VCU School of Business receives $150,000 Global Business Grant

The VCU School of Business has been awarded a $150,000 GlobalView II grant from the U.S. Department of Education to further develop its international education programs. In securing this award, the School of Business partnered with The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).

Beginning with the Fall 2002 academic semester, GlobalView II: Building Upon Past Efforts to more fully Internationalize Faculty Students and Programs at VCU School of Business will provide further international and technology-focused development of the Business School's faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and resources to enhance the overall effectiveness of Central Virginia businesses in the larger global arena.

The goal of the project is to build upon past efforts supported by a previous Business and International Education (BIE) GlobalView grant that did provide opportunities for student and faculty for training and participation in the global business arena. Project directors are Dr. Van R. Wood, professor of marketing and Philip Morris Chair in International Business and Dr. Pamela Kiecker, professor of marketing and Department Chair, Marketing and Business Law.

"This grant provides opportunities for faculty and students in several areas. It augments faculty development in two key areas --multidisciplinary international business and information technology and technology-assisted communications; and student-focused activities at both advanced management level and the 'honors' undergraduate level, plus partnership-based ventures such as trade missions involving the Central Virginia business community and both academic and business colleagues overseas," says Dr. Wood. An example of one of the past elements that Dr. Wood will build upon is the annual international forum which this year drew an audience of over 600 to VCU, was simultaneously broadcast to colleagues in Europe, Australia and India, and later rebroadcast to extended U.S. audiences.

"An important aspect of this grant is that we will continue our community linkage with VEDP that supports our projects and provides the real-world perspective and connection to the business community that are critical to the success of elevating the VCU School of Business to the next level of excellence in international business education," says Dean Michael Sesnowitz of the Business School.

"We have previously worked on a number of joint VCU-VEDP projects and are pleased to have developed a strong working relationship with the VCU Business team," says Paul H. Grossman, Director of the Division of International Trade Development, VEDP. "We strongly believe that this grant will be of great benefit to VCU, to VEDP, and to the greater business community of Central Virginia." The grant becomes effective beginning with the Fall 2002 academic semester.

Frances Altman, Public Relations Specialist
VCU School of Business
(804) 827-1801 or fealtman@vcu.edu