The program is a highly selected program that selects only 25 students each year. The restoration and conservation program works with museums, churches, government agencies and archaeological projects to ensure that antiquities are preserved and/or restored for future generations. The individual pictured in the white shirt giving the presentation is Professor Sebastian Strobl, who is the director for this program. The program focuses on the restoration and conservation of artwork that includes oil on canvas, oil and other mediums on timber, statuary, sculptures, headstones, etc. They are the ONLY restorer of stained glass for all countries with the Germanic language. Professor Strobl is an expert in stained glass restoration. The student participants in the International Summer School Program were provided with a tour of the facilities today.
Two other lectures were given today including the presentation by Mr. Rudiger Schleusner from Budweiser company (not the “Bud” that we know in the U.S., but a beer manufacturer well known here in Germany). His lecture was oriented toward sustainability in the beverage sector with special regard to his company serving as a case study, Budweiser Budvar.
Also, this afternoon, Dr. David Wierschem from the Dillard College of Business at Midwestern State University provided a provocative and informative lecture entitled “Communicating Ideas to an International Marketplace Using Technology.” His discussion focused on the use of technology to market and position one’s product effectively and profitability today and into the future. A particularly interesting portion of his talk revolved around the use of cell phone technology as becoming a replacement vehicle for the personal computer. Nanotechnology also was discussed in terms of advancing and addressing the 4 P’s of marketing — place, price, promotion, and product. Dr. Wierschem showed how web development, GPS technology, RFID’s, and nanotechnology devices are used and will be used to position products, market and promote, advertise, and help consumers make informed buying decisions.
Last Saturday and again today, Dr. Susanne Schrabback provided the 30 students and lecturers with a primer on using the German language to shop, eat, and navigate during their stay.
Tomorrow, I will be giving a lecture entitled “Organizational Behavior Concepts and Global Entrepreneurial Strategy.” This lecture will focus on the question of whether there are universally applied motivational, attitude, and behavior concepts and variables as they pertain to the workplace and effective management practices. The lecture will discuss Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions, and provide examples of cultural gaffes made by major global corporations in attempting to use domestic promotion campaigns without sensitivity to local language and cultural variations.
AFC
