Summer Program

Doing Business in Europe

Application Deadline

  • March 31, 2025

Program Dates

  • June 16-27, 2025

Content

  • Principle Contracts in the EU
  • European & Regional Banking Systems
  • Business Trends & Innovation in Regions of the EU
  • European Business Management

Credits

_ 6 ECTS

Program Locations

  • Leipzig (first week)
  • Prague

Program Length

  • 2 weeks

Program Language

  • English

Entry Requirements

  • Nomination of home university or as a free mover
  • Online application

Program Fee

  • EUR 2,500
  • EUR 1,700 (students from HHL partner institutions)
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Program Brochure Discover Leipzig

Program Design

Doing Business in Europe – Opportunities and Challenges

Building on the research interests of the faculty of HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and current trends, participants are offered various viewpoints as to business in Europe while studying in both Leipzig and Prague.

The European Union having a single market with free movement of people, goods, services and capital has allowed for comprehensive integration of the member states. The majority of the members have furthered the economic integration with the adoption of the Euro and many are thriving in the global market. However, while more countries seek to enter the European Union, some existing members struggle to survive economically as a result of the recent economic crisis and shifts in the movement of qualified labor. Moreover, with ‘Brexit’ new policies and economic trends will come into play. Thus how do companies take advantage of doing business in the European Union, while managing regional challenges? And how do government policies affect how business is done?

Course Description

The goal of this program is to offer a compre­hensive view as to various economic, political and business climates throughout Europe. It will be composed of lectures, company visits and case studies providing students a variety of perspectives. The lectures will be given by HHL professors, government advisors, as well as professors from our eastern European part­ner universities. Company visits in both Leip­zig and Prague, such as at Porsche and Skoda, will allow participants to hear first-hand how managers of multinational companies at­tempt to reap the rewards of doing business in Europe while managing the hurdles. Fur­thermore, participants will gain insights as to how various cultures affect how decisions are made at the management level. Special to the Porsche visit is the opportunity to ride along­side a professional driver on the Porsche track at over 200 km per hour! The combination of academic, cultural and in-the-market-outlooks as to the current European business climate will allow students to form their own views as to the future of business in the Europe­an Union. At the end of the program student teams will give case presentations and an exam will allow students to reflect upon what has been learned. 6 ECTS are awarded upon completion of the program.

    Cultural Excursions

    Alongside the interactive lectures and compa­ny visits, participants will have the opportunity to simply experience and enjoy what Germany and the Czech Republic have to offer through exciting cultural outings. Participants will be taken on city tours in both Leipzig and Prague visiting cultural landmarks and conclude each week with a special day featuring the best of the local cuisine!

      Leipzig enjoys a long and remarkable history as a city of merchants, scholars and artists. Richard Wagner, Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe all lived in and provided the basis for Leipzig’s booming cultural and art scene. Currently Neo Rauch, the father of the New Leipzig School of Artists, is making a significant impact on the contemporary art world. And in 1989, the city of the Peaceful Revolution, helped bring down communist rule throughout the former Eastern Germany.  Thus Leipzig is a vibrant cosmopolitan city with attractions and history waiting to be explored. The New York Times even ranked Leipzig among the top 10 “31 Places to Go”.

      During your stay a wealth of leisure activities tempts you everywhere you go, both in and around Leipzig. Whether cycling along the canals, rowing on the river Elster, checking out the newest art at the infamous Spinnerei or visiting one of the numerous museums—you will quickly gain a glimpse as to why Leipzig fever is spreading throughout Germany. In the evening, bustling night life, bars and clubs from very traditional to Avant garde are open all night long. If you are looking for cultural inspiration, you cannot go wrong visiting the Leipzig Opera or the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra. Moreover, with Berlin and Dresden being only 1 hour away by train, it is easy to make a day trip and explore these cities as well!

      Courses and Events

      Please note that the schedule is tentative and subject to change.

      Courses:

      • Management Practice in Central Eastern Europe vs. Germany
      • German Competitiveness: Introduction  to the German Economic System
      • European Monetary Integration
      • Brexit and the Future Outlook for Europe
      • The Economic Scale of Electronic Businesses in Europe: Fate of the Copycats?

      Company visits:

      • Porsche (Production Line and Porsche Ride)
      • HHL Digital Space (HHL’s tech incubator)

      Cultural events:

      • Leipzig city tour
      • Wrap Up with German cuisine

        Prague – historical pearl of Europe – is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. A textbook of architectural styles with its wealth of monuments, a city filled with music, romance and nostalgia is mainly a modern city full of life!

        Enjoy discovering what was formerly the ancient capital of Charles IV’s Bohemian Kingdom, by walking through the city center, which spans the banks of the Vltava River.  Begin at Old Town Square, which is the heart of the center boasting of numerous cafes, shops and a thriving night life. Nearby is New Town home of the “Dancing House” designed by the famous architects Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter, which offers a moving glance and lesson as to the history of the area, as well as the opportunity to shop in high end boutiques. Walk across the breathtaking Charles Bridge where one can enjoy local artwork and performers while overlooking the city of Prague on both sides of the river. At the end of the bridge, one find’s oneself in Lesser Town filled with some of Prague’s best Czech pubs and restaurants offering local cuisine. A must on the list is a visit to Prague’s Castle located in the heart of the Castle District.

        Whether one is interested in art, history, shopping in European boutiques or simply wants to stroll along cobble streets, one will quickly realize why Prague was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

        Courses and Events

        Please note that the schedule is tentative and subject to change.

        Courses:

        • Monetary Politics: The Visegrad Members
        • Success Stories: Digitilization in CEE
        • Management Myths
        • Entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic

        Company visits:

        • different Prague startups and companies (e.g. Skoda Auto Museum and Production Plant)

        Cultural events:

        •  Prague city tour
        •  Closing ceremony in Czech style

          Dates and Fees

          The next Summer Program at HHL will be held from June 16-27, 2025.

          Application deadline is March 31, 2025.

          The tuition fee is EUR 2,500 payable to HHL before arrival. Students coming from HHL partner institutions pay EUR 1,700. Additional personal expenses (accommodation, meals, etc.) are estimated to be between EUR 1,100 to 1,700.