Twenty-one students embarked on a transformative international business course focused on sustainability in the workplace. They ranged from undergraduates majoring in management, marketing, accounting, psychology, and business analytics to graduate students in the MBA and MSOP programs.
Set in Spain’s vibrant Basque Country, the course immersed students in the region’s social, environmental, and economic approaches to sustainability. The group toured multiple organizations within the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, where employee-owned companies prioritize collective governance and sustainable operations. A visit to a hillside winery in La Rioja offered a firsthand look at eco-conscious architecture and natural energy use in wine production.
The group then visited the Mondragon Innovation Factory, part of Mondragon University, where students have to create and operate real companies in different parts of the world during their four years in school.
Language and cultural exposure were central to the experience. Students picked up phrases in Spanish, Euskara (the Basque language), and French as they explored the diverse cultural landscape. Highlights included a trip to Bayonne, France, which is famous for its artisanal chocolate shops, and a sunny afternoon in San Sebastián, where the students witnessed a rare event: people swimming in the chilly waters of La Concha beach in March!
The group also enjoyed the art and architecture of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum and hiked to the cliffs of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, better known to Game of Thrones fans as the Dragonstone site. “It was breathtaking,” said Professor Daphne Berry, who led the trip, “even though just over half of us made it to the top and back!”
The final stop in Madrid offered students a chance to unwind, as they split their time between the Prado Museum, churro spots, shopping, and Retiro Park.
Blending business education with global perspective, the trip offered students of all academic levels an unforgettable opportunity to learn, connect, and see sustainable business practices in action.