Experiential learning is shaped by the Challenge Based Learning (CBL) methodology, whereby students collaborate with their professors to face real-life challenges and propose workable solutions. The model uses a cross-functional approach that pulls together all of the faculty’s subject areas, thereby encouraging business, law, communication and education students to collaborate across disciplines.

This methodology ensures our students can reap the benefits of a holistic and interdisciplinary education that allows them to develop the key competencies needed in the professional world, including critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, entrepreneurship and verbal communication skills. This method also encourages students to develop their talent as both an individual and as part of a collective.

Students address these challenges via the Challenge Based School as well as Universidad Europea’s close collaboration with over 100 partners ranging from institutions and NGOs to companies. This approach allows students to receive both internal and external evaluation from professors and professionals alike. A number of clinics and labs are also available to help students explore methods for overcoming challenges.

In the business field, students have access to:

• The Consulting Lab, a specialised consultancy where large companies, startups, institutions and NGOs pose interesting challenges. Students work—often in multidisciplinary groups—to find answers to complex problems, working collaboratively with their professors to develop solutions.
• The Financial Hub, where students will use the innovative data platform and global financial market tool Refinitiv, which offers financial solutions in the areas of trading, investment, advisory, risk and equity. Refinitiv compiles useful content and platforms used by professionals in finance, economics, marketing, accounting, CSR/sustainability, communication, tax and so on.

In addition to challenge-based learning, the business areas use other experiential learning methods including:

• The case method, which allows students to apply theory to practice via cases that deal with real events. Thanks to teamwork with colleagues and the guidance of their professor, students improve their skills and better assimilate their knowledge by seeing theory put into practice.
• Simulation environments powered by software that allow for the recreation of scenarios where the student is immersed in an interactive world of real learning, thereby inputting theoretical concepts into a visual reality. This allows students to test out theories and make mistakes in a safe environment, thereby increasing their confidence while learning for themselves what works and what doesn’t. In addition, students develop cross-functional skills such as leadership, decision-making, teamwork and more.
• Project-based learning is a learning strategy where students acquire knowledge and skills by completing a real project. This is usually a group project that is solved by integrating each participant’s unique skill set, immersing students in a similar environment to the one they will find later on in their professional careers. The project is assigned by the professor, but the student is given autonomy when preparing and presenting their project. This approach ensures the student is in charge of their own learning process.
• Cooperative learning is a method that allows students to work together in the classroom to achieve common goals. Students learn in a social environment where they must agree how to solve tasks proposed by their professor.
• Problem-based learning allows students to learn by researching and reflecting on a relevant problem within a professional context. The professors pose a problem, which the student will then investigate. Students will look for an adequate solution and, as a result, will develop critical thinking, decision-making, creativity, and verbal and written communication skills, as well as the best strategies for learning.

This approach will culminate with students completing professional internships at relevant companies in Spain.

Universidad Europea has digitally transformed its classrooms in a number of ways:

• The extended classroom: The pandemic has transformed the way we teach. For this reason, technology including cameras, microphones and interactive whiteboards is present in all of our classrooms. This allows us to integrate in-person and virtual classrooms to create a new learning environment that facilitates interactions between in-person and remote students and their professors. This is an immersive experience that allows students and professors to fully interact and participate from wherever they may be.
• Virtualisation of practical learning: Practical application is not limited to activities carried out in our laboratories and simulation spaces, and is complemented by virtual laboratories and simulations. With access to specialised software and virtual reality resources that allow you to continue practicing as many times as you like.
• The Digital Block: This is a digital space where our students can access additional and complementary training. Students can access digital, exclusive and differential content such as workshops, webinars and interactive resources that are designed by our top professors along with the participation of renowned professionals in the sector.

• Marketing and social entrepreneurship fair: this challenge was organised at the Alcobendas campus for first-year business management and administration and marketing students. Students came up with social entrepreneurship projects and presented them at the fair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1wYI0nOddg
• Social entrepreneurship forum: a challenge organised at the Villaviciosa de Odón Campus by business management and administration and marketing students applying the challenge-based learning methodology. This was the first forum on entrepreneurship and social management. With the participation of students and professors, the goal was to spark the interest of university members in social entrepreneurship through the experience of social entrepreneurs who have won JES Awards.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX9BQ6_PwK0
• Challenge: how to make the biodiversity message relevant for companies and consumers in the agri-food sector? Business management and administration, marketing and communication students: https://fundacionglobalnature.org/coolgreen-por-un-consumo-responsable-y-saludable/

Students are expected to develop the following transversal skills on this program:

• CT1: Autonomous Learning: Ability to choose the strategies, tools and moments that you consider most effective to learn and put into practice independently what you have learned.
• CT2: Self-confidence: Ability to assess our own results, performance and capabilities with the internal conviction that we are capable of completing tasks and overcoming challenges.
• CT3: Ability to adapt to new situations: to be able to assess and understand different positions, adapting one's own approach as the situation requires.
• CT4: Capacity for analysis: being able to break down complex situations into its constituent parts; evaluate other alternatives and perspectives to find optimal solutions.
• CT5: Ability to apply knowledge to practice, to use knowledge acquired in academia in situations as similar as possible to the reality of the profession for which they are being trained.
• CT6: Verbal and written communication: Ability to transmit and receive data, ideas, opinions and attitudes to facilitate understanding and action; verbal communication defined by words and gestures and written communication by writing and/or visual support.
• CT7: Awareness of ethical values: Ability to think and act according to universal principles and apply these to personal and professional development, entailing a commitment to certain social values.
• CT8: Information management: Ability to search, select, analyse and integrate information from diverse sources.
• CT9: Skills in interpersonal relationships: Ability to relate positively to other people through verbal and nonverbal communication and assertive communication, and the ability to express or transmit what you think and want.
• CT10: Initiative and entrepreneurial spirit: Ability to undertake difficult or random actions with resolution. Ability to anticipate problems, propose improvements and persevere in their achievement. Preference for assuming and carrying out activities.
• CT11: Planning and time management: Ability to set goals and choose the means to achieve those goals using time and resources effectively.
• CT12: Critical reasoning: Ability to analyse an idea, phenomenon or situation from different perspectives.
• CT13: Problem-solving: Ability to find a solution to a confusing issue or a complicated situation without a predefined solution, which makes it difficult to achieve an end.
• CT14: Innovation-Creativity: Ability to propose and develop new and original solutions that add value to problems posed, even in areas other than the problem itself.
• CT15: Responsibility: Ability to fulfill the commitments when performing a task and trying to achieve a set of objectives within the learning process. Existing capacity in every subject to recognise and accept the consequences of a freely done fact.
• CT16: Decision-making: Ability to make a choice between existing alternatives or ways to effectively solve different situations or problems.
• CT17: Teamwork: Ability to integrate and collaborate actively with other people, areas and/or organisations to achieve common goals.
• CT18: Use of information and communications technologies (ICT): Ability to effectively use information and communications technologies as a tool for the search, processing and storage of information, as well as for the development of communication skills.

• CE1. Ability to evaluate and critically analyse phenomena that affect the social and political environment in different international scenarios.
• CE2: Ability to define, design, explain and apply the international business process and the different phases that comprise it: planning, organisation, management and control.
• CE.3.- Ability to analyse the role of international organisations today as well as the role and scope of the influence of international cooperation agencies and organisations.
• CE.4. Ability to identify and analyse the economic aspects of globalisation linked to: internationalisation of companies, foreign trade and global economy.
• CE.5. Ability to communicate effectively in two languages, at a general level and specifically in the professional field of international business.
• CE.6. Ability to assimilate and take into account in the decision-making process the socioeconomic reality of the different geopolitical, geoeconomic and sociocultural areas, as well as their particularities.
• CE.7. Ability to use the management tools available in the area of marketing and commercial management in international business contexts.
• CE.8. Ability to use the management tools available in the area of administration and finance in international business fields.
• CE.9. Ability to use human resources management tools in international business fields.
• CE.10. Ability to use the tools available in the area of production management including planning, sales forecasting, inventory management and quality control of the production process.
• CE.11. Ability to analyse and evaluate macroeconomic information in new competitive environments for strategic business decision-making.
• CE.12. Ability to understand and evaluate the legal framework for strategic business decision-making in new competitive environments.
• CE.13. Ability to analyse and evaluate, in international social environments, new competitive markets for strategic business decision-making.
• CE. 14. Ability to adapt to new trends and business practices including the application of corporate social responsibility policies in the international arena.
• CE. 15. Ability to perform market analysis prior to decisions of international expansion and business growth.
• CE. 16. Ability to select the best strategic, marketing and commercial planning alternative, to be applied in the markets and companies in which the activity takes place, in globalised and interdependent environments.
• CE.17.- Ability to select the best strategic, marketing and commercial planning alternative, to be applied in the markets and companies in which the activity takes place, in globalised and interdependent environments.
• CE.18. Ability to select the best alternative for human resources planning and people management to apply in each market and company in an environment ofgrowing interconnection and dependence between countries.
• CE.19. Ability to understand and integrate professionally in the different economic, organisational and hierarchical structures of multinational companies, knowing the positions and functions of each manager and department.
• CE. 20. Ability to use the mathematical tools necessary for the resolution of economic problems and the use of the basic methods of calculation, algebra and programming.
• CE. 21. Ability to interpret accounting and financial information prepared in different countries, the adjustments and the economic effects of different accounting alternatives, as well as the adjustments to obtain information according to international financial reporting standards.
• CE. 22. Ability to integrate into different international environments, adapting the business model to other geopolitical and cultural contexts.
• CE. 23.- Ethical behaviour in business respecting human rights and the impact of productive activities on the environment both in the country of origin and in the different markets in which it operates.
• CE. 24. Ability to recognise technological and innovation strategies, as well as technological analysis tools and technological capabilities of the company.
• CE. 25. Ability to apply the new trends in business administration: knowledge management, innovation management, etc., which allow it to achieve greater professional development and business success.
• CE. 26. Ability to integrate the different budgets of the company and relate it to the technical and economic standard costs and analysis of deviations.
• CE. 27. Ability to use tools and different criteria.