International Business is considered an essential part of the College of Business experience, fostering connectivity and collaboration among students, faculty and global partners. Currently, the College has 11 international university partnerships in Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. The College strives to not only network and create change within the Â鶹ӳ» community but also to make connections and build relationships throughout the world.
“Perhaps one of the most valuable outcomes of international collaborations is the knowledge gained from the exchange of ideas and viewpoints among faculty and students with varying backgrounds, language and cultures,” Greg Mosier, dean of the College of Business, said. “The open flow of communication between our counterparts, made possible by global partnerships, not only encourages innovative thinking, but also develops a better sense of understanding among individuals.”
Acknowledging the College's commitment to providing leading business education and global research, the Â鶹ӳ» Governor's Office of Economic Development has collaborated with the College on numerous initiatives. GOED has invited faculty and administration from the College on multiple education and trade missions abroad. This year, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, GOED organized a mission to Europe, which included visits to Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
The mission was headed by Pawel Pietrasienski, the director of International Trade in the GOED, and included delegates from GOED government officials, academics and Â鶹ӳ» businesses. The Â鶹ӳ» was represented by College of Business Dean Mosier; Mehmet Tosun, the College's director of international business programs; Elliot Parker, the chair of the economics department; and Carlos Cardillo, the director of the Â鶹ӳ» Center for Applied Research.
This year, GOED has also offered two College of Business undergraduate students the opportunity to intern within GOED's International Trade Division. Programs and funding assistance within the International Trade Division aim to assist Â鶹ӳ» businesses in expanding their international market activities and attracting foreign investment to the state.
"Two of our undergraduate students, Ethan Olesinski and Oscar Loyd, have been involved in internship projects in the International Trade Division of GOED," Tosun said. “The internships are important because this is the first time we have business students doing internships at GOED's International Trade Division. It is also important because it is building on our existing collaboration with GOED in our international programs, particularly the international university partnerships.”
Olesinski, an economics major, and Loyd, an international business major, work closely with the International Trade Division to produce reports, recommendations and proposals to help the Governor's Office better the state of Â鶹ӳ».
"We are doing a lot of research on things going on within the state, such as infrastructure development, which will later inform and give recommendations to the Governor to help diversify and expand the economy," Olesinski said. "I have also been able to apply the concepts I have learned in the classroom to the real world and get more experience in economics."
Through its programs and partnerships, the College prepares, educates, and produces graduates that can apply business principles and practices that enable economic vitality and inspire positive change in Â鶹ӳ» and the world.
"The most important things I have learned during my internship are how to apply research and professional writing style to write proposals and strategies that better the organization," Loyd said. "My favorite part about interning at GOED is knowing that my work has value and helps better Â鶹ӳ» and its people. I don't think many people can say that about their internship, but I am lucky enough to feel that way. I know that every piece of research or work I do holds merit and allows my team, the international division, to continuously move forward and continue to help our amazing state."
