MarcoPolo Global Education

Seminars and Workshops

Raising awareness through reflection. Building skills through practice.

MarcoPolo Global Education offers seminars and workshops designed to serve two distinct purposes. Seminars raise participants’ awareness of an academic or professional issue, provide reliable points of reference and encourage informed reflection. Workshops go further by engaging participants in methods, tools and practical situations through which they develop observable skills. Each activity is designed either for secondary-school students or for university students, with separate sessions adapted to the needs, responsibilities and objectives of each audience.

Seminars: 90 minutes to 3 hours Workshops: 3 to 5 days, 20 to 40 hours

Two formats, two distinct purposes

A seminar and a workshop do not address the same need and should not be designed in the same way. A seminar opens a discussion, structures participants’ understanding of a subject and draws their attention to issues they may not previously have considered. A workshop provides a longer and more demanding learning experience centred on action and production. Depending on the intended outcome, MarcoPolo Global Education therefore offers either a structured opportunity for awareness and discussion or a practical programme devoted to developing specific competencies.

90 minutes to 3 hours Presentation + discussion

Seminars: understanding, questioning and becoming aware

Lasting between 90 minutes and 3 hours, a seminar consists of a structured presentation delivered by an expert, followed by discussion and questions from participants. It is comparable to an interactive conference in which ideas are explained, placed in context and examined through dialogue with the audience. Its purpose is awareness: a seminar does not claim to develop full competence within a few hours, but aims to deepen understanding, challenge misconceptions and provide useful points of reference for future decisions.

A seminar helps participants understand an issue more clearly before acting or making a decision.

3 to 5 days 20 to 40 hours

Workshops: learning by doing

Delivered over 3 to 5 days, with a total duration of 20 to 40 hours, a workshop is based on the principle of learning by doing. Participants analyse situations, use tools, complete exercises, produce work, receive feedback and progressively improve their performance. The purpose is no longer simply to understand a topic, but to develop a skill and demonstrate the ability to apply it in a practical situation. Each workshop is therefore built around specific objectives, observable tasks and concrete outputs through which progress can be assessed. Some workshops may be presented as bootcamps when they involve a particularly intensive schedule, consecutive days of work, compulsory production and a final assessed outcome. A bootcamp is therefore not a separate category of service, but an intensive form of workshop.

A workshop develops competence through practice, feedback and improvement.

Separate activities for secondary-school and university students

Secondary-school students

Preparing for higher education and international study

Activities for secondary-school students focus on understanding higher education, academic choices, international study opportunities, admission requirements and the transition to university. They help students interpret programme information, understand admission systems, present their academic background and recognise the responsibilities involved in studying abroad. Seminars primarily raise awareness of the decisions they will need to make, while workshops allow them to work practically on methods, documents and outputs that will support their future academic development.

University students

Preparing for international internships and employment

Activities for university students focus on internship searches and entry into the international labour market. They may address the development of a search strategy, the identification of target countries, sectors and employers, the adaptation of a curriculum vitae, the preparation of applications, professional networking, intercultural communication and interview performance. Seminars help participants understand recruiters’ expectations and the realities of an international search, while workshops require them to build, test and improve their own application tools and professional approach.

A teaching method adapted to each format

The quality of an activity depends not only on its subject, but also on the suitability of its method for the intended purpose. A seminar must provide a clear, structured and sufficiently substantial presentation to support meaningful discussion. A workshop must place participants’ work, exercises, simulations, feedback and corrections at the centre of the learning process. MarcoPolo Global Education therefore does not present a conference as complete training and does not reduce a workshop to a succession of theoretical presentations.

A seminar structures understanding and opens discussion.

A workshop organises practice, feedback and improvement.

Content designed to produce a genuine outcome

Our activities are not built around slogans, motivational speeches or general advice. Each seminar must enable participants to understand an issue more clearly, reconsider certain assumptions and leave with structured points of reference. Each workshop must enable them to perform tasks they could not previously complete, use specific tools and produce a concrete result. The value of every activity therefore rests on the quality of its content, the clarity of its method and the consistency between the stated objectives and the work actually undertaken.

A programme renewed each year

The programme of seminars and workshops is developed and updated according to identified needs, emerging academic and professional issues and the priorities established by MarcoPolo Global Education. The themes, dates, duration, participation arrangements and fees are presented on the pages dedicated to the activities that have actually been scheduled. This approach allows the main institutional page to remain permanent while the annual programme evolves freely from one year to the next.

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Seminars

Seminars provide a structured period of presentation, analysis and discussion devoted to a specific academic or professional issue. Each activity identifies its intended audience, topic, duration, date, participation arrangements and the main questions that will be addressed.

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Participants working together during a workshop

Workshops

Workshops are intensive practical programmes delivered over 3 to 5 days, during which participants develop skills through action. Each activity specifies the objectives, tasks, competencies assessed, expected outputs and participation requirements. Certain workshops may be offered as bootcamps when their intensity, schedule and final production justify this format.

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Choosing the format that matches the objective

A seminar is suitable for participants who wish to understand a subject more clearly, become aware of an issue or obtain reliable points of reference before continuing their reflection. A workshop is intended for participants who are prepared to devote several days to practical learning, produce personal work and improve their skills through exercises and structured feedback. The choice therefore depends not only on the time available, but on the intended result: raising awareness or learning how to perform.

MarcoPolo Global Education Seminars and Workshops

Would you like to discover the next activities available to secondary-school or university students? Consult the relevant programme to identify the seminars and workshops that correspond to your objectives.

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