Two Martha and Spencer Love School of Business professors recently published an article on executing a model for a study abroad course that targets a single global industry in a single country by developing a close relationship with a host university.
Kevin O’Mara, professor of management and executive director of the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and Art Cassill, the Wesley R. Elingberg Professor of Accounting, co-authored an article titled, “The Value of a Study Abroad Experience for the Cayman Islands: Connecting and Reflecting,” which appears in the International Journal of Business and Social Science: Vol. 5, No. 8(1).
The article abstract reads:
“This paper outlines a successfully executed model for studying the impact of globalization utilizing an international study abroad model different from more traditional approaches. The model is incremental in execution while divergent in design and based on experiences from multiple study abroad programs. The focus is on developing cooperation with host in-country universities for cultural context and connections with a targeted single industry – captive insurance – within that country. The paper provides key “on the ground” components while in country and valuable insights to preparatory work with students prior to the actual international experience. The primary design assertion for the course is globalization is fundamentally a cultural phenomenon, therefore requiring significant time within a country to properly immerse students into that culture. The assertion relies heavily on establishing partnerships and close relationships with local universities that know the market and have the connections to provide a balanced, not convenient, representation of the country being studied.”