Campus Abroad on two wheels: the Montréal-Boston experiential course gets rolling

Thirteen HEC Montréal students have embarked on a two-wheeled odyssey that will see them bike 500 km from Montréal to Boston in 11 days, from August 13 to 24. The group of cyclists is enrolled in the Montréal-Boston experiential course, giving them a first-hand look at the themes of sustainable development and entrepreneurship.

Along the way, the students will go on company tours, including at Hydro-Québec and Téo Taxi, in Quebec, and at the sustainable agriculture company Intervale, in Vermont. In Boston, they will visit the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Participants will also have the opportunity to enjoy some cultural activities en route.

The intensive 3-credit course is given by Anne Pezet, Full Professor in the Department of Management, and Brian King, Associate Professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The choice of the route, from Montréal to Boston, is no accident, as Professor King explains: “Having lived in Boston for 8 years, I see striking differences between these two university cities, even though they are much the same size. I would like the students to come away from this course with a better idea of the importance of culture and history in the business   world.”

The two professors were saluted for their initiative of launching a bicycle course last year, after the first edition travelling between Montréal and Quebec City, on the themes of history and development. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) hailed this experiential course as one of the 30 innovations that best represent the way business schools are reinventing and diversifying the learning environment.