Dundalk IT students take part in International HR Management Project in France

Six first year Business Studies students from Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) recently travelled to take part in the BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) Management Project in IUT Lens, France, accompanied by their lecturer Vicky Leahy. 

The week-long Human Resources project included students from DKIT, Lens IUT, Bucharest University, Romania and Gaya Institute, Portugal. Each working group was made up of students from all four Institutes. The project developed and assessed students’ competencies in communication, teamwork, role-play and use of appropriate technology and media to complete tasks. The challenges were not only linguistic but also focused on cultural perspectives regarding the human resources project. 

It was a busy week for all involved with some very early starts and late finishes. The trip included a cultural visit day where the group visited the VIMY memorial in honour of Canadian soldiers who died during WW1 and had a tour of a reconstructed trench. The students also enjoyed an uplifting seasonal visit to “le Marché de Noel” followed by a competitive bout of team bowling and pizza in Arras. 

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Amidst all of the wonderful cultural experience, the student groups had to prepare for the final interview, consisting of a role-play, a discussion of candidates’ choices and an analysis of their project, with students reflecting on the opportunities and challenges of working in a European team. The interview was evaluated by lecturers from each institute and the project was worth 3 ECTS (academic credits) for each student. 

A visit to Louvre-Lens brought a cultural element to the end of the week with “Café des langues” in the evening where students presented a flavour of their own countries. It was a fantastic experience for all involved, and one that would not have been possible without Brian Woods DKIT Maths lecturer, Noreen Carney, from the International Office and Colette Henry, Head of Department of Business Studies.