School of Business

School of Business, Minnesota State University Moorhead is involved with the following international programs and activities:

Educational Exchange Program with Chongqing Technology & Business University

Study Abroad at University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, England

China Business Trip

Manitoba International Marketing Competition

Educational Exchange Program with Chongqing Technology & Business University

In October, 2007 a delegation from Chongqing Technology & Business University (CTBU) visited Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM).  During the visit, President Roland Barden from MSUM and President Wang Chongju from CTBU signed a Memorandum of Agreement for an Exchange Program between the two universities.  This exchange was sponsored by the School of Business. 

As part of the exchange program nine students from Chongqing Technology & Business University attended classes at Minnesota State University Moorhead Fall Semester 2008.  More students from CTBU are expected on campus in 2010.  Students from MSUM who wish to attend classes at CTBU may take courses for one semester or longer.  There are many courses taught in English so a student who is not fluent in Chinese will be able to select courses toward a degree.

In addition, as part of the China Business Trip students from MSUM spend approximately two weeks on campus at CTBU where they are enrolled in a cultural program with students from CTBU as well as students from other countries who are on campus for the cultural program. 

For more information about Chongqing Technology & Business University, please visit: 

http://www.ctbu.edu.cn/english/overview.php

For more information on this exchange program contact either:

Study Abroad at University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, England

• Looking for an affordable way to add an international study experience to your academic career? Study at the University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, England for a full academic year. Facts about the program follow. 
• This program is for Business and Social Science majors. 
• Earn up to 32 credits and apply them toward your major, minor or elective requirements. 
• Qualified students can apply for financial aid and other scholarships. The increased cost of the program, which includes airfare, local transportation, room and board, and personal allowances, will be taken into consideration when determining needs.
• Students stay in single study-bedrooms with private bath.
• Students prepare their own meals in kitchens shared by six students or eat in the cafeteria.
• Accommodations are located in close proximity to classrooms.
• Dates and Deadlines: Fall semester begins around the end of September and ends in late January. Spring semester begins early February and ends in June. British institutions have long breaks for Christmas and Easter and students have plenty of opportunity to travel during those times and at the end of the program both independently and through specific field trips organized by the University.
• TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL! Most exchange students will do extensive traveling to many European countries. It is, relatively speaking, very inexpensive. So, this is a great opportunity to see the world - at least a big part of it.
• REQUIREMENTS- Students should have sophomore or junior standing at the time of application and should have a GPA of at least 2.5. Qualities needed for a successful exchange include the ability to adjust to a new culture, the ability to study independently, an outgoing personality, and strong writing and English language skills.
• APPLICATION PROCESS. Submit an application to the Office of International Programs by February 15, along with two letters of recommendation, an application fee of $45, an essay addressing reasons for applying for the program, and a current transcript. Application forms are available in FF 151. 

China Business Trip, School of Business, Minnesota State University Moorhead

For the past several years students have had the opportunity to travel to China in order to observe practices of Chinese domestic  firms as well as international firms conducting business in China.  Students earn 3 credits for this class.  The requirements include the travel in China and ten weeks of pre-travel meetings.  Students do not need to speak Chinese nor be a business major to join this trip.  Instructor approval is required.

Travel Portion:  The travel portion of this class is approximately one month.  For an experience that will last a lifetime, students travel to China, a country that claims a history of 5,000 years. Throughout the journey, we will compare and contrast business in China with business in the United States.  By experiencing the rural-urban dichotomy, the co-existence of communism and capitalism and the effects that the current economic boom has had on the environment, students gain an awareness of the effect that China's culture, history, and political ideology have played in shaping China's role in the global economy.  When we visit educational institutions and companies involved in global business, students have opportunities to interact with students, businesspeople and politicians to discuss issues related to global interdependence and public policy.  Attending cultural events and visiting historical sites will raise consciousness of China's long history and its place in the global arena.

The itinerary normally includes travel to Hong Kong, Chongqing, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshou,  Xi'an, Beijing, and Shanghai.  We also take excursions into small villages and the country side. Mode of travel includes:  plane, train, automobile, bus, boat and bicycle.  Some highlights of the trip include excursions to the harbors and financial markets of  Hong Kong and Shanghai, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Soldiers, Panda Breeding & Research Center, and biking through the countryside. 

Pre-Travel  Requirements:  The pre-travel requirements have been designed to prepare students for the China Business Trip and to provide an overview of China's role in the global environment.  Accordingly, meetings  present an overview of variables that have had, and will continue to have, an effect on doing business with China. The geography, history, religion and basic cultural elements of China will be examined and an analysis of the revolutionary changes that have affected the lives of the Chinese in the 20^th century will be undertaken.  The emphasis is on analysis and examination of key concepts, environmental and strategic issues involved in entering the Chinese market and conducting marketing operations within China.  Attention will be focused upon identifying and evaluating Chinese market opportunities and modification of marketing strategies and programs in response to different market needs and constraints within China.

Pre-Travel Meeting Objectives: The primary objective of the pre-travel meetings is to prepare students for the China Business Trip. The instructor will provide the conceptual framework for doing business in China. These meetings help students gain a critical understanding and appreciation of the Chinese worldview.  Students should be able to reflect on that worldview when comparing and contrasting business practices between the United States and China.  Specifically, students will be provided with:

• A global perspective of doing business;
• An awareness of current international marketing issues and their implications for China;
• An appreciation of differences in politics, culture, and the business environment between China and the US and how each of these affect marketing strategy;
• A framework to study business and marketing in China;
• Techniques required to conduct research for the purpose of marketing in China;
• Managerial skills needed to effectively and efficiently formulate and implement marketing strategies in China;
• An awareness of ethical issues unique to marketing in China;
• Recognition of the impact of technology in opening up the Chinese market; and
• An appreciation of the challenges and opportunities in China and the need to understand the environmental and cultural diversity that exists in China.

 For information on future trips, please contact:

Dr. Ruth Lumb

(218) 477-4652

lumb@mnstate.edu

Manitoba International Marketing Competition 

For the past five years, MSUM School of Business has been invited to participate in the Manitoba International Marketing Competition (MIMC).  The Manitoba International Marketing Competition brings together business students from North America and around the world in a highly competitive situation which prepares participants for the challenge of the business world.  Each invited/participating university has a team of four students and a faculty advisor.  The time commitment for the students is one semester.  The competition for team membership is highly competitive.  Team members earn three credits for their work.

The competition has three phases: the simulation, strategy statement, and presentation.  During the on-line simulation competing teams submit a weekly decision to MIMC via its secure website.  The simulation phase consists of ten decision periods.  A strategy statement is submitted in order to test each team's understanding of the business and its environment.  The strategy statement provides the base for the presentation, which takes place in Winnipeg, Canada the first week in January.  A panel of judges from the corporate and academic communities critiques each team's strategic goals and students must defend their decisions and provide the rationale behind each decision.  The top team from each industry proceeds to the finals.

During the three days in Winnipeg, students interact with students from other countries as well as members from the business community.   It has been a rewarding experience to observe the students' increased level of confidence with professionals and other students as the competition progresses.  

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Ruth Lumb, MBA, PhD

Associate Professor

School of Business

207G Center for Business

(218) 477-4652

lumb@mnstate.edu

 or the Competition's website at: http://mimc2010.ca/