Spring Break
'Business Beyond Borders'
Symposium features growing international trade
By: Liang Liang
Issue date: 4/4/05 Section: News
John C. Welch, an expert in international banking with J.P. Morgan Chase, advised his uncle, a CEO, that he ought to think internationally for his company to grow bigger. Welch said his uncle followed his advice and two years later, revenue of his company jumped from $8 million to $80 million.
This is just one story from several told Friday, by the speakers at the 2005 International Business Symposium of the Mays School: Business Beyond Borders, regarding the magnitude of ongoing international trade.
The symposium featured a variety of business figures, including executives in the oil and mining industry and chemical production, bankers, organization resources counselor and human resource directors.
Kerry Cooper, executive director of the International Business Center of the Mays School, said the purpose of the symposium is for undergraduate students in business to realize how important international trade is today and to help them begin to prepare for their future practice in this field.
"(To be prepared), the students need to know technical knowledge - international finance, international market and international management. And another part that is just as important is the ability to communicate in different cultures - cross-culture communication skills," Cooper said.
University President Robert M. Gates, keynote speaker of the symposium, said that to learn how to communicate with different cultures is to reach out to the international students on campus representing 120 countries.
"There are some things you can do today, almost immediately, to get yourself started ... making friends with an international student in one of your classes, becoming study partners, eating lunch together ... getting involved in any of the dozens of activities held on campus that celebrate diversity of cultures, such as I-week in the spring, joining Aggies for global interaction. And as president of the University, I want you to know that I know you know it," Gates said.
This is just one story from several told Friday, by the speakers at the 2005 International Business Symposium of the Mays School: Business Beyond Borders, regarding the magnitude of ongoing international trade.
The symposium featured a variety of business figures, including executives in the oil and mining industry and chemical production, bankers, organization resources counselor and human resource directors.
Kerry Cooper, executive director of the International Business Center of the Mays School, said the purpose of the symposium is for undergraduate students in business to realize how important international trade is today and to help them begin to prepare for their future practice in this field.
"(To be prepared), the students need to know technical knowledge - international finance, international market and international management. And another part that is just as important is the ability to communicate in different cultures - cross-culture communication skills," Cooper said.
University President Robert M. Gates, keynote speaker of the symposium, said that to learn how to communicate with different cultures is to reach out to the international students on campus representing 120 countries.
"There are some things you can do today, almost immediately, to get yourself started ... making friends with an international student in one of your classes, becoming study partners, eating lunch together ... getting involved in any of the dozens of activities held on campus that celebrate diversity of cultures, such as I-week in the spring, joining Aggies for global interaction. And as president of the University, I want you to know that I know you know it," Gates said.
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