An international study experience aimed at having a global career in Business Management. That is was what Annabelle was looking for a year ago when she landed in Spain from England to get enrolled as student of our Spanish Pathway to Business.
The international tag is nothing new to Annabelle – “I have relatives in almost all parts of the world and we have traveled a lot”. And even though she will be staying with us the next few years, she is certain that her place can be anywhere in the world: “I miss my home and my family, but I know that when I finish my studies I will go wherever the road takes me”, she tells us.
A road which will take you anywhere you want, given the nature of your degree. Not to mention that you will end up speaking Spanish like a local.
I knew I wanted to study in Spain, it’s a country I love. Before enrolling I had lived nine months in Valencia with a family to learn Spanish. I also taught some English classes. When I learned about this Pathway, with the possibility of making a first year of transition in my own language, I didn’t give it a second thought.
And to think that just a little less than a year ago you hardly spoke any Spanish!
It is true! I am very excited. It is a huge challenge but also a great opportunity. A year ago I didn’t even know what degree I wanted to study. I knew that if I wanted to study here, I had to work hard with my Spanish. And I did it.
How is this first year organized academically? How is the University helping you for next year, which will be entirely taught in Spanish?
During this first course, 42 credits are taught in English. Next semester we will have a subject in Spanish. And since we started, we have an intensive Spanish course for Business Purposes that helps you consolidate your language skills.
ThIS SPANISH PATHWAY CAN BE a FIRST STEP TO international success
What attracts you the most in the world of Business and Marketing?
My parents have a consultancy in England and I’m already very familiar with some of the terms and processes. What I like the most is the creative part that can be behind a decision. It is not about reading data and handling figures, you have to know how to interpret them to adjust the needs of the company to the tastes and preferences of your consumers.
What will your contribution to this field be, then?
I believe that this more creative aspect should be present in any decision-making. You need to have a broader, more global business mindset. The goal would be to reach as many people as possible, so that the product reaches people of all profiles. And that is where I think that the more elaborate part of adding value to your product and making it attractive comes in.
You surely are familiar with the famous 4Ps of the Marketing Mix. Would you choose Price over Product?
Finding a balance is always essential. I would say that the best is finding the right price for the right product. Knowing the behavior of your consumers, applying some economic and psychological tools.
Of course there is an extensive and complex expertise that must be integrated into that one effective and global solution.
How have you lived these first months at CEU Valencia? How does anyone with such an international profile move around a global campus like ours?
If I’m honest, I didn’t expect to find so many international students. I knew it was a very varied university community but not up to this point. In fact, sometimes it is difficult to find someone with whom to practice Spanish outside the classroom because we all understand each other in English. Luckily, next year we will be joining the Spanish students…
With our Spanish Pathway to Business Management, you too can kickstart an international management career from your University years. Acquire a broad number of skills, develop your expertise to get an international outlook and benefit from a truly global campus. And all of this in just one place: CEU Valencia.