Business students will now have another opportunity to increase their global knowledge following an agreement between Dalton State’s Wright School of Business and the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion (IESA).
The agreement between the two schools opens paths for students to participate in global webinars, research and study abroad in Latin American countries, while it provides opportunities for faculty to participate in exchange programs, co-teaching and more. IESA has locations in Venezuela, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Both schools have earned the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation, which is given to less than 5% of colleges worldwide.
“The international collaboration with international AACSB-accredited business schools aims to enhance our students’ global mindset,” said Carolina Hammontree, lecturer in management for the WSOB. “Learning and communicating with people from different countries, cultures, economic and political systems help our business students to weave the theories and readings from the textbooks with real-life business cases, improving their learning experience by sharing their thoughts with those of international students and professors.”
By inviting a professor from IESA to co-teach a course at Dalton State, students can work together on joint class projects, bringing a different perspective to the whole class, Hammontree said. Students can see how what they’re learning in class applies directly to international business.
This agreement will also provide increased networking opportunities for students that can help them in their professional settings.
“We live in a global business world,” said Dr. Marilyn Helms, dean of the Wright School of Business. “There is a high probability our students will be doing business with suppliers and customers from Latin American countries. Also, they may work for a transnational company with facilities in these countries. Therefore, international partnerships with foreign universities help our students enhance international business and multicultural skills, allowing them to make better business decisions related to global issues in the future.”
This is the second agreement with an international institution. The Wright School of Business is also working with Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) and its business graduate school, CENTRUM, in Lima, Peru.
Dalton State is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, which is earned when at least 25% of the student population is Hispanic. Dalton State’s Hispanic student population is more than 30%.
“Learning and collaborating with Latin American universities aligns perfectly with our HSI mission,” Hammontree said. “Partnerships like these bring more of the diverse Hispanic culture to our institution with faculty from different Latin American countries, enhancing our international network. For example, IESA and CENTRUM PUCP work with universities in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Chile, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republican, Argentina and more. Their relationships join ours and extend the reach of our internationalization missions.”
The Wright School of Business plans to continue seeking international partnerships with other AACSB accredited institutions in order to increase hands-on, global opportunities for students at Dalton State. Majors offered at the school include accounting, finance and applied economics, logistics and supply chain management, management, management information systems and marketing.
