Monday, May 26, 2014Istanbul-Athens trip for 24 Wharton undergraduates
Wharton undergraduates at the Gala dinner with Acropolis on the background
24 Wharton undergraduates embarked on a study in Greece this May, who from May 26th-30th visited Athenian companies, as part of the Wharton International Program (WIP). The WIP is a short-term international business course that provides undergraduate students an amazing global opportunity featuring business site visits, faculty lectures at local universities, cultural excursions, and networking opportunities with current students, alumni, and business contacts from the destination countries. In addition to learning about international business, students earn 1/2 course units that can be used towards business-breadth or elective credits.
Coming from Istanbul, which was the first part of their trip, their full schedule included visits to Greek companies established or run by Wharton Alumns (such as Hellas Direct, Eurolife, Gyros, Gaia, Athens Medical Group, Theon, ESS and others) for which they had to prepare background information. The company visits lasted around 2 hours each, involved high-level executives from the company, site tours and Q&A time.
In addition to academia, the students also had the chance to visit the sights in Athens and surrounding areas, learn Greek Zorba dancing steps and enjoy local delicacies. Several of our Greek Alumni joined the students, the Program Director Mr. Lee Kramer and Ms. Sarah Ryan, Head of EMEA Alumni affairs, in a Gala dinner with an Acropolis view held at Attikos restaurant on Monday June 26th. The students raised several interesting issues with regards to the state of the economy, entrepreneurial opportunities in Greece and the overall geopolitical balances in the area.
