College of Business receives grant to help international business education programs

July 30, 2009 -- The College of Business (COB) at Arkansas State University is the recipient of a two-year grant from the Department of Education, Business and International Education, the school announced Tuesday. The grant in the amount of $186,996, was awarded to ASU to enhance international business education programs and expand the capacity of the business community to engage in international economic activities.

“This grant provides funds that will place our undergraduate international business program on the leading edge of curriculum development by utilizing a global leadership through global citizenship approach,” said Dr. Len Frey, dean of the College of Business. “As a result, we will have students traveling to China, not only to be immersed in their language studies, but to assist recent earthquake victims in rebuilding their lives. The other part of the grant provides for training of Arkansas businesses seeking to grow their sales through exporting.”

The COB’s International Business Resource Center (IBRC) will administer the grant through its director, Dr. Kelly E. Fish, along with associate directors Drs. Guari S. Guha and Clint Relyea. According to Dr. Fish, “Our international business program under Clint Relyea will begin teaching students how to become global leaders.  Additionally, our newly-designed China immersion program will provide students with 15 hours of Mandarin Chinese that will culminate in them living in China for a semester.”

The IBRC has teamed with ASU’s Department of Modern Languages under its chair, Dr. Yvonne Unnold, to develop the Chinese immersion program. It will feature scholarship assistance for business and language students traveling to and eventually living in China during an internship.

The other part of the grant focuses on outreach to Arkansas businesses. Fish continued, “Our outreach efforts under Gauri Guha will include trade missions to China, as well as training that will build export capacity. We will be holding these classes in the new Delta Center for Economic Development/College of Business building that will provide state of the art facilities.”

Chancellor Robert Potts commended the College of Business on landing this significant grant, “This grant to enhance international business education fits neatly into the university’s emphasis on bringing the world to Arkansas State University and taking ASU to the world. Our students and business leaders will benefit immensely from the opportunities this grant provides.”

The grant begins immediate funding, and interested students should contact either Dr. Relyea (crelyea@astate.edu) or Dr. Unnold (yunnold@astate.edu) in order to enroll in Chinese language studies beginning in the fall 2009 semester. Export training classes will begin in January 2010 followed by a China trade mission in May 2010. Interested business professionals should contact Dr. Guha (gguha@astate.edu).

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