Walker College International Programs - BELGIUM!
Lauren Johnson is a senior majoring in Marketing with a minor in International Business.
In Spring 2009, 20 Appalachian State students traveled to Belgium to participate in a unique semester-long international entrepreneurship course. Lauren Johnson was among the group, which was teamed with 19 Belgian students to work together on projects, sightseeing and visiting businesses. A few weeks after the Appalachian students returned stateside, the Belgians came to Boone. While on campus they lived with their Appalachian counterparts in their apartments, finished their projects, and explored the area.
Lauren said the study abroad experience “opened my eyes to new opportunities and possibilities for my life and my future career. It also helped me to prove to myself that I can accomplish something that I put my mind to and adapt in new environments.
"What I will take with me from this class are life-long friends and memories, the knowledge that there are so many different approaches to doing things, the ability to keep an open mind about people, the confidence that I am capable of following through with my aspirations, and the experience to comfortably travel abroad in a business setting,” she said.
While in Belgium, the Appalachian students lived with their UCL counterparts for a week. After developing business ideas, the students divided into 10 multicultural teams and began working on business plan projects. In addition, they attended a lecture on the European Union, visited with two Belgian entrepreneurs, toured a traditional small Belgian brewery, and visited the European headquarters of Greensboro-based Center for Creative Leadership. There they met with CCL staff and participated in leadership exercises.
The group also visited historic sites in Brussels, Leuven and Bruges before returning to North Carolina.
Students from UCL arrived in North Carolina March 28. The group first took in a Bobcats game in Charlotte before coming to Boone for an intense week that included company visits, sightseeing and final business plan presentations. The group was hosted by Joseph Miller at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, where they heard about one of the world’s largest art supply businesses.
Then they met with John Allen from Allen Industries, one of the nation’s leading commercial sign manufacturers. They were later braved a cold windy day to visit Grandfather Mountain and speak with its president, Crae Morton. The week culminated with a visit to the Center for Creative Leadership’s corporate headquarters in Greensboro. While there they saw the American side of this innovative leadership training company and participated in interesting exercises that helped them reflect on what they learned during the semester.
The relationship with the Universite Catholique de Louvain has developed as part of the Consortium for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Education (SMEEE). It is comprised of universities in Belgium, Spain and Germany plus the University of North Florida and Clemson University.
Since the SMEE’s inception in 2003, 27 Appalachian State students have spent at least one semester abroad on student exchanges, and more than 100 have traveled to Europe as part of short-term courses. Also, 10 ASU faculty and staff have been to Europe leading student groups, attending consortium meetings and participating in faculty exchanges and joint research.
