Students in the Pamplin College of Business gained firsthand insight into global business, culture, and history during a winter study abroad program in Germany and Austria, led by Assistant Professor of Practice Margie Deck.

The faculty-led program took students to four European cities—Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich—where classroom learning was paired with company visits, cultural experiences, and reflection. Through daily journaling and group discussions, students examined how history, culture, and shifting consumer preferences shape modern business practices.

In Berlin, the program opened with a focus on media, entrepreneurship, and economic change. Students visited Berliner Morgenpost to learn about Germany’s media landscape and explored emerging technologies during a session at Drone Masters Academy. One of the most powerful moments came from a presentation by a man who escaped from East to West Berlin, offering a personal account of life under division and the long-term impacts of political and economic systems. Site visits to the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, and the Reichstag grounded those discussions in history.

Students traveled overnight by train to Vienna, an experience that introduced European transportation systems and set the stage for a deeper exploration of lifestyle, economy, and education. In Vienna, a tour of Schlumberger Kellerwelten—the oldest sparkling wine producer in Austria—highlighted the challenges of maintaining tradition while adapting to changing technology and consumer expectations. Cultural visits to the Vienna National Library, Belvedere Museum, and the Vienna State Opera complemented hands-on experiences such as a traditional coffee crawl and nighttime ice skating near City Hall.

In Salzburg, the program blended business with creativity. A backstage tour of the historic Marionette Theater included a discussion with the theater’s creative director about balancing technical precision with specialized artistic talent. Students later attended a marionette performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. During a lunch meeting with a pharmaceutical industry director, students learned about managing a global workforce in a rapidly changing market. Visits to Fortress Hohensalzburg, Mirabell Gardens, and the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine rounded out the city’s cultural and historical offerings.

Munich, the program’s final stop, focused on industry, innovation, and alumni connection. Students toured the BMW Museum to trace the evolution of Germany’s automotive sector and visited the Hofbräu München production facility to observe brewing and bottling operations. A manager-led discussion on declining global alcohol consumption prompted conversations about how quickly businesses respond to changing consumer behavior. A highlight of the program was dinner with a Virginia Tech alumna living and working in Munich, who shared her path from Blacksburg to graduate study and professional life in Europe—an experience students consistently cite as eye-opening.

The program concluded with a guided tour of the Dachau memorial Nazi concentration camp. The visit offered a sobering reminder of history’s atrocities and reinforced the importance of ethical leadership and global awareness.

Throughout the program, students connected academic concepts with lived experience, gaining a broader understanding of global business and their own personal growth.

This month’s Faculty Spotlight features Margie Deck, assistant professor of practice in the Pamplin College of Business and program leader for VT Faculty-Led: Business and Culture in Germany and Austria.