J-Term Trip to Berlin is an Amazing Experience for Students

Article and Photo submitted by Laura Kalies

In February 2008, the UST MBA class of 2009 experienced Dr. Heino Beckmann for the first time in Finance 600. While our initial reaction was fear, we grew to adore Dr. Beckmann and appreciated his ability to command the classroom and make us think. This is why many of us rushed at the chance to learn from Dr. Beckmann once again, this time in Berlin, Germany. Eight Full-Time UST MBAs and nineteen Evening UST MBAs were lucky enough to get in to the BUSN 714 class held in Berlin. According to Dr. Beckmann, after the first day he could no longer tell who was full-time and who was part-time. Our group bonded immediately, which added to the experience.

Our trip lasted from January 9 through January18. Upon our arrival in Berlin we were welcomed to the Hotel Melia, a contemporary hotel on the River Spree and Friedrichstrasse. Our first excursion was an optional walking tour with Dr. Beckmann. The fresh air and exercise were a perfect way to keep the jet lag away after overnight flights. Dr. Beckmann took us to the Brandenburg Gate and showed us the tiles in the streets where the Berlin Wall used to separate East and West Berlin. We looked down the street to see the Victory Column where Barack Obama spoke during his campaign. Dr. Beckmann then pointed out the street lights. When East and West Berlin were reunited, they tried to replace all streetlights with more modern models, but East Berlin fought to keep their ampelmann (the little streetlight men who tell you whether or not to cross the street). They won, and the ampelmann light the streets today - there is even a souvenir shop dedicated to them.

We ate authentic German food for lunch, including bouletta (german meatball), currywurst (brat with curry), sauer kraut and salzenkartoffeln (potatoes) to name a few, and then visited a mall with Bentleys and Bugattis. When we asked Heino if he was buying, he said "No! I'm driving!" We continued our tour past a sculpture of mother and child by Korwitz that is an important symbol of peace for the Germans. We then walked past the Berliner Dome Cathedral and then back to our hotel. This synopsis does not even come close to the pace we held while keeping up with Dr. Beckmann, whose energy was contagious.

Our ten days consisted of visiting companies and cultural centers each day. The creative service industry is currently booming in Germany, therefore most companies we visited were involved in something related to this theme. On our way to each company, Frau Billie Pittke, our tour guide and art historian, enlightened us as to the history of buildings, sculptures, cultural centers and everyday German life. We visited Allianz Insurance, Deutsche Bahn (rail & logistics), Technology Park Adlershof, Airport Berlin-Schonefeld, MetaDesign (advertising consulting), Kleinundplacking (consulting), Orco (real estate) and Draussenwerber "Wall" (advertising). We learned about the local and global challenges these companies face and how the current economic situation has impacted their business.

We also visited many cultural centers, including the Old National Gallery on Museum Island, Konzerthaus Berlin for a tribute to Pavarotti, and the Pergamon Museum. Our tour guide, Billie, highlighted important art pieces and sculptures that gave insight into the history of Germany, the impact of the wars they have endured over the centuries and the positive rebirth of the nation and the city of Berlin. There are memorials throughout the city, and some of us had a chance during a free afternoon to visit Sachsenhaus Concentration Camp, a somber experience. We were all struck by the combination of old and new, and the respect for history in Berlin. It is a very unique city, because much was destroyed during the war and they are still rebuilding and experiencing reunification changes now twenty years after the wall has fallen.

We truly received an authentic taste of German food. Every meal was pre-selected and we experienced sauerbraten, duck, wiener schnitzel and knudel (dumpling) among other unique dishes. Some even experienced donner kabobs (like a gyro, but better) and crepes filled with Nutella chocolate from street vendors after mingling with the locals in the evening.

We met for our final class on February 7, and 22 of the 27 class members stuck around for a final group dinner in Minneapolis. A unique city, a unique group, a unique bond, keeping us together even after a full Saturday of class.

The class lectures, company visits, cultural tours and dinner conversations created a learning environment that took us beyond business case analysis and opened our eyes to a new perspective and a new reality. To see a city through they eyes of Dr. Beckmann and Billie was a wonderful experience. Also, to experience the freedom to ask questions of high-level employees at growing firms changed our reality and how we perceive and judge international business. This trip will forever impact how we view different cultures and has expanded our knowledge base, bringing our attention to the global stage.

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