In early March, current M.S. in Global Commerce students began packing in anticipation of relocating from China to Spain, hoping our suitcases would be under the airline’s weight limit. We left Guangzhou for Barcelona to begin the third and final part of the Program, looking forward to exploring a new city.
Upon arrival, many of the students dusted off their rudimentary (and for some, more advanced) Spanish learned back in high school or undergrad. Barcelona is located in Catalonia, so they also speak Catalan, making the transition even more interesting. To help us adjust to a new culture and set of classes, ESADE staff welcomed us with a wealth of useful information, everything from the best metro cards to buy to cool events going on in the city (like an 11K race that goes through the Olympic stadium) to a crash course in Spanish and Catalonian politics.
During our first week of classes at ESADE, we learned about the geopolitical environment of the European Union in our Doing Business in the EU course, studying in-depth the relevant geopolitical topics and events in the world today—like Brexit—and its impact on the business world. Additionally, we worked in groups to analyze various real-life examples to see the different issues, interests, institutions, and strategies involved in many different markets within and around the EU.
Now that we are finally in Barcelona, the students are looking forward to learning more about this vibrant city and experiencing it firsthand, like visiting La Sagrada Familia, attending a fútbol game, and eating our way throughout the city. We recently attended ESADE’s Career Fair and worked closely with their career office to perfect elevator pitches and update resumes beforehand. It’s hard to believe we’ve already studied in the U.S. and China, but look forward to broadening our global business perspectives further in Spain.
