A slow boat to China, a nonstop to Europe
Whatever the mode, new program pushes travel

How do you do as the Romans do, when you’ve never been to Rome?

That was the question facing business faculty as they worked to prepare students for business careers—international and otherwise. Their answer is the new Global Commerce Program, headed by marketing professor Charles A. Ingene, which will require students to complete overseas classes to earn a Certificate in Global Commerce.

Ingene, who is originally from a small town in upstate New York, joined the UM faculty in 2001 and suggested the idea of a Global Commerce Program after traveling to Cambridge, England, two years ago. Once there, he realized travel would be extremely beneficial for the students.

“We all have a view of the world, but when you go to England or China or Australia, you observe what we can’t see in the classroom,” said Ingene. “This will enable students to get first-class, firsthand knowledge of international business. They will be able to see the way business is being done elsewhere.”
Ingene and business Dean Brian Reithel have big plans for the program.

“We’re deeply committed to expanding the number of students involved in study abroad programs,” said Reithel. Dr. Ingene will bring focus and direction to this important initiative. Our goal is to have more than 100 students involved in the Global Commerce Program by the end of 2006.”

Ingene hopes students from all majors in the school will see the value of the program. “I think it is a tremendous opportunity to prepare for the future,” he said. “Young people believe that in an interview, your GPA is most important, but the fact is that your GPA gets you through the screening process, and you are then required to impress them with your knowledge. It’s up to you to tell the recruiter something they haven’t heard 25 times before, so being able to say, ‘This is what I learned in England or Hong Kong or Brazil’ is a huge advantage.”

Ingene earned his doctoral degree from Brown University and previously served as a faculty member at the University of Washington for 15 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Virginia.

For more information about the Global Commerce Program, contact Ingene at 662-915-5544 or cingene@bus.olemiss.edu. For more information about the UM School
of Business, visit www.olemissbusiness.com.—Rebecca Lauck Cleary BF