Michigan State University’s International Business Center in the Eli Broad College of Business has been a national leader in outreach to community colleges for almost two decades. This leadership has been recognized with a $189,307 Business and International Education (BIE) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The award period is from July 2010 to May 2012.

The BIE program provides funds to institutions of higher education that enter into agreements with trade associations and/or businesses for two purposes: to improve the academic teaching of the business curriculum and to conduct outreach activities that expand the capacity of the business community to engage in international economic activities. BIE funds usually enhance internationalization of business education and area businesses at smaller four-year institutions, community and two-year colleges.

MSU’s outreach focus for the grant is to assist minority-serving community colleges with their international business programs and activities (e.g., business and language faculty development, benchmarking, international internships, online resources). Our partners include NASBITE International (a professional organization in international business) and the Greater Lansing Chamber of Commerce. Part of the BIE grant is also to serve as the online headquarters for the some 50 BIE grantees (see BIEweb.msu.edu).

According to Professor Tomas Hult, Director of MSU-CIBER and Principal Investigator on the BIE grant, “the infusion of BIE funds allows us to continue our outreach to the nation’s 1,200 community colleges, particularly minority-serving community colleges (i.e., Historically Black, Hispanic, and Native American colleges).” “We take great pride in MSU being at the forefront in being a world-grant university – part of which we see as providing international business outreach to community colleges.”

More information about the Global Initiatives of the Broad College of Business can be found at global.broad.msu.edu, and specific information about the International Business Center can be found at ibc.msu.edu. 

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The Broad College of Business has a world-leading international business research faculty (Management International Review, 2004) and editorial influence in international business (Journal of International Business Studies, 2005). MSU has produced the 6th most Ph.D.s in business since 1960 (METF, 2003), and its doctoral students rank #5 in the world in total citations (Academic Assessment Services, 2004).

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.