Location

Lisbon, Porto, Portugal

Program Description

Students enrolled in this course will combine team-based experiences in creativity, ideation, innovation, and multidisciplinary/multicultural teaming with opportunities to meet and learn from world experts in design, engineering, business and venture creation as part of a multicultural, multidisciplinary team.

Over the course of this 4-week summer experience, students will encounter a hands-on, project-driven program focused on creativity, ideation, design, innovation, real-world business modeling, and entrepreneurship. As a collaborative partnership involving faculty from James Madison University, Bridgewater College School of Business, and the European Innovation Academy, this program is an intensive, very international and fast-paced environment where student learn from experts in the field from businesses such as Intel, Google, Microsoft and Samsung, and include a diverse, worldwide faculty from business, engineering, IT and design mentors, serial entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Approximately 350 participants from over from 50 plus universities and nearly 60 nationalities, focused on 70 student-curated startups, guided by over 40 mentors and speakers at Porto (Portugal) Faculdade de Economia (University of Porto College of Business).

Joining with students from around the world, you will learn what it takes to move an idea from concept to reality. The base of your Portugal innovation experience will be in Porto, a beautiful Portuguese coastal town on the north of the country, and just 3hours from Lisbon (the capital). As a city, Porto is home to thousands of IT, tourism, manufacturing, healthcare industry companies, innovative small and medium enterprises, and high-tech startups. In this environment, students will explore the idea of starting a business from scratch, encounter what it takes to bring a great idea into a viable business venture, and expand their knowledge in the fields of creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship in a true multidisciplinary and multicultural team-based environment.

The program is four weeks (one online and traveling, three onsite), organized by the European Innovation Academy (EIA) on site in Porto, Portugal, Faculdade de Economia (University of Porto College of Business).

For more information, don’t hesitate to contact the instructor.

Core Topics Covered:

• Time management

• Creative Problem Solving

• Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking

• Presentation and Team-based Organizational Management

• Multidisciplinary and Multicultural Teamwork

Methods of Instruction: Online and on-site lectures, Site visits, Problem-Based Learning, Class and Team Activities.

Course Methodology: Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Europe combines a mixture of lecture and experiential learning experiences that are designed to enhance student learning. The process of ideation and team formation incorporates onsite and online tools, requiring students to both pitch ideas and evaluate those presented by others. On-site course sessions incorporate a range of activities, including mentoring sessions (30%), online and in-site lectures (20%), independent teamwork (30%), and special sessions in various formats, such as workshops, panel discussions, teamwork sessions, presentations, etc. (20%). Participants will engage in an in-depth exploration of the tourism sector, emphasizing key European practices in lodging, gastronomy, viticulture, olive oil production, and brewing.

Location Description

The first week will be in Lisbon, Portugal’s vibrant capital, offers an ideal setting for students to explore the European tourism industry firsthand. Blending centuries-old traditions with modern innovation, Lisbon provides rich learning opportunities in hospitality, food and beverage, and cultural tourism. Students will gain insights into European lodging standards through boutique hotels and historic inns, while also experiencing the region’s celebrated culinary scene, featuring artisanal cheeses, fresh seafood, and traditional pastries. Lisbon’s wine culture, olive oil production, and growing craft beer movement further enhance the experiential learning environment, making it a dynamic hub for studying tourism within a uniquely European context.

We will then travel for less than 3 hours by High-speed train to Porto, where we will spend most of our time (three weeks). In the vibrant coastal city of Porto, this program immerses students in a dynamic, hands-on environment focused on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Hosted at the University of Porto’s College of Business, students work in multicultural, multidisciplinary teams alongside peers from around the world, guided by global experts from companies like Google, Microsoft, and Intel. Supported by faculty from James Madison University, Bridgewater College, and the European Innovation Academy, participants explore how to turn ideas into viable ventures in one of Portugal’s leading hubs for startups, technology, and business innovation.

Director

Miguel Baltazar | baltazmbb@jmu.edu | Hart School

Maria Lugo | mlugo@bridgewater.edu | College of Business, Bridgewater College

Accommodations

Accommodations will be provided for all students throughout the program. Accommodation for the first week will be in a Lisbon hotel.

In both metro cities, Lisbon and Porto, there are plenty of dining options available all day and in the vicinity of the venues' locations. The accommodation also has a kitchen that students are invited to use.

Additional Items to Consider

No visa is required to travel to Portugal. However, a valid passport is required.

Cell phone roaming is recommended.

Students will meet online before departure and the remainding meetings will be upon arriving in Lisbon (Portugal). Pre-departure meetings and the first week are structured in two aspects: team creation and tourism industry development. On the team creation side, focus on developing the entrepreneurial mindset and social behaviors needed to create successful new ventures. On the tourism industry side, students will gain a deeper understanding of the tourism sector, including European lodging, food, wine, and beer. Through journal entries and a final project, students will compare and contrast experiences in the United States.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Open to students in all majors and class levels.

No foreign language experience is required, as most people in Portugal speak English.