Bringing Culture to Business

Story and Photos by Brian Vandervliet/Web Editor

Dr. Wanda Chaves (second from right) is joined by MBA students (from left) Mike McEldowney, Julie Johnson, Kris Stocker, and Andres Borrero during a semester-ending final presentation. Chaves is one of many professors who are working to enhance international education at UT.

As MBA students gathered in the Sykes College of Business boardroom, Dr. Wanda Chaves looked on with pride. Her students, natives of countries from around the world, had prepared diligently for their International Management final presentations.

Of 23 students in the course, 17 were from outside the U.S.–a statistic that Chaves, herself from a small town in Puerto Rico, said was essential to the course’s primary educational goal–learning to manage business in a multi-cultural world.

“They make the class what it is because the more they share, the more they learn from each other,” said Chaves of her students, who brought perspectives from locations such as Turkey, Peru, Thailand, and yes, New Jersey.

The College of Business has made strong efforts to internationalize its curriculum with the creation of an international business undergraduate major and MBA concentration. Chaves, in only her second year at UT, is one of many professors working to bring a greater cultural awareness to campus.

“Companies that just think of America as the primary marketplace are not going to succeed in the future,” said Chaves, who has been a consultant for companies such as Boeing, Disney, and Deutsche Banke. “More and more, the marketplace has become global.”

International Circus Performers, Historian Visit UT On Nov. 22, Julio Revolledo (top, right) discussed his book “The Fabulous History of the Circus in Mexico” during a presentation in Fletcher Lounge. Revolledo, an art history professor in Mexico, spent 16 years traveling with Mexican circuses through 60 countries. Dr. Mark Putnam (top, left) translated during the event organized by Dr. Wanda Chaves. The presentation also included performances by international artists Kira Burova (middle), Bruce Bilodeau (bottom, left) and Rico Guzman (bottom, right).

To help students experience cultural diversity, Chaves has reached outside the classroom. In November, she organized an event that highlighted the international circus by bringing in skilled performers and a guest speaker who discussed the circus arts in Mexico.

“A multi-cultural, diverse mentality is going to set students up to succeed more effectively as leaders in corporate America,” said Chaves.

International Education and the “QEP”

Chaves’ enthusiasm for international education exemplifies a University-wide direction, said Dr. Joseph Sclafani, interim dean-elect of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

As part of the re-accreditation efforts that Sclafani has led, the University has selected an international focus for its “Quality Enhancement Plan” or “QEP.” Under the QEP, the University will enhance language courses, redesign the Global Issues course for first-year students, and sponsor at least twice as many international events. Initiatives will be coordinated through a new position–an associate dean for international studies.

“The QEP is going to energize the University’s efforts in the international arena,” said Sclafani. “We are not going to be known as the international school, even after the QEP, but hopefully we’ll be known as a great liberal arts school that has a strong international emphasis, and that’s where we are heading.”

In addition to expanding curricula and events, Sclafani said that UT will seek to bring its international student population to the forefront so that their experiences can be shared.

College of Business, Rustogi Helped Pave the Way

Dr. Hemant Rustogi, a native of India and chair of the marketing department, said that he came to the U.S. in 1985 with two suitcases, $50, and a “dream in his heart.” Like Chaves and Sclafani, Rustogi believes in the importance of international education.

“It’s fundamental,” said Rustogi. “It’s like reading, writing and arithmetic.”

Hired in 1990 by President Vaughn to help build UT’s international business program, Rustogi worked with colleagues to secure U.S. Department of Education grants of approximately $750,000–money earmarked specifically for international education.

Rustogi said that the QEP will not likely affect his courses because he already integrates international themes. In his view, business is international by nature. By teaching students about multi-cultural environments, he said, students were simply learning the boundaries of the playing field.

Martin Miliev, a second-year MBA student from Varna, Bulgaria, agrees.

“With globalization, you can’t just say ‘we’re a U.S. company,’” said Miliev. “Sooner or later, you have to deal with the world.”