News Releases

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

A new three-week marketing course will be taught by University of Kansas School of Business marketing professor Kissan Joseph on the campus of the Asian School of Business (ASB) in southern India over winter break this year.  Twenty-two KU graduate and undergraduate business students have signed up for the course that includes sessions taught by ASB faculty as well as visits to area companies and cultural sites. 

“With a sixth of the world’s population and an economy growing at close to double-digit rates annually, India is an integral part of the global economy,” Joseph said.  “Many leading U.S. business schools are now including India in their long-term strategic business plans.  The winter break initiative is part of a process of actively developing academic partners in India that can help provide rich, experiential learning opportunities for our students.” 

Another new program over the break will take place in collaboration with the University of Costa Rica.  Many business students take Spanish to complete a foreign language requirement and Latin America provides excellent study abroad opportunities. This region has rebounded quickly from the global recession and is a strong source of growth in earnings for U.S. companies. 

“The School is building a strong, permanent foundation for our Institute for International Business (IIB) to ensure that our international business activities continue to be one of the School’s strengths for many years to come,” said Bill Fuerst, dean of the School.  “The IIB and its international activities provide extraordinary learning experiences for our students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  A number of our students have said their study abroad experiences were life changing.”

Created in 2006, the IIB’s primary mission is to ensure that KU Business graduates are prepared to work in a global economy.  Specialized course work at KU and study abroad programs teach the international skills and understanding needed in today’s business world. 

About one-third of the School’s undergraduates and more than half of the full-time MBA students will study abroad.  In support of this high level of study abroad activity, the IIB has provided $385,000 in study abroad scholarships to almost 300 business students since 2006, including $165,000 in 2010.  

Two-week study abroad programs in China have provided a number of MBA students with an exceptional opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and to interact directly with executives from the U.S., and other international and Chinese firms.  In spring 2011, this program will take place in Beijing and Shanghai, focusing on strategies for portfolio management and business partnerships in China.

Business senior Courtney Petrehn recently spent three months studying at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.  “I kept my eyes open for business opportunities in China because I’m interested in starting a business there.  My entrepreneurship courses have taught me to always be looking for these opportunities,” Petrehn said.

Business undergraduates and graduates also can study abroad in Italy through the Consortium Institute for Management and Business Analysis (CIMBA) program, which is operated by a select group of U.S. universities including KU.  This program has been and remains a major destination for KU business students by providing experiential learning offerings that go beyond traditional classroom content. Seminars in European culture, international relations and etiquette are integral components of CIMBA activities.

The IIB is particularly interested in encouraging students to spend a summer or semester abroad at programs involving foreign language learning and in emerging economic areas.  To attract students to these destinations, the School of Business has developed partnerships with renowned foreign universities.  “The School wants to be able to count on high-quality opportunities for study abroad in targeted countries,” said Carol Rose, IIB director. 

In addition to longstanding arrangements with Groups ESC Clermont-Ferrand in France, CIMBA in Italy and the University of Costa Rica, the School has partnerships with two universities in China and one in Germany.  The School is also working toward agreements with universities in the Czech Republic and India.