International Workshop - German newspaper edition

I swear this is the last time I'll post something about it. But the German newspaper "Der Westen" has published an article on our experiences. Only posted on June 4th, one and a half month after the actual experience, but hey at least the Hagen College got  in it!

Probleme gelöst mit Teilnehmern aus sechs Nationen

Verslag: 16th International Workshop – USA editie

After our return to Belgium, KHLeuven demanded us, once again, to write a report about our experiences at the other side of the Atlantic. In Dutch, yes... sorry about that! 

16th International Workshop - USA: Part 7: Empire State of Mind

Press Play, Start Reading & Get Sucked Into 

my experiences in the Big Apple, also known as

The City That Never Sleeps

Times Square

16th International Workshop - USA: Part 6: Finals

There came the day. After surviving five days of hard work, after suffering rain and sun, cold and heat, the beach and the indoor swimming pool, the jacuzzi and the sixty-year old waitress at the hotel bar… after all that came the day. Time for the Big 16^th International Workshop – Bo Cash Business Game Finale!

16th International Workshop - USA: KHLeuven Website

During our stay in the USA, I was asked to write a short text about our International Workshop experience for the KHLeuven Portal website (for students and teachers only). It's in Dutch, so sorry for the international readers:

16th International Workshop - USA: KHLeuven studenten veroveren New York

The official note about the finals of the 16th International Workshop on my College's website :

16th International Workshop - USA: Part 5: Chocolate, Philly Cheese Steak and Ceaser's Palace

On Friday, after tree days of business game, we had a "Day Off' and went on an excursion. In the morning we went to visit a chocolate factory. Well, at least that's what we thought.... Once we got there it was more like a big garage with a nice chocolate shop attached to it. Reily's Candy was, honestly, quite of a disappointment and we are pretty sure that in Belgium this kind of shop would be closed due to extremely hygienical surcumstances. But wait, it gets better....

16th International Workshop - USA: Part 4: Business Game

Hurrah and Finally (I hear you thinking)! Finally a title concering the actual Business Management Game for which I travelled all the way to the USA! After visiting Washington D.C. and Baltimore, we arrived at Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.

16th International Workshop – USA: Part 3: Baltimore

Baltimore

Monday morning we left D.C. On our way to Point Pleasure Beach in New Jersey State, where the business management game was going to take place, we made a stop in Baltimore.

16th International Workshop - USA: Part 2: Washington D.C.

Washington Monument

Did you know that D.C. stands for: District of Colombia? Well, now you do! The capital of the USA is actually more or less a state on its own, counting up to (only?) 600.000 inhabitants, of which the most famous one is, at the moment, Barack Muhammed Obama (and his dog Bo).

16th International Workshop - USA: Part 1: Of planes and stuff

Finally, it has begun. After way too much preparation sessions, setting details, packing and sending messages to friends who might want to meet up when I’m at the other side of the Great Atlantic, April 6 came. The beginning of the 16th International Workshop – USA edition.

International Workshop - Edition 2013 - USA

[The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page...

With that in mind, and with my motivation to see the USA from a different angle, I applied to participate to the 16th International Workshop (2013 - USA) edition. Together with 59 other students from, among others: The Netherlands, China, UAE, USA, Germany etc. I will be participating into an international business game on the East Coast. We will be visiting Washington D.C, Baltimore, Pennsylvania and finish in New York City in a two week timelapse.

TomorrowWorld - Welcome to our second home

Look America, the Belgians are coming, and you can be damn sure that they're here to stay!
(Yes, number 301 to watch it!) One of Belgium's prides is taking over the US, as of the end of September 2013!

And here's some Argentinean Festival Stuff !

Last day of studying, I need a peptalk.

Did you notice how the last part of studying is 'dying'? 

International Workshop USA: I'm in!

Well hello to you Friday. Just got an e-mail: I'll be going to the USA in April 2013. 
Representing the Leuven University College at a 2-week International Business Game in Washington D.C., New Jersey, New York City... #USA2013!!

Obama Wins the 2012 Election

Thank you USA. You did the right thing. 

Obama's Complete Victory Speech: 

International Workshop – USA 2013

USA 2013 - International Workshop

Two weeks of intense intercultural branding, experiencing and business gaming. 

That's what I'm going for.

More than 30 people from KHLeuven University College applied with a motiviation letter. Mine, which you can read down here, enabled me to end up within the last ten. Unfortunately only six people are allowed to go. Therefore I will have an interview with the responsible professor somewhere this week. #USA2013!

MOTIVATION LETTER : THIBAULT SCHROVEN - INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

After seeing the presentation concerning the business game and exchange in the United States of America, I knew right away I was going to apply for the program. It just sounds so great and instructive that I can’t imagine someone not wanting to experience a two-week exchange with students from across the globe!  I would be honored if I would be given the chance to represent our country and college abroad. Also, I am convinced that I will learn a lot during these two weeks. Not only about business and management but also about the United States, the American culture and lifestyle and the ideas, habits and experiences of students from other nationalities competing with us during this International Workshop.

Thibault Schroven: who am I?

I am a 22-year old student of Advanced Business Management, majoring in Marketing Communication (BABM). Last year, I graduated as a Bachelor in Marketing, also at the KHLeuven. During my previous years here, I have already represented our college in Finland, during the International Marketing Week in Lahti (2011), in the Netherlands, where our team was one of the finalists of the HBO Talentenprijs in Groningen (2012) and in France, during my Erasmus semester at the ESC Rennes in Brittany (2011). All these times I had the pleasure to represent our college and meet new people from all over the world. I think these experiences might qualify myself as an ‘Experienced (International) Business Game Participant’.

But it is not only thanks to the KHLeuven that I am internationally oriented. When I was only 16, I spent a semester as an exchange student with AFS Intercultural Programs in Austria and after my high school I went on another exchange to Argentina, where I lived for 10 months and learned Spanish.

Why I believe I deserve a place in the KHLeuven – USA team

I can be clear about the fact that for me, there is no issue to start talking with total strangers and to learn to live and work together with them. I enjoy facing the unknown, taking on new challenges and hoping for the best, which usually means living and feeling an extraordinary experience which enriches me as a student and as a person.

Whenever I am around a group of people, I easily adapt myself to their culture and way of living, without forgetting where I am from or who I am. I will easily connect to them and I am convinced that if I would be on board of the plane which is going to bring the KHLeuven students to the USA, all the participants won’t easily forget about “the Belgians”. I will ensure that by the end of our two-week trip, they will know all about our chocolate, beer, governmental system and our importance, as capital of Europe, for the European Union and the world itself.

Thanks to my previous experiences with (international) business games, I am already aware of how these work and where I need to pay attention. I am not only willing to go to the USA to represent our college, I want to go and perform the best I can in order to win this competition!

3 Positive points of myself

As stated before I am an active, motivated an life enjoying young man from Sint-Katelijne-Waver during the beginning of my years of maturity. My greatest motivation is my will to absorb (intercultural) business experiences and meeting new, interesting, open and broadminded people with different backgrounds than my own. In order to reach my goal, I enjoy using different languages and ways of living that I don’t always, but every day a bit more, master well. As stated before, I am very proud of being a Belgian and I am super motivated to perform well in a multi-cultural environment. We are living in a globalizing world but it is my opinion that we must never forget, nor neglect, where we are from.

Secondly I am very well at performing in groups. I have been active in the boy scouts and now I am a volunteer for AFS, which implicates organizing weekends for youngsters and work together with others to make these events the best. Another of my positive points is my multilingualism. Broadly taken I speak five languages:  Dutch, French, Spanish, English and German. This means that I’ll be able to speak to a lot of the students in their own language which will facilitate our communication and enable us to get to know each other faster in order to work better during the group work.

2 Negative points of myself

One of my negative points is that sometimes I can be very impatient. When I work, I want to work effectively and efficiently and for me there’s no time to fool around. I want to finish the job as soon and as good as possible.

Secondly I find it hard to critically evaluate myself. I have no problem with judging and evaluating the performances of other people, but sometimes I catch myself on critically evaluating co-students for doing things I do as well.

Ideas for a Belgian evening

One of my ideas would be to teach one verse of our Belgian national anthem (both in Flemish and French) to our fellow students. I would hand them out the lyrics and teach it to them. This will probably lead to funny and weird expressions on the faces of co-students, but will be very entertaining for  us all.

A second idea would be to present Belgian specialties, like our fries, chocolate, beer, the Atomium, Bruges, Manneken Pis,.., etc. by playing the world famous game of Pictionary.

I would be very delighted if I would be allowed to travel to the USA, a country I don’t know yet, and participate to this International Workshop. It would be the perfect opportunity to see if, after four years of KHLeuven, I am able to work professionally with a team of people whom I’ve never met and ensure that my knowledge helps to improve the final result of our team. Obviously I hope that this letter was able to convince you of my motivation to be a part of this trip to represent KHLeuven and Belgium in a foreign country. I sincerely hope to get to know the USA in a different way in 2012 because I am sure that this unique experience will certainly help me in my future career. As I state on my weblog (thibaultintheworld.blogspot.com):Experiences are the key to success.

Yours faithfully

Thibault Schroven

Marketing Communication (BABM)

Advanced Business Management

Barack Obama: being a president like a boss

First YouTube video ever

Today it has been seven years since the very first YouTube video was uploaded.
Boring, yes.
But nowadays YouTube receives 60hours of video per minute.

PS: we like elephants.

Faith in humanity: restored!

Caine's Arcade. A 10-year old's dream turns into reality. Faith in humanity: Restored!