June at ESEI Business School: International Encounters, Industry Learning and a Milestone Month
June 2026 was one of the most meaningful months in the ESEI academic year. The campus welcomed two international student groups from France and the United States, students visited some of Barcelona’s most distinctive properties and organisations, and the month closed with Final Thesis Defence Day, marking the end of the academic journey for a cohort of Master’s students. Graduation follows on 3 July.
Here is a look at everything that happened.
International Educational Tours
Voyage-langue French Student Group
ESEI welcomed another group of French students to Barcelona as part of the Voyage-langue educational programme, organised in collaboration with France Compétences. The group followed a focused programme built around the theme of hospitality and tourism, with three workshops at the ESEI campus.
The first workshop, “Eco-Check: Making Tourism Environmentally Friendly,” explored how the hospitality industry is responding to the growing demand for sustainable practice. The second, “The Hospitality Pivot: Re-Positioning Traditional Hotels for the Modern Traveller,” examined how established hotel brands are adapting their offer, identity and marketing to stay relevant in a rapidly changing market. The third, “Before, During, and After: Keeping Your Guests Engaged,” focused on the full guest journey and the strategies hotels use to build loyalty across every touchpoint.
The week concluded with an industry visit to Hotel Casa Fuster, a five-star Grand Luxe property on Passeig de Gràcia, and a Certificate of Completion ceremony at the ESEI campus.
Miami University Ohio: FSB Barcelona Programme (KEI)
ESEI also hosted a group of Bachelor’s students from Miami University Ohio, studying in Barcelona through the FSB Barcelona programme in collaboration with KEI. The programme combined internship placements, academic classes at ESEI and a rich programme of company visits and cultural experiences across June.
Company visits during the month included SAP Barcelona at the Torre Diagonal Mar hub, where students received an overview of SAP’s primary AI tools and took a tour of the offices. They visited Barcelona Activa, the city’s enterprise and startup support agency, for a tour and an overview of services for entrepreneurs. They also visited Ernst & Young at their Sarrià-Sant Gervasi offices, and toured an Amazon Logistics Center, gaining a behind-the-scenes look at large-scale supply chain and warehouse operations.
Learning Walk: ME Barcelona Hotel by Meliá
Students on the Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management Hotel Management and Operations course, led by Professor Ariel Castillo, visited ME Barcelona Hotel by Meliá, one of Barcelona’s most architecturally striking five-star properties.
The visit was led by Marcos Domínguez Morell, Aura Manager and Rooftop Supervisor, and Lisa Aponte, Assistant Aura Manager and VIP Services specialist. Students were given a comprehensive tour of the property including rooms, common areas and back of house, and explored how ME Barcelona uses its lifestyle brand identity and marketing strategy to position itself in an extremely competitive market.
Learning Walk: RCD Espanyol Stadium
Students on the Master in Sports Management Ecosystems of Sport course, led by Professor Gerard Valldeperez, visited RCD Espanyol de Barcelona for a combined stadium tour and business strategy session.
Jordi Tomàs Augusto guided students through the RCDE Stadium, exploring how the venue functions as a strategic asset beyond matchday, covering performance infrastructure, venue operations, fan experience design, smart technology and commercial activity. The visit was followed by a session with David Bley García, who shared key insights into RCD Espanyol’s business strategy, covering revenue generation, brand positioning, digital transformation, community engagement and international growth.
Content Creators Club: End of Year Celebration
June also marked the end of year meeting of ESEI’s Content Creators Club, led by ESEI Social Media and Content Manager Hallie Murphree. The session brought together the club’s members to celebrate the year and honour the graduating members who will be leaving the ESEI community.
A special thank you and farewell to the graduating members of the club: Laura Reis, Deborah Kriesi, Gabriela Michelazzo, Maria Vitoria and Sofia Baptista Fileno Meireles. Your creativity, energy and contribution to the ESEI community throughout the year has been genuinely valued.
Final Thesis Defence Day
June closed with one of the most important moments in the ESEI academic calendar: Final Thesis Defence Day.
A selected group of Master’s students were chosen to present their final thesis projects to a panel of five judges, defending months of research, strategy and hard work in front of industry professionals.
Congratulations to all students who were selected to present: Ginevra Severi, Sebastian Triemer, Alice Silvietti, Gisele Makary, Laura Reis, Noah Acis, Zain Khan, Lukas Dybek, Maxim Billiau, Kai Von, Ouafaa Laaroussi, Rebecca Deswita, Dmitry Balitskiy, Ashley Wong, Kerwin Meily and Hazel Meily.
A special congratulations to Alice Silvietti and Gisele Makary, whose project CreatorVoyage was selected as the winning thesis by the judging panel.
Thank you to the five judges who gave their time and expertise: Carlota Estera, Kateryna Diakonova, Kate Busby, Denis Boevskiy and Luis Fernández López.
Graduation will take place on 3 July 2026. Congratulations to the entire graduating cohort!
Explore ESEI’s Programmes
👉 If you’re considering starting your own journey in Barcelona, explore ESEI’s Short Courses, Bachelor’s and Master’s and MBA programmes and see how we can support you on your study abroad journey.
You may also like
ESEI Short Courses: What Are They and Who Are They For?
What Can You Do With a Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship?
