• Two students enjoying the view of the sea from Palamidi Fortress

    UNIFI: Responsibility in Greece

  • Group of students sitting classroom style at the EGG organization

    UNIFI: Responsibility in Greece

  • Sunset view from the hotel in Olympia

    UNIFI: Responsibility in Greece

  • Athens at night

    UNIFI: Responsibility in Greece

Introduction

Greece is a major force in the world economy and international relations. Inherent to Greece’s future development plans are sustainable business. Through first-hand experiences of the Greek culture, this educational travel course will help students develop reasoning skills to address important, complex issues such as sustainability and to enhance their knowledge of leadership within globalized communities

Program participants will visit start-up companies and established industries, explore ancient archeological sites, and enjoy the natural beauty of the Greek islands. These experiences will provide student participants the opportunity to assess sustainable business practices in-action, to evaluate ethical leadership styles, and to learn vital skills for successful interactions or negotiations in international locations and/or with international associates.

I would recommend this program to others as it was truly a trip of a lifetime for me. Greece is a beautiful place and I am so happy I got to explore it with such a great group of people! I did not know anyone prior to coming on the trip and was able to make new friends, so if you are worried about that I would still highly suggest going! - 2022 participant

I learned so much about myself and the world just by immersing myself in a different culture for two weeks. It's genuinely life changing, and the views and the food were a nice bonus. - 2022 participant

I absolutely would recommend this program to literally anyone. It was truly a life changing experience for me for so many different reasons. First of all, I now fully realize the benefits in participating in a study abroad program with other students. I built a lot of new, great connections with people I mostly likely would not have had this program not been a thing. Specific to Greece, this was the perfect mix between learning in an academic way, such as the business aspects at hand, while also providing such ample time for learning on a social, cultural, and even individual level. Not only that, but this program really did a fantastic job in following through with what it said it was going to do. I am not a business major, but I learned so much about business and global business in just the two weeks I was there. I would also argue that I learned things by going to Greece that I could not have possibly learned just in a classroom. This was a perfect experience for me, and to think of a flaw is definitely a task. - 2022 participant

Location

Course Leaders

Alicia Rosburg, Associate Professor

Department: Economics
Phone: 319-273-3263
Email: alicia.rosburg@uni.edu
Campus Address: CBB 217

Dr. Rosburg teaches Principles of Microeconomics, Decision Analytics, Environmental Economics, and Economics of Sustainability. She is also a member of the UNI Sustainability and Environmental Faculty Advisory Board that oversees sustainability-related curriculum campus wide. In January 2022, Dr. Rosburg traveled with UNI Capstone students to Costa Rica. Her other international experiences include Russia (Moscow) and Ireland. She is excited to co-lead her first study abroad experience!

Russell Guay, Associate Professor

Department: Management
Phone: 319-273-2151
Email: russell.guay@uni.edu
Campus Address: CBB 253

Dr. Guay teaches courses in Leadership and Negotiations both on campus and also in the MBA program. This will be his first study abroad experience but he is very excited about teaching this course due to his passion for teaching and working with our students. He is in his 12th year at UNI after spending 10 years working in various aspects of HR. 

Academics

BUS 3159: The Ethics of Global Leadership, Cross-Cultural Negotiations, and Sustainability (3 credits)

  • This is a UNIFI: Responsibility category course. It can count as a general education UNIFI elective credit under the category of Connect. 

This course provides students the opportunity to critically analyze the origins and consequences of one’s own personal values as well as apply ethical reasoning to important issues facing society. Students will experience first-hand the values held by others and analyze how these compare with their own. These cross-cultural experiences will emphasize the process of inquiry and analysis to assist students in developing the reasoning skills to ethically address important, complex issues with the global community.

Students will study the Greek and Eurozone business environment, with a focus on sustainable business practices, negotiation styles, global leadership, and ethics and power relationships. This will include discussions of existing sustainability initiatives in Greece, Greece’s plan to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, American/Greece foreign relations, Greece’s participation in the EU, an overview of global leadership differences between the U.S. and Greece, strategies for cross-cultural negotiations, and more. Students will learn how to conduct business in Greece and will gain awareness of the influence of culture on important aspects of living and conducting business in Greece.

Participation in this program requires several class meetings throughout the spring semester, although the course is scheduled as a summer course. The Study Abroad Center will directly enroll participants in the course during the spring semester. Please contact the program's course leader for more information on academic requirements.  

To view a tentative syllabus, click HERE.

NOTES:

  • Students planning to participate in the spring commencement ceremony in May can enroll in this summer term program, however, their degree will not be conferred until the end of the summer term and is contingent on the successful completion of the program and all required coursework.
  • Students attending colleges and universities other than UNI are welcome to participate in this program. If you are not currently a UNI student, but would like to participate in this program, please contact the UNI Study Abroad Center prior to starting your program application.

Itinerary

Tentative Program Dates: Monday, May 15 (depart) -  Monday, May 29 (return), 2023

Sample itinerary is subject to change.

Day 1: Arrive to Athens; group dinner in evening

Day 2: Visit with local organization "Enter, Grow, Go" (or EGG) that supports entrepreneurs; hear directly from several entrepreneurs; afternoon in central Athens with tour of the Acropolis Museum and walk to the Parthenon; class meeting in the evening

Day 3: Visit with Greek-owned shipping company or another local business, then visit the American College of Greece for guest lecture; Greek cooking class in evening (dinner included)

Day 4: Travel to the mountain town of Delphi; explore archeological site and museum 

Day 5: Tour Achaia Clauss winery to learn about operations and exports; travel to Olympia; group dinner at hotel upon arrival, followed by a class meeting

Day 6: Tour the archeological site of ancient Olympia and museum, lunch with a cultural song and dance show, then travel to the coastal town of Tolo

Day 7: Visit with local business in Nafplio, climb to the top of the Palamidi Fortress for breath-taking views of the city and sea below 

Day 8: Visit with local orange grower and the Dimas Solar Water Heating System company; return to Athens with stop at the Corinth Canal en route; class meeting in evening

Day 9: Fly to the island of Crete; walking tour of the city of Rethymno with time at the beach

Day 10: Tour Terra Creta olive oil factory and local honey production facility; class meeting in evening

Day 11:  AgrecoFarm Farmer for the Day activity 

Day 12: Boat trip to enjoy the coastline with stop at beach

Day 13: Return flight to Athens; final group meeting to wrap up the program

Day 14: Depart for home

 

Participant Info

Important information to review:

Review the roles of the Advisee and the Advisor under the main menu Get Started

Entry and Exit Requirements 

  • Review and follow the travel recommendations of the CDC for International Travel
  • Monitor appropriate websites for updates and information about COVID or other emergencies before departing and while in the destination country. The U.S. Embassy for Greece provides updates that can be found on their website

Housing & Meals

Students will stay in hotel or hostel-style rooms arranged by the Study Abroad Center and paid for before departure.  Only a few meals abroad are included in the program cost.  Students are encouraged to try the local foods.

Program Costs

UNIFI: Responsibility in Greece

Estimated Program Cost:

$5,948*

* estimated total cost of participation, actual amount depends on type of housing accommodation selected, actual airfare purchase price, personal spending habits, and other factors

Click Below to View Detailed Budget Sheet:

Cost of studying on-campus*

*per semester, estimated, will vary per person

Tuition & Fees:

$4,527

Room & Board:

$4,580

Books:

$400

Personal Expenses:

$878

Transportation:

$320

Total:

$10,705

Source: https://admissions.uni.edu/costs

PROGRAM COST COMPONENTS

Airfare

Your airfare may vary by airline choice, number of stopovers, choice of departure city, and actual travel dates.

Housing

Most programs include housing in the U-Bill section. When housing is not included, it will be displayed separately. Housing costs may include deposits, room upgrade charges, and special services fees.

U-Bill Charges

Includes core program costs such as tuition, mandatory fees, int'l health coverage, and many in-country costs for faculty led programs. Housing costs are often included here as well.

Day-to-Day Expenses

Typical costs include personal items, such as toiletries, as well as meals and public transportation when those costs are not included in the core program costs.

Dates & Deadlines

APPLY

Term: 
Summer
App Deadline: 
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Program Dates: 
Monday, May 15, 2023 to Monday, May 29, 2023

Eligibility Requirements to Study Abroad

The Study Abroad Center reserves the right to determine participants' eligibility to Study Abroad. Students must have a completed study abroad application, including supportive recommendation form(s). Additionally, students must meet all of the following in order to be eligible to Study Abroad:

  • Have a cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher at the time of application and maintain this cumulative GPA prior to departure and throughout the study abroad process
  • If your cumulative GPA is lower than 2.5, submit the following to the Study Abroad Center (103 East Bartlett):
  • Letters of reference from two academic contacts (e.g. academic advisor and former or current professor) supporting your pursuit of study abroad. If you are attending a faculty-led study abroad program, one of the letters must be from a course leader. However, if the program has two course leaders, only one of the letters can be from one of the course leaders.
  • Must be over the age of 18 years old
  • Must meet the course prerequisites (participation in the program is dependent upon meeting these)
  • Must be in good standing with the University
  • UNI's partner institutions may require additional eligibility requirements to be met, these vary from institution to institution. Please consult with the Study Abroad Center staff to discuss these additional requirements, if applicable.
  • Applicants traveling to a region of a country or a country with an overall Travel Advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel) will not be eligible.
  • All study abroad applicants must pass the Study Abroad Applicant Assessment with a score of 70% or greater.
  • Applicants may be selected for an in-person interview before being accepted. Selection for an interview does not guarantee acceptance into the program. You will be contacted directly by the Study Abroad Center if selected for an interview.