We started the day by having each of our groups from the respective colleges present their team projects. Each group was assigned a country along with designated landmarks or cultural points of interest. The teams had to research their assigned areas and prepare a presentation on these locations to the rest of the class.
Sinclair’s team. Left to Right: Katie Herring, Celeste Henandez, Shuli Li, Charles Dunn, and Vicki Shuler
After the group presentations, Danish professors, Carsten Nielsen and Erik Staunstrup, provided an overview and discussion on the European Union and its culture. They asked students to draw a map of Europe. Students worked in groups to draw the map. The results were interesting!
Students worked with students from other colleges to draw maps of Europe.More map drawing!Students presented the results of their map drawing exercises. It was an interesting exercise as the RBC professors asked the teams to reflect on their process for drawing the maps; not just focus on the results. This was a very good learning experience!
Following the map exercise, the RBC professors began an intriguing discussion on European consumers and the marketplace. In particular, the RBC discussed the recent World Values Survey and facilitated an insightful analysis of the survey results as well as the Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map.
Image is courtesy of http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSContents.jsp According to the survey, “people’s beliefs play a key role in economic development, the emergence and flourishing of democratic institutions, the rise of gender equality, and the extent to which societies have effective government.”
RBC Professors offered an interesting presentation that compared cultural values between Europe and the U.S.
The discussion was perfect preparation for our next presentation on Experience Economy and Innovation. Esben Danielsen, Director of Innovation at Orange Innovation of Roskilde Festival, was our speaker. He provided a valuable overview of the Roskilde Festival, the business model that is used and the marketing strategy. Roskilde is the 3rd largest music festival in Europe and approximately 130,000 people attend per day during the festival. It is a massive operation and it was intriguing to learn about the business model that is used. There is much we can learn from Esben!
Esben discussed the role in leading, managing the marketing the Roskilde Festival as well as the company division called “Orange Makers”.
Professors Jim Myers from Pikes Peak Community College and Chrissann Ruehle from Sinclair Community College presented a workshop on the 4 P’s of Marketing and launched the team projects which included developing a marketing plan for a new product.
Professors Jim Myers and Chrissann Ruehle presented on Marketing.
One of the main objectives of our Study Abroad Program included studying Danish culture. Roskilde Cathedral plays a significant role in the history and culture of Denmark. We walked through the center of the city towards Roskilde Cathedral and passed through some beautiful shopping areas.
The shopping district in Roskilde was quaint! Caution, shopping in Roskilde and Denmark in general is very expensive.
Roskilde Domkirke (or Roskilde Cathedral in English) is an amazing monument to and showplace of Denmark history. Since the 12th century, Roskilde Cathedral has served as a royal burial place for nearly 40 Danish Kings and Queens. It has at least 11 chapels and crypts that branch off from the main cathedral area.
Roskilde Cathedral is very old. It was built in the 12th century and has been expanded many times over the years.The interior of Roskilde Cathedral was stunning! Our tour guide gave us individual headsets so we can hear the dialogue despite our position in the group. This allowed each tour group some privacy as we progressed through the cathedral. When you have multiple tour groups moving through the cathedral, it can be distracting. The Danish were focused on using innovative technology to ensure tourists have a positive experience.Here is the monument to Christian III in Roskilde Domkirke.Here is the sarcophagus at Roskilde Domkirke for King Frederik V.Here is the sarcophagus of Danish Queen Margrethe. Margaret was the first queen of Denmark, although Danish law did not officially recognize her as a queen. She ruled over Denmark, Norway and Sweden and she fought to win back terrorities that Denmark has lost previously. She was a powerful woman and fought strongly for the country.
As you can see from the photos, the Danish pay a great deal of attention to detail. Creativity and artistry are key artifacts of the Danish culture.
We proceeded to walk down the steep hill to the Viking Ship Museum and the Roskilde Fjord. It was a beautiful journey through a lush, green walking path. Roskilde has invested significant resources in ensuring they have plenty of green space available for residents, students and tourists.
The Viking Ship Museum was built in 1969 as a monument to the five ships that were sunk at Skuldelev in the Roskilde Fjord. Around the year 1070, the king ordered the sinking of five viking ships to protect Roskilde from enemy attacks. Excavations began in the 1960’s and all five ships were successfully excavated and restored.
This Viking Ship is ready to set sail in the Roskilde Fjord!These two ships have been repaired and are on display in the museum.
Roskilde’s Viking Ship Museum was impressive. It is interesting to think that these ships that were built around 1070, spent years sitting at the bottom at the Fjord and yet they were able to be successfully restored. It is a true testament to Denmark’s focus on and commitment to high quality building processes and supplies. How many products that are produced now could withstand this test of weather and time?
We began our second day in country with a walking tour of the City of Roskilde. It quickly became evident that the Danish walk everywhere which is a sharp contrast to our American culture of driving everywhere. Our tour guide was Kirsten Graversen and she did a marvelous job orienting us to the city. She walked fast also so our group had to hustle to keep up!
We began our tour with a discussion on Denmark’s bicycle culture. She discussed the Danes’ love of bicycling and discussed the efficiency of this past time. She said it has cut down tremendously on traffic congestion because many people bike to work and school. We observed many places around the city where people could safely store their bicycles while they were working, shopping and dining.
There were many bicycle storage places like one this around the city.
Rabalder Park was the next stop on the tour and was located close to RBC. Due to recent climate changes, Roskilde has had a problem with storm water and flash flooding. We have a similar problem in Cincinnati, although not to the extent that the Danish experience in Roskilde. In response to this problem, architects and engineers from a Danish firm, Nordach, developed a storm water harvesting system that has the ability to collect up to 23,000 cubic meters within 3 basins which equates to the amount of water that 10 standard swimming pools can hold. In addition to its practical function, the park serves as an outdoor entertainment complex with a skate park, trampolines, swings, jogging and cycling trails. The complex even won an international design award in 2013 for its innovation and creativity!
Our group toured Ribalder Park. What an innovative solution to a long standing problem!Two applications – storm water management and skate park/entertainment complex. Brilliant!
The skate park and recreational areas are part of a larger complex called “Musicon”. Serving as a creative district or complex of sorts, Musicon is a new hot spot of growth for Roskilde. In all my travels throughout the U.S. and internationally, I have not seen this type of culture and business incubator. Musicon is situated in a former concrete factory that covers a very large area and 39 organizations are currently located on the complex. The long term goal for the area is to develop housing and workplaces which will result in a vibrant, thriving creative community.
Musicon is intended to be the center of innovation and creativity in the future.
After our walk through the innovation park and swinging on the swings, we proceeded to walk through some beautiful, quaint neighborhoods on the route to downtown Roskilde.
The houses were charming and the neighborhood was idyllic.
Our tour guide discussed the upcoming EU elections and pointed out the election signage. We encountered a significant amount of political propaganda throughout our tour of the city. The European Union elections were scheduled for Sunday, May 25th and there was heated discussion about whether Denmark should remain part of the EU.
There were political signs on just about every street corner.
Walking, walking and more walking. We arrived at the Roskilde Kloster.
The Kloster was originally built in 1200’s and changed ownership over the years. It has a special place in Roskilde history.
We stopped at a local restaurant and had a nice Danish meal together, family style. The Danish like to include candles at mealtimes, so we frequently had candles at our tables. It was interesting to note that the Danish regard dining events as a time for social gathering and they focused on making dining a memorable event, This was a nice contrast to our dining experience here in the U.S. In our country, dining often tends to serve a utilitarian function in our dine-and-dash culture.
We had lunch at a local Roskilde diner. A local band played which created a nice atmosphere for our group.
During our lunch, our U.S. faculty had a chance to do some bonding and sat together to have a photo taken of our team.
Left to Right: DeAnn Hurtado and Chrissann Ruehle (Sinclair Community College), Jim Myers (Pikes Peak Community College), Brad Fox (Roane State Community College) and Carmen Daniels (Columbus State Community College)
Roskilde Business College (RBC) Faculty provided a wonderful overview of RBC and the program for us. It was a pleasure hearing from Benny Hermansen, Erik Staunstrup and Carsten Nielsen. RBC is a very modern education setting. The college places a high emphasis on innovation and that focus translates well into the educational setting.
Our students had a chance to learn about the history of the college from RBC faculty.
After RBC faculty finished sharing the mission, history and goals of the organization, they moved directly into some icebreaker exercises. In our U.S. classrooms, we often begin classes with traditional icebreaker exercises to help students get to know one another. The RBC faculty had a similiar philosophy, but they believed it was important to integrate some physical activity and exercise into the tasks. Our teams walked to the gymnasium and proceeded to engage in a number of team-oriented and truly hands on exercises.
Students and faculty engaged in hands on exercises to get to know one another.More icebreaker exercises
Blindfolds! Trust building was a key part of this activity.Listening skills and being able to take direction was another area of focus within these activities.
Our students were laughing and joking as they worked together on these different exercises. They were having fun! It was apparent that they formed a bond and looked forward to traveling together. Groups that laugh together find it easier to work together.
When traveling with a group, it is important to cultivate relationships which will make the trip more enjoyable. In addition, these students have the opportunity to form lasting friendships that extend beyond the study abroad experience and can potentially boost their ongoing professional development.
RBC Faculty took our students and faculty to a welcome dinner. It was a fabulous meal!
After the group finished the icebreakers, the RBC faculty organized a welcome dinner for us at San Remos which was a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Roskilde. I almost forgot to mention, we walked from the college to downtown Roskilde which is 2.8 km or 1.74 miles one way.
Wonderful dinner with RBC faculty!
Dinner was served family style – meaning the server would deliver a plate of items and our group passed the items around the table. I believe this was another part of the icebreaker component of the program as it was a good way to continue getting to know your travel companions. Brilliant!
Denmark is known for the high quality and innovation in its cooking. Our meal tonight was no exception! It was very, very tasty!The Danish eat lots of meat and potatoes.
Prior to traveling, it is always advisable to research dining etiquette for the country you are visiting, especially if you are traveling for international business. There are many good resources available on the internet that discuss dining etiquette and customs. As a study abroad student, it is important to do your homework and research the customs of the country or countries where you will be traveling.
After our journey from Copenhagen, we arrived at Roskilde Business College (RBC). During our travels, there was some discussion about the dormitories at RBC. We wondered if they would be similar to U.S. dormitories, or whether they would be different. Since Sinclair Community College is a commuter campus, our students hadn’t had the experience of staying in a college dormitory, so this was a new adventure.
This is the courtyard next to our dorms at Roskilde Business College.
Our dorms were located in the hospitality section of the college. The women’s rooms were located on one side of the campus while the men’s rooms were situated in another wing. It was organized such that two students shared a room. This fit well with our “buddy system” as we instructed the students to travel in pairs off campus for security and safety reasons.
Each dorm room had two comfortable beds and a workspace/desk area.Here is the second bed located in the dorm room.
The layout of the rooms was comfortable and conducive to studying. Each room had two beds, pillows, a luxurious down comforter, bath towels and a television. The Europeans consider washcloths to be a personal item, so students needed to bring their own washcloths. Further, each room had a stable high speed ethernet connection as well as wireless access.
The dorm rooms had a nice, calming view of the courtyard area. The Danish focus on creating a comfortable, calming, campus-like atmosphere for students. They also used bright colors throughout the campus as another avenue for creating a culture of optimism.
Campus parking is well organized and orderly at Roskilde Business College.RBC focuses on creating a quality campus environment for students.
The dorms had a common meeting space available for groups. Our group used the common area on several occasions as a meeting point and for group project work. The meeting space was comfortable which was conducive to creating a positive space for our students.
Upon arrival at the dorms, it is important to take some time to unpack your bags and take ownership of your space. Taking ownership of your space includes hanging up items in a closet or unpacking items from your bag and placing them in a drawer. In order to fully experience study abroad, it is important to make sure your own personal space is organized so that you are poised to handle the new adventures that await.
After we landed in Copenhagan, gathered our belongings and deboarded the plane, we began the process of orienting ourselves to our new surroundings. While moving through the airport as a large group, we had to learn to read the signs and navigate in an unfamiliar environment. Fortunately, most signage contained both English and Danish text which made it easier to comprehend the instructions. We also had to avoid bumping into people as we moved through the airport. It quickly became apparent that our fast paced movement was a sharp contrast to the slower paced and deliberate movement of the Europeans.
As a student studying international business, these are issues they would face when traveling internationally. Developing the navigational skills and self confidence to operate in an unfamiliar environment is key to being successful in international business. If students take the time to reflect, this experience can teach them a lot about themselves. Are they comfortable working in an ambiguous, unstructured environment? Or are they more comfortable working in a structured setting?
One piece of advice I would offer to students traveling internationally is to check out the map of the airport before they depart. Navigating airports can certainly be a challenge and virtually all airports publish their maps online. It is much easier (and less stressful!) to find your way around if you have researched the airport layout before the trip.
After gathering our luggage, we loaded it onto a bus and began the 30 minute drive from Copenhagan to Roskilde, Denmark. We quickly noticed that it was raining. Fortunately, we had studied weather information beforehand, so we were well prepared for rainy and cold weather. Given its location in Northern Europe, Denmark tends to see temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. (50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit)
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The drive from CPH to Roskilde was a scenic one. Roskilde is located on the island of Zealand in Denmark. Roskilde has a population of a little over 48,000, so it is a nice sized town to begin our study abroad experience.
Our group drove from CPH to Roskilde. Along the way, we passed many windmills including this windpark.
During the drive, we discussed the importance of Wind Power to the Danish economy. Indeed, it is very windy in Denmark. The Danish have found a way to harness the power of wind and they have achieved first mover advantage in this capacity. Denmark has succeeded in bringing 28% wind power into the electricity system (http://denmark.dk/en/green-living/wind-energy/).
In order for students to get the most out of the study abroad experience, they need to be open to learning – whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself. Learning doesn’t always have to occur in a classroom. Learning and growth can happen as you are navigating through an airport, or even driving through the rain on a bus. As a study abroad student, you have to be poised for learning…
After months of planning, our team from Sinclair began the long journey to Copenhagen, Denmark on Sunday, May 11, 2014. We met in Centerville, Ohio, formed a caravan, and drove one and a half hours to the Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. We met the study abroad students and faculty from Columbus State Community College at the terminal. The two groups had never met in person. Prior to the trip, students and faculty prepared introductory PowerPoint presentations and shared them via a common learning management system called Momentum/Desire to Learn. The teams instantly set to work getting to know one another. Everyone was excited about the upcoming trip and anticipation was high.
There was a delay departing from Columbus due to runway construction at the Toronto airport. Upon learning of the delay, faculty started working to identify alternative flight arrangements. Unfortunately, the only other option we could find was a connection flight through London. We prepared ourselves mentally for potentially having to switch gears and follow this alternative route. Following an hour delay, the flight finally departed.
Upon our arrival into Toronto, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that our connecting flight to Copenhagen was delayed also. We met the students and faculty from the other two schools; Roane State Community College and Pikes Peak Community College; at the terminal. It was great to experience the warm and gracious welcome we received upon our arrival. Now that all the teams had arrived, our large group of 22 faculty and students was ready to proceed to Copenhagen.
I believe that reflection is an important component of this initiative. Part of the learning value from a study abroad program arises from problems that occur. Yes, problems will occur and effective leaders need to be prepared for them. As a management student experiencing study abroad, it is important to reflect on the following items, “What do you do when a problem like this delayed flight surfaces? How do you handle it as a leader? How can you use these types of situations to develop and demonstrate solid leadership and problem solving skills?” As a leader, your handling of the situation sets the tone for your team.
That is a sign of a successful study abroad program. The learning starts the moment you depart for the trip…
Management students traveling to Denmark, Germany and Sweden
Sinclair Community College Study Abroad in Europe 