It is the last Monday in April, which means that cross-quarter day is arriving soon: the official mid-point between Spring and Summer. For some students, as finals and graduation approaches, summer may seem even closer, but for many, this is a time to reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of the semester.
At Northwestern/Kellogg, one student reflected on her March experience in which she and 35 fellow MBA students met with Lee Myung-bak, president of South Korea, as part of the school’s Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) program. GIM is a global business leadership course designed by Kellogg students, in conjunction with faculty advisers, as a way to provide first-hand knowledge of the culture, economics and governance of foreign countries.
All told, more than 500 Kellogg School students traveled to locales such as Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Dubai, the European Union, India, Japan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, and Zambia. During the trips, the students met with business leaders, government officials and Kellogg graduates for an intimate look at the global landscape and to complete primary research for an array of projects.
Another student-led success was Kellogg’s 2008 Greater China Business Conference, which brought together faculty, students and alumni with executives who shared their experiences about building companies throughout that nation.
Many speakers highlighted the legal, economic and cultural hurdles that must be considered when operating in China. Yen Chun Lin ’08, executive chair for the conference, said “This [conference] is particularly pertinent as an increasing number of global companies are entering China, and as Chinese companies are going global.”
“It’s no secret that China is transforming the global economy,” said Michael Ducker ’99, president of the FedEx Express international division. He also noted that China’s “rapidly growing middle class” and its shift to encourage consumer spending brings the country closer to becoming the third-largest consumer market by 2025.
In Chicago, the Chibus reported much excitement in Barcelona, Spain, as a team of four Chicago MBA students won the 13th annual Roland Berger IESE Business School international case competition. This year’s competition required teams to analyze the financial performance of Hong Kong Disneyland and provide recommendations to the company going forward. In addition to submitting a written report, each team participated in two rounds of oral presentations.
Also in the news is the largest GSB charity event of the year, the Annual Charity Auction, organized by Giving Something Back. The event raises funds by auctioning off items donated by students, faculty, staff, and corporations. However, the biggest draw for this year’s auction was not the fine wine, spa gift certificates, or iPods. Instead, the first ever Charity Date Auction generated the most excitement among participants. Bidding was very active as students competed for the chance to accompany certain classmates to this year’s Spring Fling. Apparently the auction information students learn in Microeconomics actually does come in handy!
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