Global Business Projects

Consortium | Countries | Eligibility

The Global Business Project (GBP) is a unique course currently offered to MBAs and other graduate students at member universities. GBP asks students to apply both cross-cultural awareness and foreign language skills to produce strategic advice for companies that is focused, compelling, and actionable. The course offers students the opportunity to increase their global business competency through guided hands-on business experience in global markets, while also introducing them to the challenges of virtual teaming. Teams are constructed through a competitive application process with members drawn from any of the member schools.

The primary goal of the course is to provide students at participating institutions the opportunity to increase their ability to conduct business in cultures other than US (both in-country and virtually), in languages other than English, by working in virtual and co-located teams on projects for multinationals or local companies in markets critical to US competitiveness.

Consortium

GBP Member Universities
Columbia University • University of Connecticut • Duke University • George Washington University • Purdue University • San Diego State University • Temple University • UNISINOS • University of Maryland • University of Miami • University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill • University of Pittsburgh • University of Wisconsin-Madison

More information

Target countries for 2012

Eligibility

Client Requirements

Financial
The cost to run each project — for faculty oversight, Kick-off and Hub City weekends, virtual meeting expenses, travel, and administration — averages $45,000

Clients contribute $15,000 towards program costs, plus cover costs of the team and faculty adviser for the in-country portion of the project (May 18 to June 1). The $15,000 will be invoiced after the client has been chosen and a team has been matched. It is payable by February 28, 2012. The invoice for the in-country expenses will be sent in two installments – one payable by April 1 and the other at the end of the program.

Oversight and Time
Clients also commit the participation of at least two senior executives. At least one of these executives commits to attend the GBP kick-off meeting in Washington, DC. These senior client representatives commit to continue to work closely with its GBP team throughout April and May in creating the project's Scope of Work, provide pertinent data, respond to and critique team recommendations and progress, and provide feedback to the team and faculty advisor at the project's completion. A selection committee comprised of faculty and administrators screens both projects and students to ensure the best possible matches. The selection committee particularly looks for projects meeting the following criteria:

• An established company or non-profit organization with well defined business processes
• A defined set of needs that can benefit from the attention of a team collectively versed in the language and culture of the target country as well as the business-related aspects of the project
• Senior management that is ready to devote time and resources to the work of the MBA team
• A potential outcome that will enhance business performance of the company in general, but specifically in the project's destination country

The project should be designed to be completed in a 10-week time frame of 35-person hours in each of the first 8 weeks (8.5 hours/team member/week) and 120 person hours during the last 2 weeks in the destination country of the project. (30 hours/team member/week).

Non-Disclosure Agreement
GBP clients are required to sign a University-approved NDA.

Confidentiality Agreement [PDF: 43K]

Application deadline for clients is November 15, 2011.

For more information, please contact Dr. Lynne Gerber, STAR GBP Program Director, at or (1) 919-962-2684

Student Requirements

Language and Cross-cultural Competency
Part of the final GBP grade is based on language and cross-cultural competency. All GBP students are expected to work on their language and cross-cultural competency in the 3 months prior to the DC Kick-off, and then to continue building that competence over the life of the project. For students already fluent in the language and culture, this includes preparing generic and specific materials that they will present to their team members during the DC Kick-off weekend in the Country sessions on Friday and Saturday.

Financial Contributions
Tuition: At some GBP schools, students pay tuition for the GBP course, just as they do for all MBA courses; at other schools, tuition for the course is paid as part of the overall MBA tuition package at the school. Students should check with their MBA or CIBER staff if they are not sure how they are to pay for the course

Special fee: All GBP students pay a fee of $1,500 to cover a portion of the expenses for the kick-off weekend in Washington, DC and the Hub City weekend in the host country. A deposit of $500 is due in December when students accept their team assignments. The balance is due by January 30, 2012.

Students are also responsible for their round-trip travel to Washington, DC in March and to the destination country in May. Meals not included in the Kick-off and Hub City Weekends (1 or 2 meals each time) and for most meals during the May 21 - June 1 project period (clients will provide some special celebration meals).

Partial or full scholarships may be available from the CIBER in the GBP member institution; students should contact their school's GBP representative for more information.

For more information, contact your school's GBP representative or GBP Program Manager Debbie Williams at or

Application deadline for students is November 15, 2011.