What is “globalization,” and why is it important that Citadel students pay attention to global events? Does the interdependence of world governments and businesses affect every Citadel student and graduate? What if a Citadel graduate wants to work for a multinational company or agency abroad? What skills do students acquire at the Citadel which will prepare them to compete for jobs in the global marketplace?
Shouldn’t The Citadel’s illustrious position as a training ground for exceptional military leaders require that their students get a solid education about the world’s geo-political complexities? After all, US citizens serving in the military are the first to be directly affected by war, an outward expression of our foreign policy.
To answer these questions, it is necessary to look at what is currently underway at The Citadel School of Business Administration as administrators gradually “globalize” their programs. This article is the first in a series which will explore programs and new projects at the school which may help graduates build competency as true global citizens.
The Citadel’s School of Business Administration is a fertile laboratory for a new generation of business leaders who could choose to work in companies with interests world-wide. Internships and job connections can take Citadel graduates farther than they ever imagined, as long as they are prepared.
According to Dr. Earl Walker, Dean of the Citadel’s School of Business Administration, it is a priority to focus on “preparing and educating leaders of principle to serve in a global community.”
Dean Walker has been particularly successful these past few years in attracting private funds from donors who wish to help with that mission. In the past year, Dr. Sheila Foster, CSBA Professor, was appointed Director of Global Experiences for the business school. In this role, she will create and encourage faculty to plan international study trips that “open student’s eyes to the wider world out there,” said Foster.
“Trips abroad get students interested in cultures that they have never been exposed to. So many students just do not know what the world is really like. My goal is to give them a chance to travel and learn and grow personally.”
Foster took students to Egypt last summer. Exotic photos of her group atop camels in the desert adorn her office door. Over this past winter break, she and another group of students traveled to Paris and London.
Students can travel with CSBA professors or choose a program through the Study Abroad Office run by Robert Pickering.
So, where in the world are Citadel students, faculty, and staff traveling to learn more about our complex world? This summer, CSBA faculty has cast off for South America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. In addition, a link to China has been proposed by Dr. Steve Silver and Dr. Jeanette Moody that could open up opportunities for students to learn about the rapidly growing Chinese economy.
Dr. William Woolsey recently returned from a conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where he studied the economic and banking systems of South America’s largest country. Woolsey teaches economics and was fascinated by the social forces in Brazil that influence day to day economic life in a country struggling with enormous debt and poverty.
Dr. J. Michael Alford and Dr. Mark Bebensee, assistant dean of the School of Business, spent the last week of June in Melbourne, Australia, presenting a paper about ways to improve students’ awareness of ethical issues in the workplace. When asked what he learned about Australia, Alford commented, “There is much more government involvement in a citizen’s everyday life in Australia as compared to the US. An 80 percent government tax is levied on petroleum. The few big cities in Australia are so cosmopolitan that you would never know about life in the countryside … the closest I got to the Outback was sitting next to a man in a big cowboy hat!” He and Dr. Bebensee did visit the zoo in Melbourne so they could get a close up look at koala bears and platypus.
Dr. Silver will soon take off for Florence, Italy, to present a paper entitled, “The Emerging Stock Market in China.” Dr. Liz Arnold departs for Wales this summer for an accounting conference, and Dr. Don Sparks returns to Austria where he has taught for many summers.
Editor’s note: This is part one in a series that will explore student and faculty opportunities focused on better understanding globalization.
