School of Business > UPDATE > Summer 2002 > Article

A World of Difference
International Center Given $1.4 Million

This spring, the School of Business was awarded a four-year $1.4 million grant renewal for global business education and research.

Among other things, the funding from the U.S. Department of Education will mean that:

• More business students will obtain first-hand knowledge of international business through study-abroad programs, international internships and other opportunities.
• Business faculty will gain greater support for conducting research on international aspects of business.
• Area firms will receive increased access to information to help them conduct their businesses on a global basis.

The funding came in the form of a major grant renewal for the business school's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).

UW-Madison received its first CIBER funding in 1998, when it became one of 25 universities in the nation to be named a Center for International Business Education and Research. Congress created the CIBER program in 1988 to increase the nation's capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise. In receiving a CIBER, UW-Madison joined a select group of universities recognized for their strength in international business, such as Michigan, UCLA and Columbia University.

"The awarding of a CIBER grant, for which competition is very keen, means the program has achieved national recognition," said R.D. Nair, senior associate dean of the School of Business and executive director of its CIBER. "We were thrilled to receive the first grant. Receiving a second grant, especially one of this size, among the largest awarded this year, is particularly gratifying. It shows how much we and our colleagues across the UW-Madison campus have been able to accomplish during the past four years."

UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley said, "Competing for and retaining significant grants such as this one speaks to the strength of our faculty and staff, and to our commitment to strengthen the university's position as a leader in international education." UW-Madison also has significant and increasing international stature, which will be fostered and promoted through the efforts of CIBER. Since 1998, CIBER grants have supported international teaching and research efforts throughout the UW System and at technical colleges in the Midwest. International educational opportunities, such as study-abroad programs for business students at UW-Madison, have expanded. CIBER programs for businesses in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest have aimed at improving their international competitiveness by offering a wide range of programs such as business Spanish and French, technical Japanese, NAFTA certification, global finance, export documentation and more.

Gilles Bousquet, dean of UW-Madison's International Studies and Programs, said, "In a post-9/11 environment, we've learned how the economy and world stability are crucially linked. CIBER contributes to our knowledge and understanding of international affairs both on campus and in the community, preparing not just our students but Wisconsin for the challenges ahead. We are fortunate to have such a nationally recognized center at the UW-Madison. In just a few years, CIBER has established a reputation for excellence not just in the School of Business but also across the campus and the community."

According to Nair, the new funding will enhance existing programs and create new ones. For example, the new grant will enable CIBER to increase its outreach efforts to the business and academic communities throughout the upper Midwest and help refine its focus in global biotechnology. Another important step now possible will be to establish a consortium with historically black colleges to help internationalize teaching and research efforts among their faculty.