European Study Research: Lisbon

date: 14 until 21 May 2022

ESR Lisbon; an amazing week full of companies, culture and clubs!

This year's destination of ESR Spring will be Lisbon! From the 14^th until the 21^st of May, a group of 25 bachelor and master students, 2 professors, 6 committee members and 1 board member will join together for a week to visit this amazing Portuguese city and conduct research. The trip will consist of a combination of cultural activities, company visits with the aim of finalising our research, and chances to experience the amazing nightlife and culture that the city has to offer.

European Study Research is an amazing experience for students. It’s an opportunity to bring something unique to your university experience, a chance to broaden and diversify your skill set, a way to improve your research skills and an amazing way to create memories and new friendships. All of this in the exciting city of Lisbon!

Lisbon is the stunning capital city of Portugal and is one of the most charismatic and vibrant cities of Europe. As the economic and financial center of Portugal, it is home to many multinational headquarters and multiple industries. Lisbon is also known for its large number of impressive historical buildings, a charming variety of traditional neighborhoods and of course a lively nightlife. This year, the research theme will be “The fast recovery of Portugal’s economy with sustainable business as its main focus.” You will be split up into teams of 5 students, each with a specific sub theme to focus the research on. More information about the subthemes can be found under the theme tab.

The ESR experience begins with an opening dinner, followed by 7 weeks of lectures, dinners and socials every Monday night. A variety of different topics, lecturers and points of view will be discussed each week. After we return, there will be another 2 weeks of lectures before the final dinner in order to put the finishing touches on our work.

The total cost of joining will be €225,-, which includes plane tickets, accommodation and transportation during our stay, as well as various other activities to take part in.

The ESR experience is one that is unique, and should not be missed! In order to take part in this amazing project, click on the register button! Applications open on the 10^th of February and close on the 27^th of February, 23.59! This is also the deadline for sending your CV and motivation letter.

The applications are open to bachelor students of the FEB with at least 45 ECTS and (pre-)master students.

For any questions about this trip, feel free to contact us at esrspring@ebfgroningen.nl.

ESR Timeline

Application deadline

Sunday the 27^th of February, 23.59

Interviews and selection

Monday the 28^th of February until Thursday the 10^th of March

Introduction dinner

Monday the 14^th of March

Weekly lectures, dinners and socials (7 times)

Every Monday at 17:00 from the 21^st of March until the 9^th of May, with exception of the 4^th of April (exams)

Theme party

Tuesday the 3^rd of May

Research trip to Lisbon

Saturday the 14^th of May until Saturday the 21^st of May

Lecture, dinner and social after the trip (2 times)

Monday the 23^rd of May and Monday the 30^th of May

Closing dinner

Monday the 30^th of May

ESR Workload

In the 7 weeks prior to the trip there will be a lecture (5-7pm), dinner (7-9pm) and a social (9pm onwards) every Monday which you will be expected to attend. In the lectures we will discuss how to conduct research, there will be presentations by the various subgroups, guest lectures about the Portuguese culture and several workshops. The dinners and socials are a great way to get to know everyone. Next to these activities you are expected to actually prepare your specific research together with your subgroup, which will mostly be done during the preparatory phase of the trip. In total ESR will cost you about 6-10 hours per week.

ESR Research

Main research theme: ''The fast recovery of Portugal's economy with sustainable business as its main focus''

Before the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Portuguese economy had been thriving for years, with Lisbon’s economy as a great example of this. As Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon is also the economic, cultural, and political centre of Portugal. Almost 50% of the Portuguese GDP is generated here and it has one of the largest European ports. Over the last few years, more and more multinationals settled in Lisbon. Also, the number of start-ups has significantly increased. The goal of the city’s economic strategy is to be one of Europe’s most competitive and innovative cities. This is trying to be accomplished by The Lisbon 2020 Regional Operational Programme (ROP), a funding instrument which is paid by the EU. Several sectors have been given priority by the ROP, such as research & innovation, sustainability, and education. And from 2014 onwards, the GDP has steadily increased, unemployment has halved, exports are booming, and foreign investors have flooded Lisbon. But it has not always been this glorious. During the economic crisis of 2008, Portugal was hit as one of the hardest, causing them to be unable to repay their government debt. And although Portugal’s economy had been thriving for the last couple of years, another crisis arose in the last two years.

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been huge for a lot of countries. Rising unemployment, contraction of markets and the struggle of governments around the world with lockdown measures to tackle the spread of the virus. The sector who was hurt the most during this pandemic is the service sector. As this is one of the most important sectors in Portugal, the Portuguese economy was hit rather hard compared to others. But despite the drop in tourism and contraction of the service sector as a whole, Portugal is well on its way to recover faster, and better, than most other countries in Europe as is their stated mission to do so. With the help of the EU, Portugal is planning on investing in more sustainable business to be ready for whatever the future holds.

To conduct research on the research theme ‘The fast recovery of Portugal’s economy with sustainable business as its main focus’, you will be divided into five subgroups. In these subgroups you will investigate research questions and conduct research specific to your subject. Every subtheme is linked to the main research theme. During the lectures and the preparations, you will get the chance to acquire the necessary skills to conduct business research and to come up with a theoretical framework and conceptual model. Together with your subgroup you will discuss your findings during the lectures and get the chance to get feedback from either the committee or the professors. The final product will include advice from every group to the companies. All companies we visit in Lisbon will receive your report. With the main research theme in mind, we have established five sub themes by which we want to investigate our main research theme in a more detailed manner. The five subthemes are Green Business, Digital Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management and Business Climate.

Green Business

The demand to adopt and implement responsible management practices is increasing. Engaging in green business practices means a minimal negative impact or even positive impact on the environment, community, economy and society as a whole.

Digital Business

Innovation and entrepreneurship

If a company wants to grow in today's competitive society it is of great importance that it outperforms its competitors. One of the most used manners to do this is through innovation. A good, innovative plan is what will separate a company from the mass.

Human Resource Management (HRM)

Human resources are the most valuable resource in an organization. One should manage their human resources incredibly well in order to thrive as this intangible resource is rather scarce.

Business Climate

How do companies attract new talent and keep their knowledge and skills within the company? What are the key factors that attract new Business in the city of Lisbon companies?