Make it Mexico, or India, for spring break 2011

10/13/2010 5:50 PM

You are 30,000 feet in the air. Endless seas of fluffy white clouds collide and swirl beneath you. Rivers below look like rippling ribbons laced across the lands. What are you doing?

Embarking upon the journey of a lifetime.

Next spring break, the Foster College of Business Administration will take students to two exotic locations: India and Mexico.

While abroad, students will earn credit for an international business class (IB 208 or IB 205, respectively), which counts as credit toward the nonwestern civilization requirement.

“It’s an opportunity for students to live these things they’ve been studying in the classroom,” said James Foley, director of international programs for the Foster College of Business Administration. “It’s a fun way to learn.”

Students will be able to directly examine how cultural factors – like tradition, history, religion, economics, and politics – affect how people do business.

Foley revealed the number one reason students should travel abroad for spring break.

“It will help get them a job,” Foley said. “Most companies are engaged internationally. And employers want to know that a student not only appreciates that, but thinks that’s exciting and wants to be with a company that’s international.”

So what made the business college choose Mexico?

Mexico is the 3rd largest trading partner to the United States, according to U.S. State Department statistics. The location will allow students the opportunity to practice Spanish, a language many undergraduates have taken.

While in Mexico, students will stay in Querétaro and take class at the Monterrey Institute of Technology, which is closely connected with Bradley University.

They will travel to Mexico City, which has cultural attractions such as pyramids, the anthropology museum, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. There, students will witness the similarities and differences between Mexican factories and family shops to those in the United States.

And why India?

India is the second-largest country in the world. Its emergence as an important world power makes it a key location to study business. While India may seem culturally more mysterious, students will find only a small language barrier in large cities. The English language has official status and is widely used in business and politics, according to a country profile on India from the Library of Congress.

Students will to travel to New Delhi and Agra to visit famous cultural sites, such as the Taj Mahal. They will also have the opportunity to visit Mumbai, India’s financial capital.

Students will see Bollywood film studios, which represent one of India’s most important and renowned commercial industries.

While the price for each tour depends on the amount of people who sign up, the estimated cost of travelling is $2,100 for Mexico and $3,500 for India.

The courses are open to all majors.

To sign up, contact James Foley at [email protected] for the trip to India or James Ryan at [email protected] for the trip to Mexico by October 15.

The first deposit is due November 1.