Message From The Director

In a world often described as borderless, increases in international trade and investment propelled by multinational corporations are everyday phenomena.  These developments create an urgent need for managers, professionals, and other personnel essential to guide the destiny of organizations worldwide.  The mission of the International Business Programs (IBP) in the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Missouri State University (Missouri State) is to help students, faculty, and the business community develop and strengthen their international understanding and economic competitiveness.

The impetus for IBP came about as a result of a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education's Business & International Education Program under Title VI-B of the Higher Education Act. The two-year grant (1997-99) has helped IBP accomplish its mission towards the goal of strengthening the Nation's capacity to compete in the global market.  To this end, Missouri State has entered into partnerships with a network of overseas educational institutions to promote student/faculty exchanges and student internships. To further the cause of globalization, IBP networks with a number of internal and external entities such as the Springfield Small Business Development Center/St. Louis World Trade Center Satellite, the Greater Ozarks International Trade Association and Missouri State's Modern & Classical Languages Department, Political science Department, and Agriculture Department.

The IBP efforts also will be augmented significantly with the generous support provided by Missouri State alumnus Mr. David D. Glass (former CEO and President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) through the David D. Glass Lecture Series in International Business Endowment.

IBP, is appreciative of the support and collaboration of external and internal benefactors, faculty, students, the business community; International partners, and to President Michael Nietzel, Provost Belinda McCarthy, and  the College of Business Administration who have made a strong commitment to make international business education a top priority at Missouri State University as it faces the challenges of the 21st century.

 Mission Statement

 

The mission of International Business Programs (IBP) is to help students, faculty, and the business community develop and strengthen their international understanding and economic competitiveness. To this end, IBP promotes student exchanges, faculty exchanges, and a variety of international experiences in collaboration with a network of overseas partners.

The primary purpose of the various international exchange programs is to benefit students by providing them with opportunities to have global exposure and face new horizons internationally and to assist faculty members with opportunities for teaching and collaborative scholarly pursuits at overseas institutions. The faculty exchanges not only benefit the professional and personal development of faculty, but also students as instructors bring back experiences and information to the classroom. Further, IBP reaches out to the business community by providing assistance with recruitment of interns with international exposure, international business issues, and related activities.

IBP's efforts at promoting international programs are becoming increasingly important in aiding students, faculty, and the larger community toward a synergized approach for strengthening their international awareness so that they may function effectively in the dynamics of the borderless world.

IBP GOALS

The International Business Programs (IBP) at Missouri State University operates from within the College of Business Administration (COBA), and  under the Center for Business and Economic Development. IBP came into existence as a result of a matching grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Business & International Education Program under Title VI-B of the Higher Education Act of 1965, amended as of 1992.

The purpose of the grant was to help enhance the global competitiveness of students, faculty, and the larger community toward the goal of strengthening the Nation's capacity to compete in the global market. Mirroring the national goal is Missouri State's transition into the twenty-first century that includes the theme of business and economic development, among others.
The goals envisaged include:

 

•  To provide undergraduate, graduate, and lifelong learning students with knowledge, capabilities, and values to succeed and adapt in a dynamic global economy.

• To engage in basic and applied research and to convey the results to the wider business and scientific communities.
• To build effective partnerships and to seek out cooperative opportunities with business, industry and government to benefit its students and the public at-large.

IBP ACTIVITIES

• Design, implement, and support through the International Business Programs interdisciplinary and innovative curriculum development and strategies that maximize student, faculty, and client participation in the learning process, accommodating the internationalization of disciplines and teaching and learning styles from across the curriculum.

• Promote and facilitate Missouri State's international exchange of students, faculty, and business practitioners by engaging in international educational programs and expanding the linkages with overseas higher education institutions and organizations.
• Establish well-defined network links between the International Business Programs and appropriate internal academic disciplines, departments, and Missouri State's external environment while promoting stronger cooperation and collaborative partnerships, increasing the breadth and depth of international awareness within Missouri State students and faculty, K-12 schools, and in the business community in the region, the state, and nation.