Clark Scholars Build Business Skills and Global Perspective in Barcelona

This summer, members of the A. James Clark Scholars Program’s Class of 2029 spent six weeks in Barcelona, Spain, combining Duke-credit coursework in entrepreneurship with industry mentorship and cultural immersion through a new partnership with IES Abroad.

The experience challenged scholars to think beyond technical solutions and consider the people, cultures and business needs that shape how those solutions work in the real world. In IB 360: Entrepreneurship, A European Perspective, scholars worked in teams to develop business models, identify customer needs, explore international expansion, and pitch their ideas.

In the anonymous post-program survey, every respondent reported a stronger understanding of how engineering and business skills can create value for others. All also said they contributed effectively to teams with different skills and perspectives and adapted their work based on client feedback.

Through IES Abroad’s Professional Mentorship Program, each scholar also worked with an industry mentor on professional projects, supplemented by company visits, networking opportunities and client interactions.

Unlike a typical class assignment, those projects didn’t always come with clearly defined problems or answers. As one scholar reflected, “I learned how to make progress on a problem with no clear roadmap…and that skill alone was worth the trip.”

By the end of the program, scholars said they were better able to translate their technical and analytical skills into solutions addressing real client needs. Working directly with clients also gave them practice adapting their approach and communicating in a professional setting. “Working with a real client taught me more about adapting and communicating than any classroom assignment could,” one scholar said.

Living and working in Barcelona gave scholars another important opportunity: learning to operate in a culture different from their own. The scholars said they felt confident working effectively across cultures, and most reported reconsidering some of their own assumptions after encountering unfamiliar cultural or community contexts.

That perspective matters for engineers whose work increasingly crosses disciplines, organizations and countries. Understanding how people experience a problem can be just as important as understanding the technology behind the solution.

For one scholar, the experience broadened both their approach to problem-solving and their own perspective: “Living and working in another culture changed how I see problems…and how I see myself.”

Outside of class and work, scholars experienced Spain through visits to Park Güell and La Sagrada Família, a flamenco performance and a trip to Tarragona that included a hands-on human tower workshop.

After six weeks, the cohort returned to Duke with new business skills, professional experience and a broader perspective on engineering and the world around them.

Their advice for the next cohort? Stay open-minded, explore beyond Barcelona, and take advantage of every opportunity to learn, both inside and outside the classroom.