16 minute read
Think Locally Act Globally
Paul Parisi ’09 VSB spent his last night in the States cheering on the Yankees in the final game of the World Series.
BY LEIGH TOBIN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ’09 VSB
Knowing he wanted to pursue an international career,
Paul took full advantage of every global offering he could while at VSB studying finance with a co-major in International Business, including a study
abroad opportunity in London with an internship in the marketing office of the English
National Opera. A study abroad adventure as a sophomore took him to Paris, and back on campus he enrolled in every international-themed class he could, including International Comparative Management, International Finance, and Global Business Ethics. He even took a Chinese cooking class.
Each of these experiences helped to prepare Paul for his dream job as a Fixed Income Broker for Seidel & Shaw in Hong Kong. “If international experience is something you know you want to make a part of your time at college, I can’t imagine many places more appealing than Villanova,” Paul says. “The summer programs, service break trips, and other possibilities make it very easy to enhance your on-campus education with global exposure. I can’t imagine making the move I made after graduation without the opportunities given to me by Villanova.”
PREPARING GLOBAL CITIZENS
Vsb’s globAl focus is Anchored by the center
for Global Leadership (CGL), which is tasked with advancing ethical and responsible global leadership for the betterment of business and society. The center oversees or facilitates many of the activities, programs, and initiatives that are designed to provide VSB students with meaningful global opportunities and experiences. The center is guided by an Advisory Council of senior executives who provide overall direction, participate in career events and forums, and offer international internships. Beginning this fall, the Advisory Council will participate in a series of panels on globalization for all VSB freshmen during their first weeks on campus to stimulate their interest in and awareness of global issues.
“CGL serves as a broad umbrella to stimulate and support international courses, study abroad experiences, and innovative approaches to global leadership, including international service,” says Jonathan P. Doh, who holds the Rammrath Chair in International Business and serves as CGL’s Academic Director. “We serve as VSB’s champion and advocate for global exposure, but always with a sense of ethics and responsibility for those less fortunate, a perspective that is consistent with the University’s ethos and values.” Says CGL Associate Director Professor Kenneth Taylor, who runs VSB’s summer study abroad program in Madrid, “this is an exciting time to be involved in international business education: VSB has developed enriching study abroad programs in almost every corner of the world, the curriculum and faculty are more internationalized than ever, and student involvement in our global opportunities is at an all-time high.”
International educational opportunities and global service experiences are woven into VSB’s curriculum. Completely redesigned in 2008, VSB’s curriculum is challenging and rigorous, designed to prepare students for success in the real world of global business. VSB students embrace global views—55 percent study abroad at some point during their four years of study. According to the Institute for International Education (IIE) annual Open Doors report, Villanova ranks third in the nation among Master’s universities for the total number of students that it sends overseas on study abroad programs. “Our students are consistently encouraged to view themselves and their work within the context of making a positive contribution to global business and society at large,” says Kevin D. Clark, Interim Dean. “VSB graduates are wellprepared to pursue and succeed in global careers.”
For undergraduate students, VSB offers an International Business co-major or minor. “As our world becomes smaller and more complex, it is critical that our students are exposed to and have an understanding of global business practices,” says Melinda German, Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Business Program. “The cross-cultural skills they learn at VSB are valued by global companies.” As Daniel Wright, Chair of the Department of Management and Operations, adds, that’s not all.
For example, undergraduate students can elect to take Global Pharmaceutical Industry, a course in which College of Engineering Professor William Kelly collaborates with VSB Professor Doh to provide insights into an important industry sector, or Global Social Entrepreneurship, which highlights the intractable problems of poverty and sickness among those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
SERVICE WITH A PURPOSE THE WORLD IS OUR CLASSROOM
VillAnoVA hAs long emphAsized serVice As An
integral part of the undergraduate experience. At VSB, this commitment is exemplified by the student-run group Business without Borders (BWB), a chapter of Net Impact, which was founded in the fall of 2008 by a group of VSB seniors who noticed the dichotomy between the social justice values on which Villanova prides itself and the negative reputation of business programs that are too focused on the bottom line. The group brings professionals from socially responsible companies to campus and helps increase awareness among VSB students about atypical business career paths both domestically and internationally. It also has assisted in implementing international projects around the world, in such far-flung places as Kenya, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. In each BWB project, student members investigate ways business can improve the lives of people who have very limited access to capital.
Tara McHugh ’12 VSB has traveled twice to Nicaragua with BWB. “It is almost impossible not to have international interactions in today’s business world. There are numerous opportunities for business development in other countries that would positively contribute to trade and jobs for both local and foreign employers,” says McHugh. “In addition, there are so many resources that need to be spread more evenly around the world. What most developing countries need is small businesses and organizations to give them a jump start and get them on the ladder of economic development. Once they gain a foothold on this ‘ladder,’ it is easier for them to develop and progress on their own.”
from A business stAndpoint, globAl success
means the ability to successfully navigate many different cultures on a multitude of levels. And as the world becomes more globalized, employers are seeking out individuals who have a background in international business. The types of global opportunities offered at VSB help students meet these benchmarks as they enter the workforce. “Students are no longer just competing with their classmates for positions after graduation,” says Director of International Studies Lance Kenney, “they are competing on a global scale, which is why internships and study abroad programs are so important.”
VSB’s study-abroad program is one of the most flexible amongst top-tier business schools. Predicated on linking inside-the-classroom teaching with out-in-the-world experience, the concept of ‘learning
The Global Pharmaceutical Industry course provides an in-depth exposure to the science, engineering, and business of this increasingly global industry. Co-taught by Professors Jonathan Doh of VSB and William Kelly of the College of Engineering, the course covers current technical, ethical, regulatory, and business challenges facing the industry, and incorporates numerous guest presentations from leading executives. The class includes students from VSB, the College of Engineering, and Arts and Sciences.
Ten guest speakers from leading industries visit and discuss issues such as counterfeit medications, overseas marketing of vaccines, and global access to medicines. “One of the industry’s issues is how to get drug companies to invest in medications and vaccines that are only needed in developing countries when their preference, purely from a good business standpoint, would be to invest in research to create drugs or medications in countries, like the United States, that have more money to spend,” says Kelly.
Chris Sobotka ’11 EMBA is currently based in Beijing, China, as Finance Director at Xian-Jannsen Pharmaceutical, a Johnson & Johnson company. He credits his experience at VSB, in part, for helping him succeed in his international career.
“It would be difficult to imagine being effective in my current role without some of the opportunities and insights I received through the Villanova Executive MBA program,” says Sobotka. “As an EMBA student I went on my first trip to Asia, where I was safely able to explore opportunities in a very different business environment.” When Sobotka learned of the professional opportunity in China shortly after his VSB experience, he found the proposition was not as intimidating as it once may have been.
“My experiences at Villanova helped prepare me to hit the ground running in an international assignment. Specifically, my coursework focused on Systems Thinking helped broaden my professional thinking, while the Strategy, Leadership, and Performance Measurement classes helped me understand—and start to shape—the J&J business in China. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have used prior presentations or frameworks from Villanova when trying to think through difficult problems.”
by doing’ is especially relevant at Villanova. The school sponsors eight summer business programs around the world, in locations such as China, England, Italy, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and Australia, which provide students with the opportunity to gain the international business experience necessary to be competitive in today’s workplace.
As the cornerstone to successful relationship building, internships play an important and expanding role in business education at VSB, which now offers internships in Korea, China, and South America. Of the students who have opted to study overseas, one-third of them also are taking on internships in those countries. “Beyond just gaining knowledge from traditional class work, these individuals are working outside the classroom and experiencing work and culture by taking theory and putting it into practice—one of VSB’s core principles,” says Kenney.
Wen Mao, Professor of Economics and Statistics, is the Faculty Program Coordinator for the VSB experience in China. “The benefit to the students really is twofold,” says Mao. “First, it forces them to step out of their comfort zone. Companies appreciate students who are willing to do that. Second, it opens their minds. The experience is transformational. Students learn a lot on the trip—not just about the Chinese economy and doing business in China, but also about themselves, the difference between cultures, and a new way of looking at issues.”
The importance of international awareness and fluency is evident from students’ earliest days on campus. Now in its 10th year, VSB’s Global Citizens Program offers freshmen a 16-week overseas experience that combines academic coursework with a practical internship in London or, beginning in the upcoming academic year, Singapore. “The objective,” says Kenney, “is to stimulate a greater intellectual curiosity early in a student’s college career and to challenge pre-conceived notions of the world.”
Based on the success of the Global Citizens Program, VSB recently introduced a new program designed to provide students with an opportunity to emphasize and integrate global leadership throughout their undergraduate experience. The Global Leadership Fellows (GLF) Program builds on the interest of those who participated in the Global Citizens Program and invites them to take their global interests a step further. In addition to customized international coursework, the program requires a second study abroad, preferably in a developing or emerging market. “It is our hope that students who engage in the GLF Program will learn to navigate the complexities of conducting business internationally, gain an understanding of how specific business disciplines manifest in different cultural settings, and in so doing, develop global leadership skills that will last a lifetime,” says Professor Doh.
BREAKING OUT AT THE GRADUATE LEVEL
for grAduAte students, VillAnoVA offers mbA
and Executive MBA programs (EMBA), each with a global focus. In the rapidly changing competitive landscape, many students are opting for a specialization within the MBA degree, and International Business is one of the most popular. According to Jonathan Doh, “our graduate students have particular needs when it comes to global programs, because most are employed full time and can’t take long periods of time away from their employers. At the same time, they have real-world experience that we want to leverage. With this in mind, we have developed specific global experiences that are integrated into our programs and that play to our students’ strengths, while stretching and challenging them in interesting global settings.”
Manuel Nunez, Director of External and Government Affairs for the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), received his MBA from VSB in 2003. He also is the Chair of the Center for Global Leadership Advisory Council. “Villanova prepared me by providing a structure for complex problem solving, an understanding of how to incorporate cultural context into my business decision making, and an ability to deal with ambiguous business situations. My executive learning experience was never limited to classroom-constrained academic exercises, and that resulted in very real and relevant lessons.”
Students point to specific MBA courses, such as Global Political Economy and the new Global Consulting Practicum, as key elements of their global education. A capstone course required of all students, the Global Consulting Practicum assigns teams of students to work with a company to solve specific challenges in locations such as Chile, China, Korea, and South Africa. Global Political Economy provides an interactive introduction to the broad trends shaping the 21st century global economy.
As part of the Villanova Executive MBA program, students also participate in the Global Immersion Program. This experience includes a firsthand look at international business during an eight-day
Kim Cahill, Administrative Director for the Center for Global Leadership, has had a longstanding passion for international affairs and global cultures. She studied international relations at Bucknell as an undergraduate, completed a semester abroad in France, and later earned an MS in International Business and Culture at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kim has been in the field of international education for nearly 20 years, most recently as Director of the Institute of Global Management Studies and Center for International Business Education and Research at Temple University. She also spent five years at the University of Pennsylvania coordinating international initiatives for the Organizational Dynamics Program. She has led numerous international and cross-cultural initiatives, and has taught English as a second language.
As CGL Academic Director Jonathan Doh notes, “Kim brings a wealth of experience and an incredible portfolio of talents to this new position. She already has made her mark in linking us with important international business networks, developing new programs, and seeking new sources of funding.”
Cahill was drawn to Villanova because of its strong commitment to ethics and social responsibility, its supportive community, and high rates of student participation in international experiences.
— LANCE KENNEY, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
stay abroad in the spring of the program’s first year. The trip provides a broader understanding of the complexities of doing business in an emerging economy. In the past few years, students have traveled to China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hungary, and Turkey.
“Today’s business world is borderless,” says Nunez, who accompanies the Executive MBA students on their immersion trips. “Students are graduating into a very integrated economy where even the smallest firms must consider the global aspects of the marketplace in which they compete and the customers whom they service. ‘Global business’ is rapidly becoming a redundant phrase. In addition, companies continue to place a premium on global fluency as they make hiring decisions. This is why Villanova business students, who demonstrate not only strong business acumen and technical skills but also the ability to deploy those skills with an understanding of cultural context, continue to be in high demand.”
“Beyond business,” says Nunez, “we all can benefit from an increased understanding of our ‘global village.’ ‘Think globally, act locally’ has been a long-lived mantra, but today’s technology has given us a level of global connectedness never before seen. This means that now, more than ever, our individual and collective actions have the ability to positively impact far beyond our own communities.” Jonathan Doh believes, “Globalization is the defining feature of our time. It is our responsibility to ensure that our students are positioned to understand it, to live it, and to shape it.” V
What was once a short program for MBA students, the Summer Abroad program in Shanghai, China, has matured into a program for undergraduates that includes coursework at East China Normal University and lectures at multinational companies. Students also complete an internship with companies including Citibank, McKinsey & Company, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, Easen International, Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, JSL Car Accessories, and TBWA Worldwide.
“The life and business experiences these students receive not only help them in the business world, but teach them a lot about themselves,” says Wen Mao, program coordinator.
Among the highlights of the program are excursions designed to impart the country’s history and visits to Chinese corporations, Mao explains. “Part of the students’ experience is simply meeting ordinary Chinese people. They have ridden bikes on the ancient city walls in Xian, stayed in a Beijing hotel that was converted from a typical Beijing old-style residence from several hundred years ago, visited local food markets and community centers in Shanghai, and visited a farmer’s home and had lunch with his family.”
“In the 14 years we have run this program, we have experienced many challenges, but each time we are faced with one, we grow and learn from it. Each summer I eagerly anticipate this trip and watching the students experience this new culture for the first time,” says Mao.
“Business Without Borders was my first experience with international work,” says Tara McHugh ’12 VSB (FIN/IB). “After joining, I discovered my passion for international projects and decided to co-major in International Business.”
Through BWB, McHugh traveled twice to Waslala, Nicaragua. “Visiting Nicaragua helped shape my future career aspirations and views about performing service internationally. While there, I interacted with the community, worked closely with Villanova engineering peers who were working on a MicroHydro Electrification Project, and collaborated with another group of Villanova engineers and nurses on their Tele-Health Project. The projects were a team effort between the community and Villanova students. We worked together to understand the needs of the community instead of just telling them what we thought they needed.”
McHugh credits VSB, the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE Center), the CGL, her professors, and her BWB peers with making her trips possible, preparing her for what to expect, and enabling her to get the most out of her experiences. “It is through Villanova and its values that I have learned and developed my passion for service. Villanova provided me with the tools necessary to discover my interests in this area and then gave me the opportunity to have handson experiences to not only learn more, but also to make a real difference in the lives of others.”
