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Study abroad creates friendships in the City of Love.

Business students enjoying the ride with Randall Martin

When senior international business major Maya Shamai checked the schedule of classes she needed to take to complete her course work as quickly as possible, she discovered that she could either take Strategic Management in Paris during a spring study abroad or take it over the summer.

For Shamai, a global traveler with visits “everywhere except to Italy and France,” the chance to go on her first study abroad, especially to one of the few places she’d never been and be able to cross the course off her list, seemed ideal. Not only was she able to take the class, but also, she had a great time. 

“The group was fantastic.”

—Maya Shamai, international business major

“The group was fantastic, and I’ve been hanging out with two of the group members every day since we got back,” she said.

Study abroad to Paris gave students a European perspective on international business.

Twenty-four students participated in this, the eighth Paris study abroad led by Randall Martin, (BA ’76), Department of Management and International Business, and faculty director of the study abroad programs. The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) handled trip logistics.

Students get inside look at U.S. embassy and international career path.

Each study abroad program includes classes and a visit to a business. This year the depressed dollar limited travel options, so Martin knew he wouldn’t be able to take the students outside the city for a vineyard tour, for example, as in past years. But though the sun didn’t shine on the group—except for the day of their outing to nearby Versailles—luck did.

“My travel agent, International Business Honors major Norman Uriarte, vice president of Panorama Travel Service, suggested I contact the U.S. Commercial Service, which is part of the Department of Commerce and has an attaché in every embassy,” Martin said. “Our entire group was admitted, and we heard a presentation by Joseph White, commercial officer, about doing business in France, his job and how he got into it.”

“The presentation helped us see the job opportunities abroad and gave us lots of information.”

—Andrew Trujillo, management and international business major

Business students take a photo break on a sunny day.

Andrew Trujillo, a senior majoring in management and international business, had traveled to the Caribbean, Central America, and throughout the United States, but not to Europe. He also had not previously participated in a study abroad. He appreciated the talk . . . and everything else.

“The presentation helped us see the job opportunities abroad and gave us lots of information,” he said. “The whole experience was great. I didn’t know the students before, but we became friends; the classes were good, and Versailles was beautiful.”

Some group members took a side trip to Bruges, Belgium, and to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where they visited the Van Gogh Museum. Frederic Lafleur-Parfaite (IMBA ’03, BBA ’02), a native Parisian who now lives in London, joined those who stayed behind for a tour of the city and helped them celebrate Martin’s birthday with a traditional French dinner at L’Annexe restaurant.

The study abroad took place from March 13-23, 2008.

To find out about other study abroad programs, visit the CIBER web site at http://www.fiu.edu/~ciber/.