Forty students will join UCLA Anderson School of Management
Professor Gonzalo Freixes this summer for a new month-long
international business law and taxation travel study program in
France.
The program ““ which met its enrollment cap earlier than
any class in UCLA Summer Sessions history ““ is the first of
its kind to offer management and accounting courses abroad.
“Nothing like this (program) exists,” Freixes said.
“Students will gain exposure to the legal and economic
integration of Europe, which will help them understand the rules of
international business and specific rules with the European
Union.”
Freixes noted that European Union anti-trust laws against
Microsoft Corp. are an example of unique European Union regulation
in areas such as intellectual property and contract law.
By planning to give students practical experiences with foreign
businesses, Freixes has taken an active role in helping provide
educational opportunities that will expose students to an
outsider’s view of foreign firm investment in the United
States.
For example, he has coordinated field trips to supplement the
weekly four days of formal class time.
“We will be getting a tour of the European Parliament in
Strasbourg (France), and the French Tax Authority and Courts in
Paris,” Freixes said.
He said he believes these trips will provide students with
first-hand exposure to European treatment of foreign
businesses.
As a seasoned traveler to France, Freixes also hopes to share
with students his familiarity with French language and culture by
offering six informal French language sessions to interested
students before departure.
“Some of the students going are fluent in French, but most
are not,” Freixes said. “All of the classes will be in
English, but students will get more out of the trip if they know
some French.”
Fourth-year business economics student Nicholas Pazich is not
fluent in French and is pleased with the short duration of the
program.
“A month is a good time period to spend there, instead of
a whole semester,” he said.
In addition to being a good opportunity to earn management class
credit and travel experience, Pazich said he thinks the program
will help him discover future career possibilities.
“It should be interesting to see the opportunities for
working in American firms abroad, which is something I may
pursue,” he said.
Hadyn Dick, manager of UCLA Travel Study Programs, said
international business programs will continue to develop in the
future.
“We have just started expanding with international
business matters, which is what makes this program stand
out,” she said.
Summer Sessions also collaborated with the Anderson Center for
International Business Education and Research to create the
Business French language program, which is also being offered for
the first time this summer.
Even though all business-related travel-study programs are full
for this summer, next year will serve to provide even more
opportunities.
“We get a handful of proposals each year. We have expanded
this year and will continue to next year,” Dick said.
Freixes is especially optimistic about the continuation of the
international business law and taxation program.
“Given the popularity of the program, it is my hope to
offer this every summer, but not necessarily in the same
country,” he said.
Possible future locations include Spain, South America and
Australia.