ECON 288/ FREN 285A – Exploring European Policy, Business, and Culture

Four credits, EXP
Four weeks in France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom
Professor Linda Hooks and Professor Kristina Roney

A central premise of the formation of the European Union was that economic interdependence would breed political stability. Both Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine call this theory into question. This Europe-based course looks at how culture affects the economy, businesses, and policies by contrasting France and its relationship to the European Union to the UK's decision to withdraw. It will feature visits to French and British businesses, economic policy centers in Brussels, and cultural sites to allow students to better understand current conditions and to analyze opportunities and challenges.

This course requires that you enroll in a 1-credit winter term course prior to STA.

Econ Pre-requisite: either Econ 100 or Econ 101 and 102; some preference for additional economics coursework
Prerequisite for Fren 285A: Intermediate-level proficiency (i.e. completion of FDR-FL in French)

For further details, please contact Professor Hooks (hooksl@wlu.edu) and Professor Roney (kroney@wlu.edu).

Applications open October 7th, 2025.