Masters Degrees in International Business, Belgium

Are you ambitious of an international career? Are you attracted to a job in international business, like export manager, international purchasing manager, investment manager, international sales representative, country manager, or institutional relation manager? Then the Postgraduate in International Trade and Investment is exactly what you need. This academic postgraduate certificate offers you a specialized, comprehensive, and practically oriented programme that is unique in the world and designed to maximize your professional success.

Aims

The postgraduate in International Trade and Investment is a comprehensive programme aiming at delivering graduates who are able to independently conduct international business practices like export, import, sourcing, investing, M&A and international alliance formation. Courses of high academic quality are enriched by hands-on input from practitioners. Skills workshops will guarantee an optimal functioning at professional level.
The programme is organized by VUB's Brussels Diplomatic Academy http://www.vub.ac.be/en/brussels-diplomatic-academy

Target groups

- Bachelors or masters aspiring for a career in international business.
- Lawyers, legal advisors, consultants, civil servants and politicians who want to acquire knowledge about the various aspects of international trade and investment.
- Professionals who wish to broaden or reorient their career in the field of international trade and investment.
- Business people who wish to further professionalise their knowledge and skills.

Added value

The postgraduate in International Trade and Investment offers you:
- A worldwide unique and specialized curriculum of 66 ECTS.
- A versatile programme that deals with the various aspects of international trade and investment.
- Practical orientation in order to maximize the professional success of its graduates.
- A transcontinental programme in international business. Students have the option to study in Washington D.C. and/or Shanghai.
- Internship services: an internship tutor assists the students in writing application letters, preparing for the interviews and identifying internship placements.
- Career services.

Attainment targets

Graduates will be able to:
- understand the full picture of international trade and investment (legal, fiscal, insurance, VAT, required documents, finance, insurance,…)
- develop international business (export, import, international investment, M&A, international alliance formation)
- compete on the international project market (international tendering) and/or offering consultancy in this field
- understand international business strategy
- protect intellectual property rights
- conduct international negotiations
- lobby at national and international level
- deploy the necessary skills needed within international business
- deploy the proper attitudes required within international business
- operate within an international context
- understand the jargon of international business development
- detect business opportunities
- draft reports on a country’s various economic sectors (market reports or industry reports)
- discuss economic diplomacy and international business with business people, diplomats, bankers, consultants, legal advisers and lawyers.

International opportunities

The Postgraduate in International Trade and Investment is a transcontinental programme.

In the second semester, students have the following possibilities:

Following 18 ECTS in Washington D.C.
Following 18 ECTS in Shanghai
Following 9 ECTS in Washington D.C. and 9 ECTS in Shanghai

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Aims and objectives

The Postgraduate Flagship Programme in Economic Diplomacy and International Business is a highly specialised and comprehensive
programme preparing students for a career in diplomacy, especially economic diplomacy, and international business. To
an important extent, diplomats and business people need to master the same skills and deal with the same matters, albeit from
different angles. Graduates from this programme who are active in diplomacy will excel in defending their home country’s economic
interests. Graduates who are active in business will excel professionally by mastering trade and investment techniques and through
their knowledge on how to maximise the potential of their home country’s economic diplomacy. Another advantage is that graduates
can easily switch career from diplomacy to business or banking and back.

Courses of a high academic standard are enriched by hands-on input from practitioners. Participants will be offered all-around
training, giving them a sound understanding of the legal, fiscal, economic, monetary, banking and commercial aspects of economic
diplomacy and international business. Skills workshops support optimal professional performance. This programme is not only
relevant for anyone aspiring to a career in diplomacy and international business, it is also of particular interest to anyone who wants
to be involved with international economic, monetary, financial and banking policy making.

Programme schedule

The postgraduate programme consists of three semesters and is completed in one and a half academic years.
A detailed timetable will be given to participants. It is possible to spread the programme over a number of years.

Elective courses

Students can opt for one of the 4 tracks (see below).
- Brussels track (VUB): students have a choice of 18 ECTS credits between 'Professional experience: Internship' or the 'Thesis'.
- Shanghai track (Shanghai University for International Business and Economics - SUIBE). Students have a choice of 18 ECTS between the following courses: 'WTO and China', 'Chinese Investment Law', 'Chinese Trade Law', 'Chinese Intellectual Property Rights Protection', 'Chinese Competition Policy' or ' Seminar on Shanghai Free Trade Zone'
- Washington D.C. track (The Institute of World Politics - IWP). Students have a choice of 18 ECTS between the following courses: 'Crisis Management and Decision making', 'Political Risk Analysis and Forecasting', 'Challenges in the Emerging Geo-Political landscape', 'International Challenges of the Public -Private Partnership in the Cyber Domain', 'Corporate Statecraft', 'Economic Statecraft', 'The Art of Diplomacy', 'Trans-Atlantic Competitiveness & Western Prosperity'
- Students can also choose 9 ECTS of this track in combination with 9 ECTS of the Washington D.C. track

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"Combining a rigorous analytical approach with a thorough knowledge of international business, this highly selective and demanding programme is the perfect preparation for a career in strategic consulting or high-level management.

Want to compete on the international level? Our Masters in International Management & Strategy gives you the tools and skills to take the first steps towards an international career in business and management. This programme offers you the possibility to experience different business cultures. You'll spend up to 3 months abroad including an immersion in China and a global consultancy project abroad. "

Campus: Brussels

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