Business Management

Exchange courses in Business Management

An English taught programme for international exchange students in the study field of business and office management, on bachelor level.

AUTUMN 2024       

Language courses 

Course content 

For official course catalogue information check the course catalogue: Course Catalogue 2024-2025 (available from june 2024).

Below you can find a description of the course contents.

Understanding Global Cultures

This course provides students with an introduction to cultural differences and an overview of cultural dimensions that can be used as a framework in the international business context. An organization that wants to operate internationally is always confronted with cultural differences, both with regard to approaching a new market and cooperating with people from a different culture. The following topics will be discussed:

• The rules of the social game
• Intercultural encounters
• Cultural dimensions
• Cultures in organizations
• Case on global cultures

Project Management

This course serves as an introduction to project management, with an emphasis on applying theory in a case study.  The following topics are covered:

• What is project management?
  • The different steps / elements of a project
  • Traditional versus Agile project management
  • Different project management methods
• Project management tools:
  • Progress monitoring & performance indicators
  • Project management software
• The skills, tasks & responsibilities of a project manager:
  • Interpersonal & communication skills
  • Stakeholder and relationship management
• Risk management
• Team management

Doing Business with New Markets

In this course, the student will be prepared for any international assignments. We will check what the specific cultural behavior and “good-practices” are abroad, in order for them to blend in to the environment.

We will also deepdive into the emerging markets like China en India, how they are evolving and how we Western-European countries can benefit of this growth.

Digital Marketing 

In this course, the following chapters will be discussed:

• Digital culture and marketing
• Digital marketing audit
• Strategic digital marketing plan
• Digital marketing optimization
• GDPR and its impact on digital marketing
• Digital marketing tactics:
  • webdesign and e-commerce
  • organic social media use; emailmarketing
  • content marketing
  • online advertising
  • digital partnerships
  • mobile marketing
  • innovative tactics

International Marketing Management 

• The student can assess and critically evaluate the various environmental factors that affect an organisation's internationalisation process.
• The student can co-support and critically evaluate the choice of an international market.
• The student can include and critically evaluate the different elements of the marketing mix in an international marketing strategy.
• The student can help draw up and critically evaluate an export plan.

International Institutions 

• The student can name the main international (and European) institutions and interpret their importance for international business;
• The student can know how the main international (and European) institutions work;
• The student can identify from different perspectives (socio-economic, legal and historical) the main powers and policies of the main international (and European) institutions on international trade and investment;
• The student learns to interpret and analyse current international and European issues from different perspectives (socio-economic, legal and historical).

Customer Relationship Management

• Communication skills and building relations with (difficult) customers: feedback, non-verbal communication, active listening, conflict handling.
• Customer knowledge and individual value proposition
• Data-analysis and data mining
• Contact center management
• Different commercial talks

European law

This course provides students with a well-balanced overview of European Law, thereby combining theoretical aspects with practical examples. Specifically, the following topics will be covered:

• History of the European Union
• European Institutions
• Sources of EU Law
• The relationship between EU and National Law
• Enforcement of EU Law
• Free movement of goods, persons, and services
• EU Legal Procedure
• Human Rights

Graphic design

If you want to take your Canva designing skills to the next level, this course is for you! Instead of working with ready-to-use templates, you’ll learn how to make your own designs. You’ll be guided through every step of the process:

• User interface and introduction of the main tools
• Composition: how to design your own composition and play with colour and contrast
• Image: frames and grids + smartphone photography and how to use your own pictures in Canva
• Font: experiment with different fonts and learn how to use graphs and tables

International Law & Regulations

This course provides students with a well-balanced overview of international law, combining theoretical aspects with practical examples. Specifically, the following topics are covered:

• Introduction to private international law
• Introduction to public international law
• Introduction to international contract law
• In-depth analysis of different types of international legal frameworks and legal practices
• Various case studies in international law

Global Trends

This course provides students with a critical reflex on numerous global challenges to our world as we know it today that impact our daily lives (as students, parents, employees, etc.).
Concrete examples include:

• Climate change;
•  Aging population;
• Poverty/health/famine;
• AI;
• Education;
• War and security;

Personal Branding

The focus is mainly on skills

The students learn how to handle a complaint in English and make a customer-friendly phone call in English.
The students prepare texts on economic subjects at home and present them to each other in small groups. In addition, they will lead the subsequent discussion round.
The students can hold a meeting in English (deepening of the second year)
The students learn what corporate culture is and study relevant vocabulary on the subject.
The students give a presentation about another culture/country (business etiquette) based on Hofstedes theory and Richard Lewis' book "communicating across cultures".

Summer School English

An intensive English language course (held before the start of the other courses) for incoming and outgoing PXL students (45 hours divided over 7 days, not on Saturday and Sunday).In order to determine your level you'll have to complete a written intake and an oral intake interview before the start of the Summer School on 4/9 on campus in Hasselt. The written intake can also be done online in advance.

Using authentic material this course gives you the best possible chance of making the most of your educational opportunities and it provides help in developing essential skills for your career. You'll also make a field trip to get to know Hasselt and your fellow students. With the focus on general English you will be given the opportunity to practice on:

• Writing reports, essays …
• Giving presentations, seminar discussions …
• Taking notes on the main points of a lectures …
• Understanding main ideas in paragraphs and longer texts …
• Brief recapitulation of the main grammar items…

Survival Dutch

You will learn the basics of the Dutch language. So you will be able to take the bus/train, find your way in Hasselt or order a pint in a pub. There is a strong focus on communication, listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents.

Subjects:

• Meeting and greeting, on the road
• In town: shopping - eating – drinking – washing clothes
• The alphabet, pronunciation
• Numbers, time, dates
• Going out, making an appointment
• Health, going to the doctor and pharmacy.

The lectures will take place during 9 weeks (sept-dec), this with a frequency of 3 hours (evening) a week. 

English for eXchange

In this course, students learn how to communicate in an international (professional) context. Students work on their general language skills as well as improve their language competences so that they can function in an international working environment.

This course is designed to practice the four communicative skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking by e.g.:

• reading newspaper articles and short stories and understanding the (basic) contents;
• deriving the meaning of selected vocabulary items from a text;
• writing formal/neutral (professional) and informal emails or letters;
• listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents;
• watching short movie fragments and understanding the (basic) contents;
• expressing one's opinion about topics of general or professional interest;
• having everyday (professional) conversations/performing role plays.

The exact contents of the course is subject to change and is open to suggestions by students. Students extend their vocabulary by reading real life texts, listening to conversations by native speakers and by having conversations and playing role plays.

They study grammar items by doing exercises and will have to put these grammatical items into practice in conversations and in writing.

The lectures will take place during 9 weeks (sept-dec), this with a frequency of 3 hours (evening) a week.