CIBER LogoCIBER NEWS

September, 1996
Volume 7, Number 1


From the Executive Director

Let me share with you some of the exciting developments taking place at The Broad College of Business.

First, the full-time MBA curriculum has been completely overhauled in order to reflect ongoing fundamental changes that shape management practice. Our faculty has designed a more integrated curriculum that relies on team teaching. Most importantly, the core courses in the new MBA all reflect an international dimension. The core starts out with the course “The Global Organization and the Firm's Strategic Position,” and ends with “Integrative Case Experience and Future Global Strategies.” In between, all students will be studying international, comparative, and cross-cultural dimensions of business. The new program will be launched next fall. Second, we are developing a new course on Export Marketing to be offered on the Internet. This will be one of several electronic courses offered by MSU. This course is designed for a broad audience of students and practitioners in Michigan and elsewhere. We are excited about the potentially far-reaching impact of this venture.

Third, we are now developing a Windows application of our well-accepted decision support tool, CORE (COmpany Readiness to Export). CORE V will also feature other enhancements which should improve its attractiveness for business and educational users.

Fourth, as you note elsewhere in this issue, overseas study initiatives have taken a new turn in the Broad College with the addition of a major program to take place annually at Merida, Mexico. Student response to this program has been very enthusiastic.

This is just a sample of the many international activities. We look forward to reporting on more of them in the future!

S. Tamer Cavusgil

Mexico study program offers international experience

In collaboration with The Eli Broad College of Business, the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Science, MSU CIBER is pleased to announce a twelve-week overseas study opportunity in Mexico. This exciting interdisciplinary program, new for Spring Semester 1997, will offer students a chance to explore the culture, business environment and socio-economic structures of Mexico and its southern neighbors. The program will be hosted by La Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan (UADY) in Yucatan’s capital city of Merida.

The program was designed to create a shared learning community that would feature small classes, as well as interaction with MSU faculty members and guest lecturers from UADY. Classroom learning will be supplemented by field study and field trips exploring the business and culture of our southern NAFTA partner.

Participating students will enroll in a minimum of 12 credits, including at least four credits of Spanish language instruction. The remaining credits can consist of classes taken from the arts and letters, business and social science fields.

Business College offerings will include regular and honors sections of “Law, Public Policy, and Business” (GBL 395) and a special topics class titled “Doing Business in Mexico” (GBL 490). GBL 395 will highlight a series of nine lectures regarding Mexican law by UADY faculty members. GBL 490 will also be based on UADY faculty lectures and include five to seven field trips to various business enterprises operating in the area. The course will allow juniors and seniors to fulfill their international business requirement within the College of Business.

According to The Broad College’s faculty coordinator for the program, Professor Paulette Stenzel, student response to the program has been tremendous. Although there is only space for 36 students in the program, many more people have applied. 42 percent of the Spring 1997 applicants were from the College of Business, with the College of Social Science and College of Arts and Letters making up 30 percent and 6 percent of the applicants, respectively. Stenzel, a professor of business law, will be teaching the GBL 395 courses and coordinating GBL 490.

Date set for International Business Institute

May 18-23 has been decided upon as the dates for the 1997 International Business Institute for Community College Faculty. This institute will address how community and technical colleges can develop international business courses at a two-year college level. The institute will be held at Kellogg Center, on the campus of Michigan State University.

MSU CIBER is sponsoring this event, along with CIBERs at the University of Chicago, University of Connecticut, Ohio State University and Purdue University, and the MSU Vice Provost for University Outreach and the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE). Leading international business faculty members from sponsoring institutions will provide a comprehensive overview of the field of international business. The institute will feature area briefings about important trade regions such as South America, Central Europe, the European Union, and the Asian-Pacific Rim. The program will also include small group sessions facilitated by community college faculty.

Enrollment for the institute is limited and will be decided on a competitive basis. Total costs for tuition and all materials, five nights lodging and most meals amount to $500 per participant. The total cost per person would have been $1470 without the financial contributions of the sponsors. For more information regarding the institute or its application process, please contact MSU CIBER at (517) 432-4320.

IU CIBER provides case clearinghouse

The CIBER at Indiana University now offers a useful resource for international business educators and scholars. It is currently compiling a collection of cases that will be published throughout the United States and Canada by the European Case Clearing House (ECCH) at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. The IU CIBER Collection encourages case writers to send them their submissions. This may be a great way for case writers at universities without clearinghouses to advertise and distribute their cases throughout the country. Additionally, these cases will be indexed through an online system that will allow remote computer searches of the collection. Cases from all business disciplines are welcome. The IU CIBER will review each submission and make suggestions where appropriate. When satisfied with the quality of the submission, it will then add the CIBER Case Collection logo and a case identification number to it, and then send the case and teaching notes to the ECCH at Babson for distribution. Authors will still retain the copyrights to their cases. Parties interested in participating in this program should contact Roger W. Schmenner at the IU CIBER at:
CIBER
Indiana University
Tenth and Fee Lane
Bloomington, Indiana
47405-1701
Tel. (812) 855-1716.

Export Academy enrollment still open

In order to incorporate new changes into the Great Exportations curriculum, the MSU/Michcon Export Academy has decided to delay the start of its next class until February of 1997.

Beginning in 1997, Great Exportations will become an official Executive Development Program (EDP) of Michigan State University. This will allow the Academy to award EDP certificates to its participants. The Academy will also offer participants an option to attend executive training seminars with executives from Mexico at a reduced cost. The seminars will be held in both Michigan and Mexico in late 1997.

Finally, drawing on feedback from prior program participants, the program will be providing additional case studies and incorporating more role-playing exercises into its curriculum. Current enrollment fees for the 12-month program are $6,500. Space is still available in the class beginning in February. For more information, contact the International Business Center at (517) 353-4336.

Upcoming Events

Greater Lansing International Business Forum: Steve Arwood of the Michigan Jobs Commission November 12, 1996, at the Michigan Athletic Club. For more information, call Linda Peterson at 487-6340, ext. 33.

Conference on Languages and Communication for World Business and the Professions April 3-5, 1997, at Eastern Michigan University. For more information, contact EMU at (313) 487-2414.

International Business Institute for Community College Faculty May 18-23, 1997, at Michigan State University. For more information, contact MSU CIBER at (517) 432-4320.

CIBER NEWS SEEKS INFORMATION

Do you have news, information, or activities you would like to publicize in CIBER NEWS? Please contact Neal Lao at (517) 353-4336 or e-mail laonealj@pilot.msu.edu.


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Document last modified on November 1, 1996.