18 ECTS credits
516 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4021601ENR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.

Semester
1st and 2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
No
Enrollment Requirements
Om in te schrijven voor de 'Handelsmissie' moet je kunnen afstuderen. Voor dit opleidingsonderdeel kan je slechts als laatste van de gehele master inschrijven. Bovendien is er een selectieprocedure gekoppeld aan dit opleidingsonderdeel.
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool
Department
Business
Educational team
Michael Dooms (course titular)
Bruno Moeremans
Magali Geerts
Fiona Maureen Courtens
Laura Molinari
Fanny Soyeur
Lynn Faut
Activities and contact hours
8 contact hours Lecture
40 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
468 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

The master's thesis Business Engineer, variant Trade Mission, is a piece of work that completes the master's program. By carrying out the trade mission as a master's thesis, the student demonstrates an analytical and synthesis abilities, as well as an independent problem-solving ability at an academic level. The workpiece reflects the general critical and research attitude of the student. The master's thesis as trade mission essentially consists of interim reports (before and during the trade mission) and a final report of the research after the trade mission (including an oral defense) in the context of carrying out an assignment for an external organization (company, NGO, etc.) abroad.

Additional info

Education and learning methods

Group and individual guidance by the titular and the assistant.

Lectures in the form of 'invited lectures' by experts can be provided during the preparation.

(!) If a student cannot participate to the trade mission due to insufficient commitment, inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour, force majeure or due to not finding the sufficient number of commissioning organizations, the student is expected to continue the traditional Master's thesis, whether or not based on the preparatory paper of the 1st Master year. This decision is taken and communicated at the latest before the start of the second semester.

The work is divided into the following steps:

  1. Work activities selection process
  2. Work activities preparation
  3. Work activities on site (field work)
  4. Final reporting and aftercare

(1) Selection process:

During the 6 months prior to the academic year in which the Master's thesis is included as a trade mission, a selection process is organized by the titular. Prior information sessions are organized in which the different deadlines and requirements for submitting applications are communicated. Electronic mailings also take place via the faculty. An extensive information document is available on the page of the course on the electronic learning platform.

The criteria used for the selection are:

  • Academic results and information about the study trajectory (important, at the moment of application for the Trade Mission, the student needs to have obtained the Bachelor Degree)
  • Oral and written reporting skills
  • Communication and social skills (including English language proficiency, dealing with multicultural context)
  • Demonstrable experience in entrepreneurship or practical experience
  • Demonstrable experience in teamwork

(2) The preparatory work, after the selection, mainly consists of:

  • Prospecting companies
  • Preparatory activities for the assignment (e.g. training within company, desk research)
  • Preparatory reporting

(3) The work on location mainly concerns the fieldwork (interviews, meetings, data collection) and the reporting thereof during the trade mission:

  • Interim reporting field work
  • Final reporting field work

In addition, there are also expectations regarding general support tasks that are distributed within the group of participants.

(4) A final report is expected after the trade mission:

  • At the latest: 4 weeks after the trade mission: delivery of final report draft to the titular and company
  • At the latest: 6 weeks after the trade mission: feedback from the titular
  • At the latest: 8 weeks after the trade mission: final report to the titular and company
  • At the latest: 12 weeks after the trade mission: oral defense

More detailed guidelines for reporting (exact timing and formats, submission method) are made available on the electronic learning platform and during the group sessions. There is also the possibility to look into the reports from previous editions (by appointment with titular).

Learning Outcomes

General Competences

The general objective of the course is to have the student carry out a practical assignment abroad in an independent and scientific way in the context of a 'real-life' trade mission. Various skills are created when participating in an integrated practical project: (1) project management (2) team work (3) data collection, processing and analysis (4) professional reporting (5) intercultural communication.

The learning outcomes of the Master thesis as a trade mission are defined as follows:

  • Converting theoretical knowledge about market research, data analysis, marketing and strategy within the context of international business and entrepreneurship
  • Critically dealing with and assessing strategic information and data obtained during the assignment and converting these into well-founded conclusions and policy recommendations
  • Being able to report to and communicate with the senior management of a commissioning organization in a professional, structured and substantiated way
  • Being able to function independently in a multicultural and international environment in the context of a concrete research assignment
  • Adapting to an environment that is very different in cultural, linguistic and infrastructural terms, in the context of a concrete research assignment
  • Realize a complex project on a logistics and organizational level in a team

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Master Thesis determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Master Thesis category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Master Thesis Trade Mission with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

  The evaluation takes place both formatively and summatively:

  • Formative: different feedback moments are provided in the process on the basis of the interim reports
  • Summative: a final report is delivered, with an oral defense

Distribution of marks:

  • 50% on the process (formative evaluation)
  • 50% on the final report incl. the oral defense (with a jury consisting of the titular, the assistant and a representative of the commissioning organization) (summative evaluation)

For the trade mission as master thesis, a review and submission process is organized by the course holder via the e-learning platform. The course holder will communicate at the start of the academic year the formal deadlines for submission of interim and final documents. A document with these deadlines will be communicated and distributed via the e-learning platform. Any modifications of these deadlines is communicated via the e-learning platform or other group communication tools. Following submission of the final version of the master thesis on the e-platform, including the declaration of authenticity, 4 bound hard copies need to be submitted within 7 calendar days at the office of the course holder or the department secretariat Solvay Business School.

The evaluation of the process is based on:

  • Timeliness of interim reports
  • Quality of interim reports
  • Integration and follow-up feedback
  • Functioning in a team (based on observations, incl. on location)

The evaluation of the final report takes into account:

  • Clear description of the problem
  • Quality of the written work (language, layout, correct references)
  • Structure and logical argumentation
  • Critical sense; attention to limitations of the research
  • Quality and substantiation of the conclusions and policy recommendations towards the commissioning organization
  • Oral defense

No second session is foreseen.

The final report of the trade mission must also be electronically uploaded to the antiplagiarism server indicated by the faculty and the subsequent created submission proof from this server should be included in the submitted paper copies of the final report. The student who submits a master's thesis as trade mission declares to agree with the plagiarism rules: https://student.vub.be/en/ES#regulations-and-forms (scroll down).

For the Team Leader Trade Mission (student who takes the role of project manager on sight), the outputs consist of:

The final report consists of:

Formative (50%):

  • Preparatory reporting + interim feedback
  • Frequent project management & progress updates (before, during and after the trade mission)

 Summative (50%):

  • Consolidated reporting to external stakeholders
  • Summarizing PowerPoints
  • Interim Reports during the mission
  • Final report (consolidation of reports from individual participants, general conclusions and results of the mission)
  • Project management reflection report
  • Suggested improvements
  • Knowledge transfer to next years
  • Benchmarking previous years

The oral defense takes place in the presence of the titular, his / her assistant and a representative of Flanders Investment & Trade.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Business Engineering: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Business Engineering: Business and Technology: Standaard traject