Associate Professor Hani Tadros coordinated a daylong visit to Spain for 10 Elon University students studying abroad in Europe as part of a program that allows participants to earn two degrees, from two universities, in just four year.
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A special reunion took place in Madrid this fall when international business dual-degree students currently studying in Europe met together with Elon University’s program director.
The September reunion was an impromptu event sparked by Associate Professor Hani Tadros’s attendance at the International Partnership for Business Schools conference. Recognizing a unique opportunity, he invited the students to join him in Spain to reflect on shared experiences at Elon.
“I wanted to bring this cohort together so they could continue to have shared experiences like they did in their first two years at Elon,” Tadros said. “Even though these students are all in different countries in Europe, they still have their Elon roots to hold them up and remain a support network for each other.”
The International Business Dual-Degree Program provides a transformative four-year journey for students who complete the first half of their studies at Elon University, followed by two years at one of four partner schools across Europe: NEOMA Business School in Reims, France; ESB Business School in Reutlingen, Germany; Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICADE in Madrid, Spain; and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) in Piacenza, Italy.
The students who took part in the Madrid reunion were:
- Ava Fitzgerald, currently at NEOMA Business School
- Halley Brewer, currently at NEOMA Business School
- Ineaa Gray, currently at NEOMA Business School
- Libby McKivigan, currently at NEOMA Business School
- Maria Guadarrama Hernandez, currently at ICADE Business School
- Paige Alexander, currently at ICADE Business School
- Paul Doherty, currently at ESB Business School
- Payton Donnan, currently at ESB Business School
- Ryan Wilkinson, currently at ESB Business School
- Sierra Spoerndle, currently at UCSC Business School
Set against the backdrop of Madrid’s enchanting streets, the reunion unfolded at the end of September, offering a platform for these global business influencers to share their journeys and triumphs.
Tadros, alongside Catherine Parsons, director of undergraduate programs in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, spent the day immersed in conversations with each student group from partner schools. The full group embarked on a city adventure, with an Elon-ICADE student leading a mini city tour.
After lunch, students explored the city on their own or in small groups, reconvening for dinner with an alumna from ESB Business School, Alexandra Roberts ’23, who is currently pursuing her master’s at IE Business School in Madrid.
“It was so nice to be able to connect with everyone for the weekend,” Brewer said of her visit with classmates. “It can feel very isolating to be starting in a new country, and getting to reunite with others all doing the same thing is so refreshing.”