As part of the business studies and management programs at the Munich campus of  European University, students will be visiting BMW where they will learn about the long-lasting history of a giant automobile manufacturer.

In addition to the exclusive presentation of the latest range of cars and motorcycles, interactive exhibits afford insights into innovation, development, design and production. The BMW Museum showcases the history of the BMW company, its brand and its products in an innovative and fascinating presentation format. Displayed over 5,000 square metres of exhibition space are around 125 of the brand’s most precious and appealing cars, motorcycles and engines. In conjunction with the BMW production plant and BMW Welt, the BMW Museum sees itself as a “traffic complex”. Visitors are guided along a route extending some 1,000 metres, passing buildings, rooms and plazas. The exhibition is theme-based rather than chronologically structured, allowing the highlighting of developments through various areas such as design, engines and motor sport. BMW Welt constitutes the “brand experience” in Munich. This is where the company’s past, present and future come together.

European Business Colllege Munich is a branch of European University and an internationally accredited business school in Munich, Germany. European Business College Munich offers innovative business programs in Foundation (BF), Bachelor’s (BBA) and Master’s (MBA) levels. With small, dynamic classes offered in English, EBCM branch of European University Munich students get the best of both American and European academic traditions in an international environment.

We are extremely pleased to offer our students this great opportunity of getting inside one of world’s biggest companies and we look forward to telling you all about this exciting visit! Stay tuned for more.

Tomorrow at the Munich campus of European University the traditional Open House Day will be taking place. Prospective students will get a feel for EU Business School in Munich and all that our business studies and management programs there will offer them. European University’s approach is flexible and provides personalized attention to student needs. Our classes are small-sized, ideal for encouraging interactive discussions and ensuring excellent communication between students and faculty.

Business studies need to strike a careful balance between theory and practice: European University employs the dynamic case study approach, which is the most effective tool to demonstrate the applications of business theory. Our students are evaluated thoroughly through mid-semester and final exams, as well as regular individual and team projects, papers and presentations, which allow professors to closely supervise each student and advise them on their progress.

European University transfer opportunities are one of the most attractive and celebrated features of our institution: the global network of EU campuses and close cooperation with some of the leading business schools in the world means that European University students can easily transfer between countries and continents. Students could start their studies in Barcelona, continue in Geneva and finish them in Munich or London. The advantage of our English-only classes is clear as our students’ communication, presentation and leadership skills are honed to get ready for today’s demanding business life.

The proof of European University’s high standard education is to be found in our excellent graduate employment record: job placement opportunities at the highest level are regularly awaiting EU graduates when they finish their studies. Perhaps you need more than our word! Do not hesitate and visit us during our frequent Open House Days to get a true feel of what European University has to offer. Munich campus will be open in January 19th, and you are welcome to set up an appointment for a campus tour. Check out all the details here.

Are you the ideal MBA candidate?

While European University BBA students are facing their final exams this week, it is the right time to reflect on the reasons why it is a good idea, in this time and economic age, to be better equipped to face a dwindling job market and find effective solutions for problems within your industry. However, even though an MBA can seem a good New Year’s Resolution, not everyone is well-suited for an MBA. To determine your own compatibility with an MBA program, consider the following questions:

1. Do you strive for progress? If you want to live in your parents’ house forever, an MBA program may not be a good choice for you. Alternatively, if you enjoy working hard to achieve your goals, you would be an excellent candidate for an MBA. Is “go-getter” a good definition of you? Then, you are likely well-suited for an MBA program.

2. Do you love to learn? The primary purpose for higher education is not to increase your likelihood of landing a high-paying job, but to expand your mind and develop skills. If you’re someone who values knowledge and are always striving to improve your self-sufficiency, an MBA program is an excellent choice for you. Ignorance is not bliss for an MBA candidate.

3. Do you like being in charge? Individuals with an MBA usually prefer to take control of a situation and be a leader. Climbing up the corporate ladder can be difficult, which is why those who like managing a team and taking on responsibility are more fit for an MBA program.

4. Do you have excellent life-management skills? Where there’s a will, there’s a way, to earn an MBA you must always have a will. If you’re the kind of person who can juggle two part-time jobs, raise a family, and work hard in your MBA program, you are exactly the kind of person that’s best suited for the business industry.

5. Do you think positively? Let’s face it: business is all about losing until you win. If you are incapable of maintaining a positive outlook despite the downfalls, an MBA program is not a good plan for you. Individuals who hold MBA degrees are resilient and passionate about their work. They think creatively and are, more-or-less, idea machines. If you’re one of those, welcome to the MBA world.

European University regularly holds Open House days for prospective students interested in our business studies and management courses and BBA, MBA or DBA programs.  Please check our web for more information or request details about our Open House Days in the Barcelona, Munich and Geneva campuses.

To stress or not to stress, that is the question!

How do we define stress? Stress is typically considered a negative concept, with a strong impact on one’s mental and physical well-being, but it is also highly subjective: so much so that one may talk of “positive” stress as well.

So what are the most stressful jobs in the world? It may surprise you! According to a recent survey at CareerCast, the ten top stressful jobs in the world are:

10. Cab driver. It may seem easy, but driving a car for others is a source of stress: taxi drivers can be mugged, work long hours and have to put up with all sorts of clients.

9. Photojournalist. A very glamourous job but also tied to conflicts, wars and last-minute calls. And no control over what gets finally published!

8. Corporate manager. Great pay, a job that will allow you to shape your team but also a huge responsibility over the life of others and the company that you are managing. The crisis has turned this post into a tougher gig!

7. Public relations. Well-paid but one of the least-appreciated jobs. Clients complaint, and journalists never want to give you space. Like chinese acrobats, public relations need to juggle with a lot of plates!

6. Event coordinator. The privilege: organizing spectacular events in breath-taking sceneries. But because these events are so important, everything needs to be perfect and there is no room for mistakes.

5. Police. No need to be a TV buff to realize that police work is stressful: police officers are at all times facing situations that can go beyond their control, with very little time to react or find out what is really happening. They typically deal with dangerous people, and a missing bullet can change the course of their careers.

4. Army General . They have the higher salary on this list, even more than corporate managers. Even though they are no longer on the trenches, their soldiers’ lives are in their hands. Every time they make a decision, someone can die. That is a lot of tension!

3. Fighter pilot. Many kids dream about being a pilot, but flying is about much more than… well, flying. Pilots work and study a lot, and they have to fly no matter what the weather conditions are. They are constantly at risk: it can be mechanical, or an enemy’s attack, and their reaction needs to be fast and precise: their lives depend on it.

2. Firefighter. We’re not talking about the possibility of danger here: every time a firefighter gets a call, it is danger calling. Firefighters have to go inside buildings in flames, and try to rescue others while smoke is choking their lungs. For anyone who has been trapped in a fire, it is a nightmare. For a firefighter, another day at the job.

1. Soldier. It should come as no surprise: being a soldier is the most stressful job in the world. They have to face the enemy every single day. And they do not go home to sleep, unlike the rest of the professionals in this list!

To sum it up: sometimes stress is necessary to develop our own ability to face challenges and difficult situations and that is when “positive” stress comes into play. It may help you and give you the energy you need: for instance, when starting a new job, moving to another city or concentrating during exams.

Fortunately, European University students do not have to deal with such a high level of stress! However, we ensure that if they ever are under pressure -for instance, during a public activity such as a speech, oral presentation or simply explaining their ideas during a business meeting- they will have the tools to overcome stress: courses like Public Speaking & Public Communication, which belong to the MBA in Communication & PR, will make sure that they are able to handle any stressful situation or job that they may encounter in business life.

You may find out more about European University here or alternatively, check our Facebook page and Twitter!

Luxury home in Munich

European University blog is all about providing our students or prospective students with the best possible information about higher education, life choices and the world of entrepreneurs. We have discussed in the past the importance of making the right decision when selecting a city for travel, work or study. A recent study by luxury property firm Knight Frank has unveiled that in the future, luxury properties will be developped in Abu Dabi, Barcelona, United States (particularly Los Angeles), Munich, Canada and Brazil (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro).

Also, Knight Frank has an extensive research unit exploring Switzerland as one of the foremost prime properties destinations and its trends for 2012. Dubbed as “prime cities”, the luxury property study These elite destinations are very familiar to European University business studies and management courses student’s, as our institution has campuses in Munich, Barcelona, Geneva and Montreux. These prime cities are revealing themselves as secure values during the current economic crisis, and investors who are interested in the long run benefits of a luxury residence are more and more looking for this kind of properties.

Montreux is famous for its world-renowned Jazz Music Festival and for being the city where Charles Chaplin spent his last years after retiring from the movie business.  Geneva, of course, is home to many high-profile world organizations such as World Trade Organization or United Nations, and European University students who are taking their courses at the Geneva campus have enjoyed the opportunity of visiting these institutions during their MBA or BBA programs. As for Munich, it is in a tight competition with Barcelona as one of the most vibrant, culturally rich and cosmopolitan cities in Europe, with events such as the Munich Film Festival or in the case of Barcelona, the Voll-Damm International Jazz Festival or Primavera Sound.

In the end, true luxury is about making one’s life choices freely: so for everyone who wants to experience that, feel free to contact us at European University.

Just yesterday our post was about OECD’s Better Life Index and Switzerland as one of the Top Ten places to live according to this index, which not only takes into account GDP or raw economic data but also living standards such as education, or the work/life balance. Indeed, the vibrance and cultural life of a city may tip the balance of our decision when it comes to choosing where to live, study and work:  and Munich is one of the highest-rated cities in the world when it comes to its cultural activities.

This year will bring to Munich events as diverse and interesting as a Georgia O’Keefe art exhibition at Kunsthall Hypo-Kulturstiftung in February, the International Trade Fair for Sports Equipment, the BMW Tennis Tournament in April, the Long Night of Music in that same month, or the highly awaited Champions League Final which will be held on May, 19th.  No matter what is your cultural poison of choice, Munich has something in store for everyone.

European University chooses carefully the cities and the countries where its courses and business studies programs will take place, and EU Business School in Munich could not be a better destination for the young professional or experienced business owner looking for the perfect combination of a cosmopolitan education and a thrilling city, be it in our BBA, MBA or DBA programs.

You have the chance of visiting EU Business School in Munich now during our next Open House Day on January 19th. Feel free to call or write to us to confirm your attendance and see all that EU and Munich has to offer!

While a lot of people enjoy their sport of choice, be it as amateur or viewer, many are unaware of the transformation that sports and their impact on business. Some people think that games were played in the past not out of a ruthless desire to win and make money, and that professionally driven sport, and its link to money is a very recent development, and the starting and innocent ideals of sport have been subverted.

However, the truth is that wealth and sports have always been closely related:  it is a matter of cultural capital in the widest sense. After all, to “sport” used to mean to have fun, and those who had the most money usually had the most fun. Aristocracy loved sport, but it was when middle classes came to sport that the concept went through a true revolution:  it was the beginning of the chasm between amateurism and professional sport. Today, only in the United States, the size of the sports industrybased on aggregate demand and supply is more than $173 billion.

So it is no surprise that this massive money-making industry generates its own economic meeting points: one of them is the International Trade Fair for Sports Equipment and Fashion (ISPO) that will take place in Munich from January 29th to February 1st, 2012. Registration is now open for everyone who is interested in the exciting sports industry and not only that: other innovative aspects of sports and communications are also tackled at ISPO, through the Wearable Technologies Conference, which creates a bridge between the fashion and hi-tech industry and shows future trends and potential of wearable technologies, reflecting the current developments in the sports market.

European University holds several degrees on business studies and management, and more specifically BBA Sports Management and MBA Sports Management programs, which are available on the Munich campus, and that explore the intense and high-pressure world of sports through courses such as Marketing Management, Sponsorships, Management Issues or Crafting Unique Sports Events. Some of our academic and corporate partners are F.C. Barcelona, Golf Club Urloffen or Adidas, amongst others. You may find more information about our Munich campus courses on its Open Day, which will take place on January 19th 2012.

European University Munich MBA student Lisa Lichtenegger embraced the opportunity to get real-live business experience in a project for the professional education company IBB AG. The biggest company for education and training in Germany decided to change their positioning form plainly governmental customers to also B2B market and B2C market. Therefore the goal of the project was to completely revamp the communication strategy internally and externally.

It was an interdisciplinary task that required the student to work with both organizational communication and PR. Professor Zank of European Business College Munich who initiated the project, guided the student through an in-depth analysis of the company’s internal communication so that a communication manual for IBB employees could be developed. Dr. Haug supervised the designing of a sound PR concept for the company which would create awareness for the newly positioned IBB. In working on the project many current business issues have been addressed, as for example the need to adapt change internally and externally as well as the issue of a big company pursuing flexibility.

For this project Ms. Lichtenegger had to put her knowledge gained at university into practice: “All that I have learned at EU Business School Munich so far has helped me a lot to reach the project goal. In real business life there is no more book that tells you what is the right thing to do, you need to connect things you learned in order to come up with you own solution clients buy.”

The project has been presented to IBB AG in June 2011 and the results have exceeded the expectations of the project client. In the name of European University we want to congratulate all participants for their great work and for sharing the story with everyone.

If there is one thing clear from the current world crisis is that uncertainty will become a part of business life and economic decisions for better or for worse. This is the reason why entrepreneurs need to gather as much information possible about the future, and not only in terms of the economy, but perhaps more importantly about technological paradigm shifts that may have an impact in their companies or strategic plans.

IBM has recently released an interesting report about marketing and social trends for the future, called The Next 5 in 5, about a number of changes that technology experts at the company think will change the way we work, live and play. Here are the 5 IBM predictions for our future:

1. People Power Will Come to Life: Small devices will help people harness their own energy and collect it. Imagine being able to use every motion around you-your movements, the water rushing through the plumbing-to harness energy to power anything from your house to your city. It’s already being tested in Ireland, where IBM scientists are studying the effects of converting ocean wave energy into electricity.

2. You Will Never Need a Password Again. Your unique biological identity becomes your only password as multifactor biometrics aggregate these characteristics in real time to prevent identity theft.

3. Mind Reading Is No Longer Science Fiction. IBM scientists are researching how to link your brain to your devices, such as a computer or a smartphone, so you only have to think about calling someone and it happens.

4. The Digital Divide Will Cease to Exist. Mobile devices are decreasing the information-accessibility gap in disadvantaged areas. In five years, the gap will be imperceptible as growing communities use mobile technology to provide access to essential information.

5. Junk Mail Will Become Priority Mail. Combining your preferences and your calendar, for example, the technology will proactively reserve tickets to your favorite band’s concert when your calendar shows you’re free, or research alternate travel plans when it detects bad weather along your route, and then tells you where to go.

Impossible? Perhaps. But remember Adidas’ clever slogan? Impossible is nothing has proven true through the years.

Future may be a question mark, but the answer to the best foundation for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs is easy: an outstanding, global business education in an international environment, will help us get through the crisis and the challenges of the future. European University offers business studies at the MBA, BBA and DBA levels, where strategic management is a key course in the programs. European University approach is different, flexible and global. International campuses based in Barcelona, Munich or Geneva, amongst others, guarantee an  international experience for students and the development of their networking abilities. Maybe we will collect energy in a different way, or we will use technological devices faster and more efficiently: but leadership, excellence and the value of original ideas will always be needed, even in tomorrow’s science fiction world.

European University (EU) is an international multi-campus business school offering innovative business programs at the Bachelor’s (BBA), Business Foundation, Master’s (MBA) and Doctorate (DBA) levels. Its core philosophy is globalization, flexibility and diversity: with dynamic, small classes and worldwide campuses, European University business studies offer a traditional focus on entrepreneurship and family business management while combining the most modern business case studies.

A great way to get a feel of all that European University has to offer is to attend one of our Open Days: there, prospective candidates are able to speak to our professors, meet current students and learn first-hand what it is like to study and live the European University experience. A great way to prepare for that visit is to browse through our website and our programs. The next European University Munich Open House Day will take place on January 19th, 2012. You may confirm attendance or simply ask for more information here.

We look forward to welcoming you to European University!