Summer Semester 2025

Beginning with the summer semester of 2025, the Competence Center began to conduct an ongoing analysis of courses offered at WU that relate to its core topics of Emerging Markets and Central & Eastern Europe. The following sections provide an overview of the relevant courses identified through a keyword analysis. The center has created an overview of prevalent topics, patterns, regions, and departments of the summer semester 2025.

In addition, a list of all identified courses can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. 

Distribution by teaching programs

In the summer semester of 2025, approximately 40 relevant courses were offered. Around 85 % of these courses were taught at the bachelor’s level, while approximately 10 % were offered at the master’s level. Only one course was classified as PhD-level, accounting for roughly 3 % of the total.

EM&CEE related courses in WU Master’s Programs

Among the master’s-level offerings, the Master of Laws (LL.M.) accounts for a substantial share of the identified courses. Likewise, the Center’s specialized Masterclass CEE program contributes a considerable proportion of the relevant course portfolio. In addition, several courses are offered within the master’s program in Taxation and Accounting.

Clustering of the courses (BA and MA level)

Six major thematic clusters have been identified across the analyzed courses. These include, in descending order, courses in the areas of ‘Business Communication & Language’, ‘International Business Management & Marketing’, and ‘Sustainability’. A significant share of courses also falls within the fields of ‘Global Economics & Socioeconomics’, ‘Intercultural Competence’, and ‘Law and Regulation’.

Dominant keywords

The list of identified courses was created by searching for all courses that include specific regional references (such as CEE, Africa, etc.) or thematic terms (such as developing countries, emerging markets, etc.). The frequency of these keywords provides an indication of which topics are relatively prominent. 

From a keyword perspective, ‘China’ stands out as a popular focus, often appearing as a case study in relation to Asia. Unsurprisingly, ‘Asia’ itself also continues to frequently occur. The keyword ‘Russian’ remains to appear commonly, as it is often offered as a language course.

Other frequently occurring keywords include ‘(Eastern) Europe,’ ‘Emerging Markets,’ and ‘Southeast Asia,’ further highlighting the stronger emphasis on Eastern Europe and Asia compared with Africa and Latin America.

Regional-to-cluster linkages

Using the keyword analysis, each course’s thematic cluster can be linked to the specific keyword through which it was identified. The chord diagram visualizes these connections, highlighting the relationships between regional keywords and their corresponding clusters.

The ‘Business Communication & Language’ cluster is closely tied to ‘Russia(n)’, reflecting the historical, social, and economic importance of language competence for engaging with Eastern Europe and post-Soviet contexts. Meanwhile, the ‘International Business Management & Marketing’ cluster shows pronounced links to ‘Emerging Markets’ and ‘Eastern Europe’, pointing to a strategic focus on business dynamics in rapidly developing economies and transitional regions.

Notably, the term ‘China’ is closely connected to the clusters ‘Global Economics & Socioeconomics’ and ‘Sustainability’, highlighting China’s predominant role among the Asian countries represented in the identified courses.

The world map

The world map visualization underscores these findings: CEE and Asia appear as the two dominant regional anchors, while individual courses extend coverage to regions such as Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. This shows the breadth of geographical focus offered by WU courses.

Overview of the EM&CEE courses at WU

Altogether, the results suggest that WU students are consistently exposed to topics that combine practical regional expertise with broader thematic approaches, equipping them to critically engage with economic, political, and social dynamics in global markets. A particularly noticeable emphasis is placed on business communication, highlighting the importance of intercultural and professional communication skills alongside substantive regional and economic knowledge.

Finally, the identified courses can be downloaded as an Excel file.