Europe At First Hand

“It’s important to us to help our students develop an enduring European perspective and strengthen their commitment to Europe.”So says programme coordinator Janine Wilke of the MA European Management Studies at ESB. Anyone who is interested in the economy of Europe also needs to understand European politics and history. So, in cooperation with the Baden-Wuerttemberg Centre for Europe (Europa Zentrum), the current EMS year group made an excursion to key locations in the European Union.

Schengen is in fact only a small town with fewer than 5,000 residents. However, the Schengen Treaty makes it one of the most famous places in the European Union. The EMS students used the start of their trip to visit Schengen’s European Museum and get a feel for the other stops on their tour.

On their next stop, for a guided tour of the city of Luxembourg looking at European political history, the group learned more about the activities of the European Union.

The highlight of the EMS excursion was a stay in Brussels lasting several days. The visit to the EU Commission offered engrossing insights into EU economic policy, as did the Council of the European Union. The guided tour of Brussels focused mainly on the migratory and sociological influence of the European Union on the city.

The EMS students were also warmly welcomed and had an informative time at the Baden-Württemberg state representation, in the House of European History, and at the Republic of France’s permanent representation to the European Union. The trip ended with a guided tour and lecture at the European Parliament.

Janine Wilke draws a positive conclusion: “The extensive programme organised for us by the Centre for Europe was an extremely valuable insight into the complex structures of the European Union. Back in the lecture room, the students’ impression of Europe has expanded considerably. So we have achieved our objective and want to keep opportunities like this in the MA European Management Studies programme.”