Authorized under Title VI, part b of the Higher Education Act

Program Delivery

Program Significance & Design

With the knowledge, cooperation and support that UW CIBER has acquired both internally and externally since its inception, and in the development of this proposal, we are confident that we can deliver exceptional programs that fulfill the federal legislative purposes and help meet the needs of the Pacific Northwest and the nation for international business expertise. We would welcome the opportunity to build on our past strengths in taking the CIBER program into the future.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

School of Business

Proposal Abstract

Introduction

The following themes define the major areas of emphasis of the Wisconsin CIBER:

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  Supporting innovative and cooperative ways of teaching international business issues.
  
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  Influencing the teaching and research agendas of business, area studies and language faculty and graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin System, and technical colleges in the Upper Midwest in support of international business education.
  
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  Expanding the portfolio of available international educational opportunities for business and non-business students.
  
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  Supporting research and discourse on issues related to the cooperation and interaction of business, government, and education in international business, especially as it relates to international finance and regulation.
  
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  Focusing the resources of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on improving the international competitiveness of businesses in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest by promoting a dialogue on the broad theme of creating an economic development platform to support Wisconsin’s competitiveness in a global economy, and specifically to address international trade and investment issues related to biotechnology.
  

A summary of our proposed activities organized by the programmatic requirements follows:

1. 
   Foreign Language Across the Curriculum - We will introduce foreign language discussion sections in French and Spanish for selected business courses.
   
2. 
   Digitized Library Resources - This initiative will make international business data available to students and faculty via the World Wide Web.
   
3. 
   Technology Initiatives – CIBER will expand international business curriculum options by collaborating with overseas partner schools in various technology initiatives.
   
4. 
   Biotechnology Related Internships and Projects - CIBER will expand its internship programs in order to train students in international business practices as they relate to the biotechnology industry.
   
5. 
   International Biotechnology Business Plan Competition - CIBER funding will be used to develop and host this competition, which is intended to stimulate interest in global opportunities in biotechnology.
   

2. Expanding Opportunities for Students

1. Expanded Study Abroad - CIBER will expand its study-abroad program by adding three additional partner universities overseas and by developing five or more new short study-abroad programs.

2. Study Abroad Administrators Forum – CIBER will establish a national affinity group of administrators of business school study abroad programs. The group will meet annually to share best practices and leverage resources in working with our common overseas partners on issues such as grading practices, housing, course offerings, and safety and security.

3. Career Connections International Month - We will establish a Career Connections International Month as an annual event to provide students campus-wide with a series of activities geared toward identifying international experiences and careers with a global focus.

4. Doctoral Education - CIBER will take an active leadership role in the Internationalizing Doctoral Education in Business (IDEB) workshops, will be aggressive in funding doctoral student research, speakers at research workshops, presentations at conferences, and access to data.

1. 
   Faculty and Curriculum Support - CIBER will nurture development of the interdisciplinary agenda of the recent cluster faculty in international finance, as well as other faculty working in the area.
   
2. 
   Support Programs in International Finance - CIBER funding will be used to support the Applied Corporate Finance Program (ACFIN) and the Applied Securities Analysis Program (ASAP) at UW-Madison.
   

Activities include funding faculty participation in Faculty Development in International Business (FDIB) Programs, developing faculty exchanges with partner schools abroad, expanding business language course offerings, and supporting faculty internships with multinational corporations.

1. Collaboration with language programs

1. 
   Professional French Masters Program (PFMP) – CIBER will support the PFMP, a new interdisciplinary initiative combining advanced proficiency in French language and culture with a strong foundation in an area of professional concentration such as business.
   
2. 
   Foreign Language Across the Curriculum (FLAC) – The Wisconsin CIBER will utilize graduate students from area studies and foreign languages to introduce foreign language discussion sections in French and Spanish for selected business courses.
   
3. 
   Faculty Development for Foreign Language Faculty – We will send foreign language faculty and graduate students to appropriate conferences on business and management issues, such as Faculty Development in International Business (FDIB) seminars sponsored by other CIBERs.
   

1. 
   International Public Affairs - We will assist the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs with its new MA program in International Public Affairs by helping to attract and retain students, supporting curriculum development, and by funding faculty research.
   
2. 
   Law School - CIBER will work closely with the Law School to sponsor research, speakers, conferences, and outreach on issues related to international business.
   

1. 
   Creating a de facto national resource center on European business – CIBER will support the activities of the Center for European Studies, the Center for German and European Studies, the European Union Center, and the Center for Interdisciplinary French Studies.
   
2. 
   African Studies Collaboration – A consortium of CIBERs and Title VI-funded African Studies Programs will partner with the United Negro College Fund’s Institute for International Public Policy and a target group of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to promote greater internationalization among the nation’s HBCUs via a portfolio of international academic outreach programs.
   
3. 
   Research and Teaching Grants - The Wisconsin CIBER will award research and teaching grants to faculty and graduate students across the campus in support of specific research projects related to international business, foreign languages, and area studies.
   

The Wisconsin CIBER will co-sponsor the annual IGS. This conference brings together faculty and staff from a variety of disciplines along with prominent international scholars, and prominent speakers from business and government in order to address salient issues relating to globalization and higher education.

The Wisconsin CIBER will design and deliver programs that will develop and enhance the international skills, awareness, and expertise of those working in the biotechnology sector.

In collaboration with our academic, business, and government partners, the Wisconsin CIBER will supplement the existing School of Business CEO Speaker Series by sponsoring visits of senior executives from multinational companies, service firms, transnational organizations, and government officials.

The Europe 2003 Conference, to be held in Oslo, Norway, will provide a forum for academic, business, and government leaders from Wisconsin and Europe to explore opportunities overseas and to leverage the network of contacts provided by the University’s international alumni.

CIBER will offer on-line courses in Business French, German, and Spanish to the business community.

The Wisconsin CIBER will work with agencies of the state government, in particular the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, to determine how the university and state government can enhance its partnership to increase in export promotion. In addition, we will sponsor benchmarking studies of “best practices” to determine how this kind of partnership has worked in other states.

The Wisconsin CIBER will co-sponsor the International Business Institute for Technical and Community College Faculty hosted by the Michigan State University CIBER, will sponsor the attendance of five technical faculty from the region to attend the program, and will provide teaching improvement grants to technical college faculty in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

In cooperation with the Wisconsin Council on Economic Education, a private, non-profit organization, we will offer grants to economics teachers across the Upper Midwest to add international content and teaching materials to the curriculum. We will also provide scholarships to teachers to allow them to participate in overseas study tours.
3. Collaboration with other CIBERs and BIE schools

We will continue to be active in working with other CIBERs and BIE (Business and International Education) schools on research and curriculum projects in areas such as biotechnology, international finance, and digitized library resources.

The Wisconsin CIBER has submitted a proposal requesting admission to the 28-member Pacific Asian CIBER Consortium for International Business Education and Research (PACIBER) during round two of CIBER funding.

The Wisconsin CIBER will award grants to faculty in business schools, area studies programs, language departments, law schools, and various other departments on UW-Madison and other campuses of the UW System. We will also seek to leverage these awards by organizing on-campus Global Research and Teaching Roundtables. Faculty members and Ph.D. students statewide who are awarded a CIBER grant will be invited to participate in these semi-annual roundtables.

CIBER funds will be used as an incentive for sabbatical applicants to pursue international topics. Recipients will be required to submit a written report of sabbatical activities and to participate in the Global Research Roundtables.

CIBER sponsors and co-sponsors numerous conferences annually. Topics of future conferences will include the development of state and regional platforms to support knowledge-based industries, international finance, and global issues in biotechnology.

A notable feature in the development of the global economy has been the persistence of what can be called regional platforms – deep and complex networks of expertise relating to a given business or industry. A key new initiative in the second round of funding will be a long-term study of regional competitiveness.

In the first round of funding the Wisconsin CIBER co-sponsored a survey that attempted to identify the levels of internationalization, and perceived motivations and barriers to the internationalization of Wisconsin firms. In the second round of funding, we will sponsor a follow-up research study to extend the above study to Iowa and Minnesota, in addition to Wisconsin.

CIBER will sponsor student teams that consult with local businesses on internationally oriented projects. A particular target area for expansion in the second round will be the University Research Park, in order to help biotechnology firms with exploring international opportunities.

The Wisconsin CIBER will provide outreach seminars to update start-up companies on developments in a specific country or region, as well as a "How To" breakfast series for the business community on topics such as locating distributors, writing contracts, and legal issues.

Washington, DC 20006-8521

Susanna C. Easton, Program Administrator