Institut für Außenhandel
Am Lämmermarkt an der BS:WI
Business economist in foreign trade (BiA) – YOUR additional qualification and career start in foreign trade
Introduction:
Foreign trade is more than just an area of the economy – it brings the world together. And you are already a part of it. In your everyday life, you are surrounded by countless products that have come into your life through international trade: the coffee in the morning, the tablet at school, your new sneakers.
And in this exciting, international, and diverse field, you can now also take off professionally and even set your sights on future leadership and management roles. It is possible to obtain several degrees at the same time.
With the training at the Institut für Außenhandel, you will initially acquire two important building blocks for your career: After completing six semesters, you will take the exam to become a Merchant in Wholesale and Foreign Trade Management before the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the exam for Business Economist in Foreign Trade at our institute. In this way, you gain additional knowledge and skills beyond the commercial profession in the areas of business administration, economics, law, human resources, and communication. You will be empowered to take on leadership and management roles in foreign trade companies. Subsequently, you can even add a part-time Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons) Business Management) at our cooperation partner, the ECBM in London.
Stable enrollment numbers and positive feedback from training companies over almost three decades confirm the interest in this educational program and the high quality standards, as our participants gain more practical experience than in a pure university study, achieve greater theoretical depth than in a purely dual training program, and acquire more foreign trade-specific knowledge than in a classic dual study program. Thus, you acquire a solid foundation for a challenging career in practical business, which is associated with diverse career opportunities in the industry.
Contact person:
Alexander Denker
Director of the institute
+49 40 428 861 713
alexander.denker@hibb.hamburg.de
Mark-Stefan Sieger
Managing Director of the Institute
+49 40 428 861 735
mark-stefan.sieger@hibb.hamburg.de
About the vocational training
The Institut für Außenhandel
Since the establishment of the institute in 1996, it has been and still is our goal – together with the Hamburg foreign trade and its economic associations – to offer an educational program that provides qualified young talent with a solid foundation in economics as part of a dual education system. We pursue this goal together with an ever-growing circle of training companies.
The Institut für Außenhandel at Am Lämmermarkt is affiliated with the Vocational School for Business and International Affairs Hamburg (BS:WI, BS05), the vocational school for foreign trade, in Hamburg. This allows us to offer a practical educational program that meets the specific requirements of import and export. Education becomes enriching when the individual is at the forefront. We, along with all educators and staff, place great importance on personal interaction with our trainees.
Lesson organization:
During your three-year training period, you will have vocational school classes in part-time format, meaning two days a week with 6-7 lessons each. Additionally, there will be extra evening classes on one day of the week.
At the end of the training, you can then begin the top-up studies at the ECBM, which usually lasts another two semesters. The ECBM offers the necessary modules and seminars on weekends. These take place in various cities in Germany or partly online. For more information: https://www.ecbm-london.de/de/bachelor/ba-hons-business-management-top-up
Training content:
Our teaching is based on the nationwide valid framework curriculum and conveys, among other things, content from the following areas of learning:
- Professionally handle import and export: Planning, organization, and execution of international goods flows, including customs clearance, proof of origin and preferences, as well as delivery and payment terms.
- Analyze international markets: market observation, target market analysis, customer structure, and competitive comparisons – practically prepared for direct use in the company.
- Know the legal and economic frameworks: international contracts, foreign trade law, delivery delay regulations, and country-specific peculiarities.
- Foreign languages and intercultural competence: Particularly in foreign trade, the ability to express oneself confidently in English – often also in another foreign language – is indispensable. Intercultural sensitivity and communication are also central teaching contents.
- Sustainability and ethical action: Evaluating global supply chains under social and ecological aspects and designing them responsibly is part of modern education.
- In addition to professional expertise, interdisciplinary skills that are crucial for a successful career in foreign trade are also specifically promoted in the lessons, such as communication skills and teamwork, self-organization and problem-solving abilities, media and IT competence, as well as sense of responsibility and initiative.
- In addition to the content of the regular vocational training, you will receive instruction in our BiA class in the areas of business administration, economics, law, human resources, accounting, and communication.
Exam:
For the qualification examination before the Chamber of Commerce, participation in and passing of the two written partial exams (AP1 and AP2) and the final oral subject discussion are necessary. You can find more information here: hk24.de
For the degree in Business Administration in Foreign Trade, participation in and passing additional written exams, a comprehensive thesis, and a final oral examination are necessary.
Regarding the exam regulations for the Bachelor's degree, please check directly with the ECBM: BA (Hons) Business Management (Top-up)
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