International Business Focus of Geneva Student Trip

by Andrew Domencic '19

Geneva College students interested in international business received global experience in May when they took a 12-day study trip to Germany, touring a variety of cities, towns and villages including Frankfurt, Cologne, Heidelberg, Dresden, Wittenberg, Munich, Füssen, and Schwangau. They also travelled to Austria and visitied the city of Salzburg.

“Studying another culture and then visiting it are life changing in so many ways. Past the learning and experiencing another culture, you learn about yourself,” says trip organizer and Geneva Associate Professor of Business, Dr. Denise Murphy-Gerber.

The Geneva group visited a number of German sites and businesses in the Financial District in Frankfurt, Heidelberg’s historic downtown, and the BMW Welt and Museum in Munich, among others. While in Salzburg, they met up with The Genevans, which performed there as a stop on its own European tour.

“Studying another culture and then visiting it are life changing in so many ways. Past the learning and experiencing another culture, you learn about yourself.”
― Dr. Denise Murphy-Gerber, Geneva Associate Professor of Business

One of the highlights of their trip was travelling to Leverkusen and touring Chempark—a chemical industrial park that is home to over 60 companies that employ around 50,000 people. “It is essentially a small city” says senior Sarah Todd. “The whole concept of the Chempark, which has its own postal service, school, and roads system, was unique to me. It's not something I had ever heard of.”

While at Chempark, Geneva students visited Covestro, a world-leading manufacturer of high-tech polymer materials, and toured their Polyurethane (PUR) Showroom. Covestro presented active products and research, including a new, ultra-lightweight foam filler that has multifaceted uses in automobiles: not only does it provide a protective quality for the passenger, but it also makes the automobile lighter, therefore making the car more fuel efficient. Covestro, a global company based in Germany, locates its North American Headquarters outside of Pittsburgh, about 30 miles from Geneva's campus. 

One of Covestro’s main goals is sustainable production and being environmentally friendly. “It was very clear that Convestro was living out its mission to reduce its impact on the environment,” says Geneva College Senior Noah Kairis. “Everything was designed in an ecofriendly way.”

In highlighting Covestro’s solar technologies, Dr. Murphy-Gerber praised Covestro’s commitment to using sustainable resources and pushing the boundaries of alternate fuel sources. She was particularly impressed with two Covestro solar projects: the 2017 World Solar Challenge, a partnership with Aachen University in Australia in which students developed a car that traveled 3,000 km without a drop of fuel, and the Solar Impulse Mission, which utilized Covestro technology in the creation of an airplane that flew around the world solely by solar power.

Covestro’s work extends beyond the brick and mortar at Chempark. “I really appreciate their commitment to social responsibility,” says Geneva College Junior Grace Skarzynski. “The work they do with and for refugees is commendable, as is the other philanthropic work they do globally.” In 2016, Covestro began developing energy-efficient housing for refugees in the town of Bergisch-Gladbach near Cologne, Germany, and Covestro has their own refugee training program as well.

Travelling to Germany broadened Geneva students’ understanding of foreign cultures. Their Covestro experience enhanced their understanding of the global economy and helped them gain insight into international business cultures and values. One student noticed the importance of punctuality in German business culture, based on the efficient and professional tour provided by Covestro.

Murphy-Gerber also spoke of the importance of understanding international cultures, and how she hopes her students will “appreciate them rather than looking at them through an American lens and judging them in comparison to what they know.”

“We live in a global economy,” she says. “We buy our food, our household items, our clothes and our cars from companies who are either headquartered in another nation or the food, parts and raw materials are sourced from another nation.  Each of those nations has a unique history and culture that should be understood and experienced in order to understand where you fit into the global economy.”

Murphy-Gerber offered counsel to college students thinking about doing an overseas trips. “My advice is this:  Save your money and go.  You will be a changed person, and for the better.”

From the Geneva Blog:
Why Do Geneva Students Do So Well?

Geneva College graduates are doctors, engineers, teachers, airline pilots, missionaries, church and community leaders, business owners, and even elected officials. Within a year of graduation over 96% of alumni are working or continuing their studies in graduate school. Why do Geneva graduates do so well?

The short answer is: high standards and even higher levels of support.

Geneva asks a lot of students in the classroom, but we also offer high levels of support so students can accomplish more in their post-secondary years than just "get through" college. It’s important that students use this time to prepare for who they will become... More >>