Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– More than 40 students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business gained firsthand insight into how manufacturing and heritage brand companies operate in a global context during a study abroad trip to Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary May 12-22.
"This study abroad experience is designed to take learning beyond the classroom, offering our students tangible insights into global markets and diverse cultures,” said Dr. Matt Lindsey, chair of the Department of Management and Marketing, who led the trip with Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of the Department of Economics and Finance.
“Witnessing their engagement with international business leaders and their thoughtful reflections on complex historical sites is incredibly rewarding,” Lindsey said. “They return not just with academic knowledge, but with a broader perspective and increased confidence that will serve them well in their future careers."
Students examined international operations and marketing strategies up close through visits to the American Chamber of Commerce locations in both Budapest and Prague and businesses including the Zwack Unicum Nyrt beverage manufacturing and distribution company in Budapest, Škoda Museum and factory in Mladá Boleslav, Rückl glassworks factory in Nižbor, and Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plzeň.
“Each business has a very specific process they perform in order to produce the perfect product as efficiently as possible,” said Allie Buechter, a general business senior from Kilgore, after the Škoda factory visit. “This translates exactly into what we learned in our ‘Operations Management’ course. I found it exciting to see this actually applied in real life as well as in a foreign country.”
Students also explored cultural and historic sites including the Belvedere Palace in Vienna as well as the Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum, Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, and House of Terror Museum in Budapest. In the Prague region, they visited the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Terezín concentration camp memorial and Prague Castle.
The students said the trip as a whole inspired their personal growth and expanded their worldviews.
“Every place we visited offered something unique that challenged me to grow, reflect and learn not only about other cultures and global business but also about myself,” said Baylie Parker, an entrepreneurship senior from Lufkin. “It opened my eyes to how much there is in the world to explore and understand.”
Ian Lahera, a management senior from Katy, said he can now see himself working abroad.
“This experience piques my interest in working in international business or communications,” Lahera said. “Most of all, I learned that stepping out of your comfort zone is where growth happens, and this trip gave me an even greater sense of confidence in who I am and what I’m capable of achieving.”
Colby Feece, a management sophomore from Sachse, agreed.
“I’m proud of how much I grew, and I know these lessons will stick with me for a long time.”
For more information on study abroad opportunities at SFA, visit sfasu.edu/international. For more information on SFA’s Rusche College of Business, visit sfasu.edu/cob.