RESEARCH
· Extensible Business Reporting Language—XBRL (3.1). The KU CIBER will continue its collaboration with the Ernst & Young Center for Auditing Research and Technology to share this cutting-edge research with academics and practitioners.
· Capital Markets in the Southern Cone (3.2a). Professor Chris Anderson will conduct research on Southern Cone capital markets and will make the databases associated with this project available to researchers at other institutions.
· Maquiladora Studies (3.2b). Professor Jill Kleinberg will explore how SONY Mexico was able to develop into a world-class operation, generating cross-cultural perspectives to help enhance U.S. competitiveness.
· Business Leadership through Literature (3.2c). Professors Birch (Business), Anderson (Spanish & Portuguese) and Clowes (Slavic Languages) will lead an interdisciplinary research seminar to develop an experiential understanding of how power and leadership are exercised in different cultures.
· Faculty Research Awards (3.3). The KU School of Business will designate two research fellowships each year for faculty doing IB research and CIBER will continue the annual faculty IB research competition, giving priority to interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
· Ph.D. Research Workshops (3.5). We will support the visit of one IB scholar from another university each semester to present research at the Ph.D. workshops; we will also support Ph.D. research in IB by co-sponsoring the Internationalizing Doctoral Education in Business program with other CIBERs (6.6).
· KU IB Research Conference for the Upper Midwest (6.2). This biennial conference will have a rotating disciplinary focus, with the first conference focusing on global issues in financial reporting, and the second on international management.
· IB Working Paper Series (3.6). This new IB working paper series will include papers resulting from the competitive summer funding process and other targeted projects.
REGIONAL IB / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
· Collaboration with Kansas, Inc. (5.1). The KU CIBER will help design and generate survey research to be used by Kansas, Inc. to guide state policy related to international business. We will also design and coordinate delivery of a mini-course for Kansas companies that are contemplating entry into international markets, and create a help desk, staffed by students, to respond quickly to IB queries for Kansas firms regarding international market opportunities.
· Global Field Projects (5.4). The GFPs, co-sponsored with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing’s International Trade Division, involve student teams working under faculty supervision to research international possibilities for interested firms. Introduced in 2000, this program will be expanded to meet demand by involving students and faculty from Kansas State and Emporia State Universities.
· Benchmarking the Effectiveness of Trade Promotion Initiatives (5.5). Our CIBER will sponsor research in the Department of Public Administration to study problems, solutions, and strategies for international trade promotion at the state level.
· Kansas IB Conference for Business, Government, and Higher Education (5.6). This biennial conference will provide a rare opportunity for representatives from academia, business, and government in Kansas to discuss issues of common concern, share resources, and explore alliances to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises.
· Partnerships with regional groups (5.7). The KU CIBER will collaborate with regional groups including the International Trade Club of Kansas City, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and the Kansas Center for Rural Economic Development, to enhance their members’ IB capacity.
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
· Executive Development in IB Programs (5.2). We will use the IB management training program developed for the Greater Kansas City World Trade Center as a model to develop programs for business professionals seeking to learn about best practices in IB.
· Executive Education in Cross-Cultural Management (5.3). The CIBER will create an eight-week program focusing on cultural information that managers should know before operating in various world areas. KU’s foreign language and area studies specialists will be featured at each of the various sessions.
· See also Global Project Management (1.1); IB Ethics (5.3); and Collaboration with Kansas, Inc. (5.1).
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT IN IB
· Internationalization at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (1.5). The KU CIBER and the African Studies Resource Center at KU will participate in a multi-CIBER consortium to increase the exposure to global issues by students in HBCUs. The consortium will offer a comprehensive portfolio of academic outreach activities to HBCU’s.
· Globalization Seminars (1.6). We will join with the University of Memphis CIBER to deliver a four-year sequence of faculty development programs including 1) the conceptualization of culture and its implications for cross-nationalization; 2) the teaching of IB ethics; and 3) incorporation of area studies perspectives into the business curriculum.
· Internationalizing Consortium Faculty (6.1). Faculty from universities participating in the Consortium of Universities for International Business Education will receive support to attend IB programs including the Antwerp program that we co-sponsor with the University of Memphis CIBER.
The KU CIBER will continue to operate under the philosophy of providing quality IB education by leveraging the best international resources of the University and collaborating frequently with other institutions, especially other CIBERs. The KU School of Business and the University of Kansas are committed to providing the resources needed to continue the successful implementation of this CIBER. Funding from USDE for the 2002-06 grant period will make possible the teaching, research, and outreach mission of a business school which sees IB as a major differentiating feature and of a university which has a long history of supporting international efforts.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
ABSTRACT
MISSION, PHILOSOPHY, AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Mission: To develop results-oriented programs that foster international competencies among students, faculty, and business professionals and that advance the body of knowledge in international business and business teaching.
Philosophy: Utilize a long-term, systematic, collaborative, and sustained approach focused on the unique needs and potential of the Delta and the capabilities of The University of Memphis.
Established in 1989, Memphis CIBER is the only CIBER located in the Lower Mississippi Delta region—an area encompassing most of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana and parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Characterized by serious limitations on human and economic resources and a provincial mindset wary of change, the Delta region contains some of the poorest counties in the United States.
Since its inception, Memphis CIBER has systematically worked to develop a continuum of programs designed to globalize the thinking and activities of students, faculty, and business in the Lower Mississippi Delta while contributing to national competitiveness goals. Core programs are continually refined to respond to emerging needs and growth opportunities while maintaining their focus on the region’s unique needs.
CIBER began its efforts focused on affecting
institutional change at The University of Memphis. Results include the development and implementation of an International MBA Program that significantly advanced institutional collaboration, resources, and strategies for further internationalization efforts across academic disciplines.
Outreach was a major focus of the second grant cycle, resulting in some of the CIBER’s
most successful and enduring programs targeting faculty and businesses:
Faculty Development in International Business (FDIB);
Faculty Study Abroad in Europe (FSA);
Business Workshop for Foreign Language Faculty (FLW);
On-site foreign language instruction for business firms; and
Business conferences and seminars.
New world regions, languages, and extending business outreach were the impetus for initiatives in the third grant cycle extending Faculty Study Abroad, IMBA regional study tracks,
business language courses, Global Executive Network linkages, and University partnerships into South America, China, Japan, and India.
In the fourth funding cycle, Memphis CIBER directed its attention to
Information Technology (IT), developing an interdisciplinary IT concentration for business students, adding Information Technology to and infusing technology-based pedagogical tools in Faculty Development programs; and hosting two major business conferences on Information Technology and Global Business.
With each new grant cycle, CIBER targets select, strategic areas for new program development. New activities are designed to become permanent additions to the CIBER program repertoire and to augment, rather than replace, existing activities. The result is an integrated set of activities that support the mission and mandates of Title VI legislation and result in significant impact at the institutional, regional, and national levels.
CUMULATIVE IMPACT
CIBER programs are built collaboratively, leveraging resources with a broad spectrum of business and academic entities. This structure has enabled Memphis CIBER programs to achieve significant impact during its eleven-year tenure both in terms of University of Memphis internationalization efforts and regional and national reach.
Impact on Faculty—local, regional, & national
Outreach to faculty in the form of international and interdisciplinary training and research support has had tremendous impact in terms of curricular content, student exposure to international business courses and topics, and the advancement of competitiveness-related research. Memphis CIBER-hosted Faculty Development in International Business workshops have reached 353 faculty from 183 institutions. Three hundred forty-six (346) faculty from 187 institutions have participated in Business Language for the Foreign Language Professional workshops. And, Memphis’ Faculty Study Abroad Program to Europe has attracted over 271faculty from 80-plus institutions. These numbers increase at least three-fold when co-sponsored activities are added to the mix and include over 40 faculty from the University of Memphis sent to programs in Mexico, South America, and Europe. Long after this CIBER is gone, faculty participants, their home institutions, and their students will continue to benefit from this international exposure and concomitant curricular changes. (See Appendix 1 for letters attesting to program benefit.)
Memphis CIBER has supported faculty and Ph.D. research leading to 144 working papers, research presentations, and/or publications. Moreover, CIBER has developed teaching units and conducted methodological research in international business disciplines for purposes of offering workshops in Faculty Development in International Business and Business Foreign Language.
Memphis CIBER has worked to internationalize future faculty through support for doctoral students. Thirty-five doctoral students have received support to participate in 75 research and/or conference initiatives related to international business. CIBER also annually supports two doctoral research assistantships in international business.
Impact on Students and Institutions
Programs that impact faculty have a direct impact on students and the institutions at which they serve/attend. Memphis CIBER has also creatively developed programs linking faculty across disciplines, and institutions around the globe to train tomorrow’s globally competent business leaders.
The interdisciplinary curriculum for Memphis’ International MBA (IMBA) program has brought an international business focus to this institution and created a regional magnet program for students interested in international business careers. IMBA has also broken down entrenched institutional barriers among academic disciplines through the development of interdisciplinary concentrations in e-commerce, information technology, MIS, and supply chain management; Business Foreign Language curricula in French, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Chinese have also been developed.
Through CIBER’s efforts, business majors at all levels—Undergraduate, MBA, IMBA, and EMBA—now have exposure to international business topics through curricular requirements, internships, and/or study abroad. CIBER leadership is responsible for thirty-four (34) new, revised, or upgraded courses and ten (10) new majors, degrees, or study concentrations. Moreover, twenty-two (22) institutional partnerships abroad and a large number of relationships established with business organizations in Memphis and abroad enable internationally-oriented experiential learning opportunities for students.
Memphis CIBER institutional impact is not limited to its home institution. Seventeen (17) institutions have received assistance through consultations designed to assess international programs and activities, provide suggestions for future directions for international programs, and assist with Title VI federal grant applications. Letters delineating the benefits of these consultations are included in Appendix 1.
Impact on Business
Aside from the indirect impact from programs described above that develop students and faculty from which business can draw leaders and expertise, Memphis CIBER has had a direct impact on current business leaders through its custom training programs, business discussion forums, and international conferences. Memphis CIBER has conducted twenty-two (22) major business conferences or seminars reaching 1,817 attendees; developed and delivered custom executive training on international culture and business to over 100 business executives; and hosted seventeen (17) visiting business delegations introducing 124 foreign executives to U.S. business persons. Importantly, Memphis CIBER has provided over 11,000 person hours of custom language instruction to more than 700 business participants in 50 companies.
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Vision:
Memphis CIBER is recognized as a regional and national leader in developing global competence among students, faculty, and business through its continuum of innovative curriculum, research, and outreach programs
To work towards its vision, Memphis CIBER will continue 21 highly successful
activities, significantly augment 8 existing programs. In addition, Memphis CIBER will focus on expanding the breadth and depth of our program reach during the 2002-2006 grant cycle through three new major, collaborative initiatives, consisting of fifteen (15) activities, that take advantage of unique assets, challenges, and opportunities within the Lower Mississippi Delta.
1) Using new technology assets to expand international teaching and learning activities to new regions & new audiences (5 new activities)
Spread throughout the proposal in appropriate and multiple mandatory activity areas, planned technology-oriented initiatives will utilize the capabilities of the new, FedEx Emerging Technology Institute. This $23 million state-of-the-art teaching, research, and learning facility is scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2003 and will provide high levels of interaction among students and faculty through sophisticated technology allowing real-time interface with instructors, geographically diverse student teams, and business executives. Integrating the proposed five technology-oriented activities into existing or augmented programs will provide a solid technology base for our global agenda.
Memphis CIBER will use the capabilities of the FedEx Institute to extend its international business program reach. Distance teaching collaboratives will result in true multicultural business learning environments for students and regional business professionals. Enhanced exposure to the people and cultures of established institutional partner regions through classroom links and collaborative learning activities will develop a new generation of culturally competent international business professionals.
Memphis CIBER will also parlay Institute capabilities to significantly extend its program reach to new geographic areas and new audiences. New institutional linkages with the Southeast Asia (ASEAN) region will be established in order to add a new regional focus to existing curricular and research programs and pave the way for joint, technology-based teaching and learning initiatives. Development of web-based, non-credit continuing education opportunities for international business professionals as well as distance access to guest lecturers, business experts, and other training programs will broaden business outreach. Moreover, a unique training program, the
‘E-Company Program’ developed by the Global Competitiveness Council will be delivered to regional business professionals, utilizing the institute’s new, learning laboratory environment. Finally, K-12 teachers as well as University faculty will be have web access to international learning activities developed through CIBER outreach efforts.
2) Outreach to underserved institutions and regions of the Lower Mississippi Delta (3 new activities)
The significant lack of resources that plagues the Lower Mississippi Delta makes it difficult for many educational institutions to develop the international aspects of their business programs. This is especially true for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) located in small towns and rural areas throughout the Southeastern United States. Many of these institutions have developed strong basic business education programs and offer one or more elective courses in international business, economics, and/or marketing. Some even require that undergraduate business students take an international course. Despite a strong tradition of international exchange, development, and research programs at many HBCUs, few of these institutions count international business among their curricula offerings. In fact, the vast majority of the 250,000 students reportedly enrolled in black business schools (Business Week, June 8, 2001, pages 136-137) will graduate with little or no exposure to international business.
During the 2002-2006 grant cycle, Memphis CIBER will target HBCU faculty for an outreach initiative. In conjunction with six other CIBERs and the Institute for International Public Policy, Memphis CIBER will implement a three-step program designed to internationalize business education on the campuses of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). First, HBCU faculty will participate in a 3-1/2-day faculty development program that will provide interdisciplinary international business and area studies pedagogical training. Second, participating CIBERs will act as on-going resources to assist HBCUs with internationalizing their curricula, developing University-business partnerships, promoting international business research, and developing international institutional partnerships for faculty and student study abroad and exchange. Third, a joint faculty and business study abroad will cap project activities and provide experiential learning opportunities for faculty and regional business.
3) Building a regional educational and training pipeline for international business (7 new activities)
Challenged by the lack of resources in its primary and secondary schools, the Lower Mississippi Delta focuses few resources on international studies until the post-secondary level of education. Consequently many students are unaware of international business as a career alternative until they are too far along in their studies to complete requisite language and area studies. In addition, there is a dearth of executive learning opportunities for regional business leaders interested in gaining international skills. Clearly, early and sustained intervention, combined with effective executive outreach, is necessary to increase the region’s internationally competent labor pool.
Memphis CIBER has heretofore focused its efforts at the graduate level. During the next grant cycle, Memphis CIBER will work to enhance K-12, undergraduate, and non-credit executive educational initiatives to develop a true continuum of international programming within the Lower Mississippi Delta. Leveraging existing partnerships with business, foreign language, and area studies faculty, and a new alliance with the College of Education, Memphis CIBER will focus this programming on new audiences as follows:
Language and International Awareness for Young Children (grades K –3);
Global Connections: Teachers Implementing International Cultural Awareness (3-6);
Language, Culture, and Area Studies (9-12);
Undergraduate International Business curriculum development with study abroad and internship opportunities;
Foreign language requirement for under-graduate International Business majors;
Development of a Ph.D. minor in international business; and
Non-credit, continuing executive education series focusing on international skills and international business best practices.
Taken as a whole and integrated with existing Graduate and Executive degree programs, these initiatives will develop a solid continuum of international business education geared towards developing awareness, understanding, and competence within the region.
Program Augmentations
In addition to the major new initiatives cited above, CIBER will implement three (3) additional business outreach strategies and one (1) new academic outreach program; significantly enhance eight (8) existing programs; and continue to support twenty-one (21) highly successful activities. All initiatives are detailed in the program narrative. Highlights include:
Curriculum Development
Continue to infuse increasing degrees of international content at all levels of business education at the University of Memphis;
Develop a concentration in Global Logistics for International MBA students; and
Develop linkages for study and internship opportunities with ASEAN nations.
Academic Outreach
Add International Accounting, E-Commerce, and Cross-Cultural Management Workshops to FDIB program.
Utilize new technology resources to intensify the use of technology-based pedagogical tools in business education;
Incorporate specific technology-based workshops on cultural simulations for business language professionals and add Japanese and Chinese language tracks to Workshops for business language professionals;
Enhance research and teaching opportunities abroad for faculty;
Expand Faculty Study Abroad programs to India and Central/Eastern Europe; and
Host a President’s Forum on the Internationalization of the University.
Business Outreach
Support International Strategy Roundtable for regional business executives;
Develop executive business and study missions abroad;
Deliver training in less commonly taught foreign languages to the regional business community using new technology assets;
Enhance custom business training to include a module on understanding the World of Islam and a seminar on international franchising.
As indicated above, Memphis CIBER has achieved an impressive track record of developing, implementing, and continually refining a high quality set of core programs and has solid plans to continue its efforts to internationalize the Delta region and enhance overall US competitiveness. Leveraging community and university assets and resources, and collaborating within the CIBER network, Memphis CIBER has efficiently and effectively maneuvered to affect substantive progress in all Title VI mandated activity areas. Existing programs, combined with the new, proposed initiatives place Memphis CIBER solidly on the road towards pre-eminence as a national and regional resource for international business education and research.
