| TRansatlantic Exchange in Economics (TREE) |
| Grant: | P116J060029 |
| Start: | 09/01/2006 |
| End: | 08/31/2011 |
| Funding: | $ 624,600 |
| EU-U.S. Atlantis Program | |
| | 2010 abstract | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Partners: Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium); Universiteit Maastricht (Netherlands). The understanding and application of economic theories and principles are critical to the growth and stability of a global knowledge-based economy. While the fundamental building blocks of economics remain rooted in the logic of individual choice, the evolution of global communication technologies, the easy mobility of goods and services, and the ability to instantly transfer wealth around the world are developments that now drive the global economy. As a consequence, it is clear that higher education institutions must provide students of economics with the international perspectives and experiences upon which they can build their own futures, as well as those of their country. The TRansatlantic Exchange in Economics (TREE) project is a four-year dual-degree program involving three universities (Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Universiteit Maastricht (UM), and Clemson University (CU)) and 48 students. Students have the opportunity to study together under several diverse and accomplished faculties in economics, while experiencing different cultural settings. This enables students to emerge from their studies with an enhanced understanding of the market forces and social systems that are shaping the future development of different regional, national, and global economies. The project builds transatlantic student cohorts that will study together at all three partner schools over a period of two and one-half years of the four-year program. The curricular structure takes advantage of the similarities and flexibilities within the Bachelor of Arts/Economics degree at CU and baccalauréat en sciences économiques et de gestion degree at UCL, as well as the significant number of similar courses that are offered at each partner school. No new degree program was created; rather TREE merged two existing degree programs into a seamless plan of study that results the project’s ability to issue both degrees after program completion, which normally takes place within four years. The partners have developed an innovative, enhanced cohort experience for the time that TREE students spend together. This experience will go well beyond shared academic course work and projects. Plans include a wide range of common activities and site visits designed to enhance students’ professional and cultural growth. The combination of classes from three universities and visits to major economic sites on both sides of the Atlantic means that the students have an educational experience that brings economic history, regional development, and national and international economic policy together in a manner that does not exist elsewhere. These discipline-related activities are complemented by a variety of social and cultural activities to build cohort identity and to develop an appreciation of the cultural similarities and differences between Europe and the United States. Taken together, the academic program and cohort experiences promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the European Community and the United States, with increased knowledge not only of economics but also of diverse languages, cultures, and institutions.
ONLINE REFERENCES: First class graduates from international economics dual-degree program John E. Walker Department of Economics, Clemson University » International Programs & TREE THe New Way to Study Abroad | Newsweek |
Raymond Sauer
Clemson University
Dennis Placone
Clemson University
Susan Whorton
Clemson University
Michel De Vroey
Université catholique de
Pascale Schicks
Universite catholique de
Ronald Peeters
Universiteit Maastricht
Lyan Ploumen
Universiteit Maastricht |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
