Vehicle Industry Study Abroad Program

Wayne State University's School of Business Administration is hosting a Vehicle Industry Study Abroad program for students in the Global Supply Chain Management program to visit and study in the Czech Republic and Poland this June 7-16, 2013.   Currently, 13 students are participating in this course/trip.  The students represent various majors and include both MBA and Undergraduates students. 

These students will be learning about the culture in Eastern Europe and Poland in particular.  Further, they will be studying the role that Poland plays in the global auto industry.  

This study abroad experience continues to expand upon the efforts of the WSU SBA Supply Chain Management program.  It follows up on trips the last two years to French Canada where 15 students visited a number of companies in Montreal and Quebec City.  Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management, is leading this trip.  Planning is also underway for a similar course/trip next summer with a possible addition of an Italian trip revolving around Chrysler and Fiat and their supply base.

Study Abroad Details

Students will be departing June 7th from Detroit and arriving in Prague and then returning June 16th.  The students will spend two days in Prague exploring that historic city and learning about its culture.  Then they will board an overnight train to Krakow on a very interesting trip through the Czech Republic and Polish countryside.  While in Krakow, students will visit several of Krakow’s historic universities and also will visit the General Motors plant in that vicinity, as well as Delphi and Lear plants.  While in Krakow, students will visit the Collegium Maius (the oldest part of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow) where Copernicus used to study.  While at the automotive plants, students will receive presentations on the auto industry and the role Poland plays in the automobile industry, as well as learning about logistics issues and challenges in Eastern Europe.  Students will be visiting various cultural sites in the area including Auschwitz, the old castles in the area, and the famous Krakow salt mine.  Students will then travel by train to Wroclaw, Poland, the former capital of Prussia and scene of some fascinating middle ages and World War II history.  This city was at the start of World War II part of Germany.  While in Wroclaw students will be visiting Faurecia, Johnson Controls, and several other automotive suppliers, as well as receiving lectures on the Polish economy and logistics issues in Poland.  Students will then depart for Detroit from Wroclaw.

Study Abroad Credit and Assignments

The Directed Study-Poland class is in the Spring schedule and will count as a Supply Chain Management (SCM) elective, a Marketing elective, or a Management elective for Undergraduates.  This course can also count as a general Business elective.  For MBA students, this course counts towards one of the three elective courses for the SCM MBA Concentration, the International Business Concentration, the Management Concentration, or the Marketing Concentration. 

Students will receive 3 credits for the course/trip and will have assignments due on a number of articles about the European Union, Polish history and its culture and economy; assignments will also be due on SCM issues and also Marketing in Europe and Eastern Europe topics; materials on Sustainability and Recycling in the European auto industry will be assignment.  MBA students will also be doing a major report on one of these topics.