday Nov 1 | Saturday Nov 2 |
| Arrival in Cologne: Pick up of all students and transfer to accomodation Saturday October 26, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 1986 12.25pm 1.00pm Meet Mr. Forster at Cologne Airport in front of Rewe City Supermarket Dinner on Your Own | 10.30am Informal Meeting with Fresenius Graduate Students + Chocolate Museum 1.30pm – 3.00pm Walking City Tour Meeting Point Eigelstein-Torburg 3.00pm – 4.00pm Boat Trip on the Rhine 4.30pm – 5.30pm Museum Ludwig 6.30pm Hochschule Fresenius Welcome Dinner Brauerei Paeffgen, Friesenstrasse 64-66, 50670 Cologne | 8.45am Meeting Point Hansaring Train Station (Ground Level, Below Escalator) 9.00am Welcoming & Campus Tour Presentation on Doing Business in Germany Follow Up: Ich bin ein Berliner 12.00pm Lunch in Dusseldorf 1.00pm NRW.INVEST 3.30pm Urban Art Walk Dusseldorf until 5.30pm Dinner on Your Own | 9.45am Meeting Point Central Train Station in front of Main Entrance / Starbucks 10.30am – 12.00pm Visit Bayer (in Leverkusen) 3.00pm Visit to Drees & Sommer Dinner on Your Own | 9.45am Meeting Point Hochschule Fresenius in front of Building 4C (Facing the Park) 10.00am Visit Startplatz 11.00am until 2.45pm “Sustaining Marketing and Leadership” with Prof. Ray. Students will discuss concepts of values and culture in int’l business and work in mixed groups on a case study. Follow Up: The Marshmallow Challenge 4.00pm Time Ride: 45 minutes once-in-a-lifetime journey back in time using virtual reality Dinner on Your Own | 8.50am Meeting Point Hochschule Fresenius in front of Building 4C (Facing the Park) 12.00pm Lunch @ Novartis Company Visit: Novartis Manufacturing GmbH For more details: Novartis Agenda Dinner on Your Own | 8.00am Meeting Point Central Train Station in front of Main Entrance / Starbucks (Train Leaves at 8.27am!) 10.30am – 12.00pm Visit Deutsche Bank at Social Hub Digital Factory 12.45pm – 2.00pm Lunch 2.00pm – 4.00pm City Tour Frankfurt 4.30pm – 5.00pm Visit Main Tower 5.47pm High Speed Train Frankfurt – Cologne | Departure Saturday November 2, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 1987 CGN Terminal 1 1.25pm Travel back to United States |
Travel to Cologne
Departure Friday October 25, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 413 EWR Terminal B 8.45pm
Arrival Saturday October 26, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 413 MUC 10.20am
1 Hour Layover in Munich
Departure Saturday October 26, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 1986 Terminal 2 11.20am
Arrival Saturday October 26, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 1986 12.25pm
Total Trip 10 Hours 40 Minutes
TIMO FÖRSTER: Your local point of contact will be Mr. Foerster who has organized company visits and your on ground activities … he is the Internationalization Project Coordinator and has worked at Hochschule Fresenius since 2012. His portfolio, besides internationalization, includes teaching in the Tourism / Hospitality Management program with a focus on business trends in the industry. Mr. Foerster has studied abroad from Germany in Netherlands, Spain and Scotland and brings his first hand expertise to you.
Vedika Rupee works in the trade show industry as a sales and account executive; enjoys Broadway shows, traveling and networking! Lindsay Krieck, Operations Manager at Milan Motors Inc. enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends; and learning and having new experiences. Lilia is a Business Manager at MA 2 Flags Contracting Corp who spends her free time with family, exploring new places and listening to music. Barbara Jones, Admin Asst at Baker Personnel enjoys reading, shopping, watching movies and traveling to spend time with family and friends. Martha Narvaez is working at Allstate. In her spare time she plays volleyball and enjoys long drives with music at its max. Julie Vinolas, Academic Advisor for undergraduates at Berkeley College. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, independent beauty consulting, and cooking vegan-friendly recipes. Jonathan Melo Maya Reddi joined Berkeley College in 2001 and is one of the founding faculty members of the School of Graduate Studies and brings her multicultural and global professional background to the table. Priya S. Nayar opened the Fresenius Univ. of Applied Sciences center in New York in 2016 and has been working in German-American higher education for over a decade.
The Hotel Boutique 003 Koeln am Dom
The Hotel Boutique 003 Köln am Dom is located in the city center of Cologne, just a two-minute walk from the Cologne Cathedral and Cologne Central Station. The 82 single and double rooms of the Boutique 003 Köln am Dom provide the perfect base for private excursions and business visits to the major trade fairs. Right in the heart of the old town north! The name of the boutique 003 Cologne am Dom is program. If you are looking for an accommodation in the city center for your stay in Cologne, you are in the right place with the boutique 003 Köln am Dom. It is located in the heart of Cologne’s main shopping streets, just a 5-minute walk from the famous Rhine Promenades, the Opera, the Philharmonic Hall and the Chocolate Museum, where an appetizing chocolate fountain awaits. Perfect location, attractive prices! All of the 82 rooms are equipped with cable TV and feature a seating area and a private bathroom with a shower or a bathtub. Safe and WLAN are part of the service of Boutique 003 Köln am Dom. Every morning a rich breakfast is served at the hotel. Popular district for shopping and pubs! A spa is just 100 meters from the hotel. For a fee you can use the pool, sauna and gym – and in the middle of the Altstadt-Nord, the – according to guest reviews – most popular with Cologne visitors district.
Travel to New York
Departure Saturday November 2, 2019 Lufthansa Flight 1987 CGN Terminal 1 1.25pm
Arrival Saturday November 2, 2019 Lufthansa 1987 MUC 2.30pm
1 Hour 15 Minute Layover in Munich
Departure Saturday November 2, 2019 Lufthansa 412 MUC Terminal 2 3.45pm
Arrival Saturday November 2, 2019 Lufthansa 412 EWR 8.05pm
Total Trip 12 Hours 55 Minutes