TRIP OFFERS STUDENTS A CHANCE TO VIEW EUROPEAN BUSINESSES

Thirty students from Southeast Missouri State University and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale will get a first-hand look at European businesses next summer.

The unique three-hour-credit course features a week of intensive study in the classroom at Southeast and then three weeks of travel in Europe, visiting various businesses and talking with business executives there.

"It's a pretty good adventuresome program," said Peter Gordon, a marketing professor at Southeast who started the international business trip program four years ago.

Since then the program has increased in popularity.

"The first time out I think we had about 12 students. This coming year we are closing it off at 30 students," said Gordon.

Last summer three SIU students participated in the program. This coming year, Gordon said, there's a cooperative arrangement under which about 10 SIU students will be making the trip, along with about 20 Southeast students.

"It's relatively unique," Gordon said. "Nobody in this area is running an exclusive short-term business program."

Gordon said the trip is not confined to business students. Students in mass communications, political science and programs like fashion merchandising can also sign up.

It is open to both graduate and undergraduate students. "We have quite a few students who do the course as part of their undergraduate program and then in graduate school do it again," said Gordon.

Todd Wilkerson is one of those students. The Scott City man went on the international trip in 1991 as an undergraduate student. He went again this past summer as a graduate student.

"I just had a great time," said Wilkerson who is working on a master's degree in math.

"I was just interested in the international business world. I would like to work overseas," he said.

"We got to meet some top corporate managers of some really big corporations," said Wilkerson.

He said he enjoyed the different cultures. "My favorite was The Netherlands."

Wilkerson said, "Except for in England, beer is not considered an alcoholic beverage." He said beer was available out of vending machines.

He said he enjoyed touring the Caterpillar tractor plant in Brussels. The plant is the second biggest tractor manufacturing plant outside of the company's main plant in Peoria, Ill. "It was really impressive."

Wilkerson's sold on the trip. "I would definitely go again if I could. It is definitely well worth the money."

The program is so popular that most of the slots for next year's trip have already been filled. The trip is scheduled for the end of May and early June.

Last summer the cost per person was $1,820.

This year it's projected the cost will amount to $2,050 a person. "The dollar started going down badly so we priced it up quite a bit," explained Gordon.

Students must make their initial payment by Dec. 1, with the remainder of the cost paid off in several installments through the end of April.

Gordon said the trip's no holiday. "The course is pretty rigorous. There are exams."

He said students are required to read a lot of material during their week in class.

The trip itself will involve business presentations in the mornings, with afternoons reserved for sight-seeing.

Gordon said the students will have an opportunity to visit a number of major European businesses in London, Paris, Zurich, Milan, Rome, Brussels, Antwerp and Maastricht.

This year students visited Euro-Disney in France, and next year's group will also be visiting the amusement park.

Other stops include a chocolate company and Dow Chemical's European headquarters, both in Zurich. The group will also visit Thomson Corp. in London, a multi-national newspaper firm.

Gordon said the trip offers students a chance to learn about international business and speak directly to top business executives.

Two years ago, for example, students met the owner of the Heineken brewery.

International business is important in today's global economy, Gordon said. "Of course, more and more companies are international in their scope.

Gordon said the summer course offers students the "best international exposure" to the business world.

The development of the European Community as "one of the single biggest trading blocs in the world" has put even more importance on European business, he said.

Students who have participated in the trips have come back with a new perspective. "Virtually every student who has come back, it has had some life-changing impact on them," said Gordon. "Their career objective almost invariably is broadened considerably."

Some students, he said, have decided to go on to graduate school and specialize in international business.