BUSINESS LEADERSHIP SUMMER PROGRAM IN
GREECE
PROGRAM GOALS:
The program was designed with the following goals in mind:
- Provide the student participants with a unique international experience.
- Allow Radford University's College of Business and Economics an additional International presence.
- Develop a program which focuses on International Business and Leadership.
- Allow participants to experience a culture whose ideas have shaped the current organization of the western societies.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The design of the program was undertaken under the assumption that we will create a program not only unique, but also exciting. Greece was chosen as a destination of the program because it combines a number of interesting elements: A 3000 year old culture, elements of which students have had encountered in many of their general education classes; a vibrant economy that is changing fast as part of Greece's participation in the European Union; and a mountainous geography that will prove conducive to the leadership component of the program.
The program has three components:
1. A series of pre-departure lectures designed to introduce the participants to the various aspects of the ancient and modern Greek culture. Lectures on Ancient Greek Art and Architecture; Greek History; Greek Philosophy; and Greek economy, politics and language elements.
2. Lectures, and visits to businesses, government agencies archaeological sites and museums. In the past the program has visited the Coca Cola Bottling Company, the Delta Ice Cream Factory, the Bank of Greece, the Acropolis, the Archaeological Museum, the Benaki museum etc. They also attended lectures on International Trade and International Monetary theory at the University of Piraeus. These activities take place during the week the program spends in Athens and are part of the International Business orientation of the program.
3. Developing leadership and teamwork skills while hiking the mountains of Central Greece for a week. The program hikes part of the European Long Distance Trail E-4 - which starts in Gibraltar, covers all of Southern Europe and ends up in the Eastern end of the island of Crete. The hike is designed so that it ends up in Delphi, a site of significant cultural and religious significance in ancient Greece significant tourist destination. The trail takes the group over the mountains of Oxya, Vardoussia, Giona, and Parnassos. The participants develop their leadership skills by becoming the leaders of the group for one day during the 5 day- 60 mile hike. Leaders make all decisions about the group during the day (when do we get up?, when do we have breakfast?, when do we get on the trail? when do we stop? what happens if one of the participants develops blisters and cannot walk as fast? , etc.), make sure that nobody is lost!, and lead discussions with the rest of the group about academic issues and/or lessons learned and problem encountered during the leadership day.
Prepared by John Roufagalas (Oct. 4, 2002)