International Field Study

Through visits to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, this IFS will focus on Israel's high-tech and innovative business environment and historical culture.  Students will visit with start-ups, venture capital, multinational companies, and government agencies to gain first-hand knowledge of the Israeli economy and business acumen.  We will also explore cultural and historical sites in and around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

 
Israel is recognized as a world leader in high technology and innovation.  Israel's Silicon Wadi, located primarily in Tel Aviv but covering a 125-mile strip from Haifa in the north to the Negev desert in the south, is second only to the United States in the creation of the most number of high tech start-ups (Kandell, 2016).  Israel is nicknamed “Start-Up Nation” because of its high concentration of start-ups per capita.  For a country the size of New Jersey, there are 79 Israeli companies listed on NASDAQ, and The World Bank rates Israel second in the world for venture capital availability.  The Bloomberg Innovation Index for 2019 (BII) ranks Israel as the fifth most innovative nation in the world.  The BII notes that Israel leads the world in research and development, is second in the number of researchers per capita, is fourth in patent activity, and is fifth in high-tech density. 

Areas of Interest

Tel Aviv, founded in 1909, is the business capital of Israel.  In 2018, Compass ranked Tel Aviv fifth in the world for starting a business.  Tel Aviv University is renowned for its interdisciplinary research on nanotech, neuroscience, bioinformatics, and renewable energies.  The cosmopolitan city, located on the Mediterranean Sea, is home to the White City, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site of 1930s Bauhaus/International style buildings.  Tel Aviv is a major center of culture and entertainment with many performing arts centers, theaters, lively nightlife, and picturesque Mediterranean beaches. 

Recognized as an ancient city holy to billions around the world, Jerusalem combines an exceptional combination of history and modernity.  The city is a thriving center for biomedical engineering, clean environmental technology, accelerators, and mobile start-ups, leading Entrepreneur magazine to rank Jerusalem as the number one emerging technology hub in the world.  The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a leading research university, supports medical, cyber security, nanotech, and entrepreneurship among other fields of research and development, and provides top talent to area businesses. Coexisting with Jerusalem's vibrant tech environment are its numerous historical sites, including the Old City with its Armenian, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Quarters, Yad Vashem, the Wailing Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  In addition to business visits, we will likely have the opportunity to see these historical sites and visit the Dead Sea, the lowest elevation point on Earth.

Course Description

Students will be exposed to a variety of technologically advanced and innovative businesses along with historical-cultural visits in and around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. While in Israel, students will attend lectures by leading business executives and government officials and business visits to start-ups, venture capital, and multinational firms. The overall objective of the course is to learn about ecosystem factors that enhance or deter Israel's high tech, innovation, and entrepreneurship culture and to explore its future direction.

Format of Instruction

The class will meet four times before departure.  Popular materials and case studies will be read to provide a foundation of the entrepreneurial, economic, political, and cultural environments of Israel.  Coursework will include participation, two individual case write-ups, and a team presentation and executive summary on a field of innovation in Israel's innovation ecosystem.  The team presentation will be made during the Israel visit.  On return, students will prepare a post-visit reflection paper.

Instructor

Dr. Felicia Lassk, Associate Professor of Marketing, D'Amore-McKim School of Business

Accommodations, Transportation, and Meals

Participants will be housed in double rooms in high-quality tourist hotels during the program. Accommodations for spouses or friends are not available. Breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners are included. Students are usually responsible for other meals. Students are responsible for securing passports and visas. Inter-country transportation is included.

This IFS will focus on the growth of the economies of Portugal over the past several decades, as well as the challenges that the country faced as it sought to develop its economies.  The socio-cultural, economic, historical, and political context of each country will be examined as we survey their growth and improvements in the well-being of their citizens.  We will also study how Portugal is leveraging its country-specific advantages and its membership in regional trade alliances to advance its economy.  Students will meet with executives and academics, and we will also explore cultural landmarks in Portugal. Led by Ravi Sarathy, Professor, International Business and Strategy.

Portugal represents a developed Mediterranean region economy; albeit one of the smaller middle-income countries within the European Union. The country has had to overcome decades of inertia under a dictatorship and as a colonial power with colonies that once spanned the globe.  Portugal's entry into the European Union, and the transformation wrought with this opening up of its economy, is an interesting lesson in the benefits and drawbacks of regional integration. Their economy is still considered small in the global arena, with GDP at less than 1% of World GDP, and hence need to better integrate with the world's major economies in order to continue to achieve economic growth. 

Areas of Interest

Portugal borders the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, with significant amounts of coastline, and within close transportation distance of the major markets of the European Union. Lisbon, Portugal's capital, a hilly city on the Tagus River and the Atlantic, and with its population of around half a million, is small by European capital standards, but a city rich in history. Shipping and global navigation, a high-tech industry of the 1500s, was the impetus behind Portugal's rise as a maritime empire, with Lisbon the port of departure for explorers such as Vasco de Gama and Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan). Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, to its considerable benefit, with its GDP increasing from around $25 billion in the mid-1980s to nearly $220 billion in 2017. Intra-EU trade now accounts for ¾ of its exports, though Portugal is still one of the lower-income countries within the EU, with its lower wages attracting manufacturing investments from other states within the EU.

Course Description

Students will be exposed to an array of cultural and business differences in the region with a unique emphasis on challenges and opportunities related to economic development and growth. While in Portugal, students will interact with executives, academics, and government officials. The overall objective of the course is to learn about the process of economic development and the path to higher incomes, drawing on the experiences of Portugal.

Format of Instruction

The class will meet monthly prior to trip departure. Students will review case studies and other readings about Portugal and the current economic and cultural environment of emerging markets and the EU. Students will develop case analysis, and do presentations on selected readings, as well as participate in class discussion and complete a final project.

Instructor

Ravi Sarathy, Professor, International Business and Strategy, D'Amore-McKim School of Business

Accommodations, Transportation, & Meals

Participants will be housed in double rooms in high-quality tourist hotels during the program. Accommodations for spouses or friends are not available. Breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners are included. Students are usually responsible for other meals. Students are responsible for securing passports and visas. Inter-country transportation is included.

Italy has a rich tradition in several different industries, including food and agriculture, fashion, and automotive products. This heritage goes back centuries in some cases. This IFS will explore some of these historical industries, as well as recent efforts to modernize certain areas of Italy's economy. In addition, we will explore a bit of Italy's legendary history and culture.

Italy's population is just under 59.2 million people. While Italy is considered a developed economy within the European Union, this designation masks the variation in Italy's economy. Many of its industries and its financial system are strongly rooted in the past, which gives Italy its uniqueness but can also lead to struggles as the country tries to compete globally. Its financial system is ranked behind many of its EU peers in terms of the stock market and liquidity. Thus, as Italy modernizes, it must balance holding onto its past with preparing for the future business world. We will explore this challenge during this course.

Areas of Interest

Italy rests in the southern part of Europe, bordered by a number of countries, including France to the West, Switzerland, and Austria to the North, and Austria and Slovenia to the East. Italy's GDP is 1.65 trillion euros. Within Italy, there is a pretty distinct cultural and economic divide between the northern and southern parts of the country. Much of the economic activity occurs in the northern parts, which drives some of the migration patterns and politics of the country.

Milan represents the capital of the Lombardy region, the region with the largest portion of Italy's GDP, at 400 million euro, as well as the largest by population, with 9.9 million inhabitants. It lies in the northern part of the country and represents the home of Italy's fashion industry. Close to Milan, you will also find the heart of Italy's automotive industries home, as well as a number of Italy's renowned food and agricultural companies.

Rome is part of the Lazio region, which is the second largest in terms of GDP, at 200 million euro, as well as the second-largest by the population of 5.7 million people. It is located near the Western coast in the central part of the country. It is considered to be the northern part of Southern Italy. Rome is probably most well-known for its history as the seat of the Roman Empire, with a number of ancient historical sites to visit, as well as housing the Vatican. However, beyond tourism, Rome is also home to several fashion, high-tech, and banking companies.

Course Description
Students will learn about several of Italy's traditional industries through interactions with executives, academics, and government officials. In addition, students will also explore areas where Italy is trying to modernize and compete in the modern digital economy, including efforts to build entrepreneurialism. Finally, we will explore elements of Italy's culture and how these elements influence business practices.

Format of Instruction

The class will meet monthly prior to departure. We will discuss case studies and other readings related to Italy and its business environment. Students will be expected to prepare case analyses, make a team presentation, and participate in class discussions. Upon return from our trip, students will prepare a reflection paper.

Instructor

Todd Alessandri, Associate Professor, International Business and Strategy, D'Amore-McKim School of Business

Applications will be submitted through Qualtrics, at the link below. The form opens on Tuesday, March 1st, 2022 at 9 AM and closes on Friday, March 4th at 9 AM. No applications will be accepted in advance of March 1st.

• View the application process
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Each IFS is offered as a three-semester-hour graduate business course. Students will be registered for the course in the Summer 1 term and will be responsible for the corresponding tuition charge. This year's tuition rate is $1,640 per semester hour, for a total charge of $4,920.

There is also a program activity fee of $1,500 charged to all students*. The fee will be assessed with the Summer 1 tuition charges. Once a student has been notified and accepts their trip, dropping the class will result in a charge of $200.

Students are responsible for travel arrangements and costs of air travel to the starting point of the course and from the departure point. Students are also responsible for passport and/or visa costs, meals not covered by the program activity fee and incidental expenses.

*Not relevant for MSIB and full-time MBA students

Tuition scholarship funds may be used for the tuition if funds remain on the account. You may request the Financial Aid Office to modify your budget for the current year so that you may receive more aid (usually in the form of loans) to help cover some of the other expenses.

The fee covers program costs such as management fees, double occupancy accommodations, breakfasts, some lunches and dinners, course-related local transportation, and university and cultural programs. Single occupancy accommodations, where available and requested, will be additional. Roommate requests for double occupancy rooms will be honored, if possible.

Yes, you should plan on bringing spending money for some meals, incidental expenses, and personal items. Check with your local bank to learn if your ATM card will be accepted in the cities you'll visit.

All students will need their passport, valid for a minimum of 6 months following the conclusion of their trip. Specific details regarding passport and visa requirements will be discussed with the participants on each trip.

Absolutely. Most students choose to arrive ahead of time or choose to stay after the trip to travel. However, all students must be at the appropriate hotel at the start of the program.

Students must book their own flights to and from the course. Students are not required to travel together to and from the course, as many wish to arrive early or stay late, but all students MUST travel together during the course. You are free to book your flights directly with the airlines or use your own travel agent. Specific details will be available after the trips are assigned.

Some of the learning is in classrooms located within or near the hotel. In addition, there will be visits to universities, cultural attractions, manufacturing facilities, local companies, and government offices.

You will have some free time, but keep in mind that this is an intensive course that demands much of your time. Expect to put in full days, but we feel that a large part of the experience is seeing the sights and experiencing the various culture hands-on.

You cannot. You are welcome to travel before or after the trip with partners, family, or friends. However, during the academic trip, you are expected to be fully present. Under no circumstances will partners, family, or friends be allowed to be present during the trip. you will have limited free time, and even during this time you are socializing with peers and possibly working in teams with your faculty and/or peers. This is an intense course and students are expected to be academically engaged during the entire trip.

Pack light. Remember, you have to carry around whatever you bring. Several business casual outfits are appropriate and packing some comfortable clothing is recommended as well. Women bring closed-toed shoes, as some cultures frown about open-toed shoes in a business setting. Taking a laptop computer and journal is a good idea to take notes and write case analyses/papers.

While the trip is mostly business casual, business formal may be necessary for some company visits. Your IFS trip leader will discuss country-specific dress codes in more detail as the trip date approaches.