Leslie Ovalle/ Staff Writer
The University’s International Business program ranked sixth in the United States by the 2016 U.S. News and World Report.
“It reflects the excellence of our students and faculty,” said Jose Aldrich, acting dean for the College of Business, to Student Media.
“It gives us the ability to attract more people — international students and faculty.”
The ranking calculates the quality of institutions based on first-year student retention, graduation rates and the strength of the faculty.
COB has been fulfilling its claimed vision to be an internationally-recognized leader in global business education, scholarly excellence and collaborative community engagement, according to the College’s website.
Graphic by Jasmine Romero/FIUSM Staff
Previous rankings for the program include eighth on Bloomberg Businessweek and No. 15 for International Masters of Business Administration on U.S. News and World Report.
William Newburry, the chair of the department of management and international business, gave emphasis to the International Business Honors Society, a group that “allows students to showcase themselves and work hands-on.”
Veronica Chua and Deidre Oge, members of the IBHS, are very proud and excited to be a part of a program that’s moving up quickly.
They said the faculty and staff they work with, as well as their involvement in the program, has given them real-life and hands-on experiences, like international business trips.
“In last year’s Costa Rica trip, we were able to make a big difference by educating local business owners in the small town of Tortuguero,” said Chua, a senior international business and management consultant major.
The small group of 10 to 15 students helped the local business owners set up a business website, among other things.
According to Oge, a junior business management major and IBHS secretary, their next trip will be to India to help the Women of Bandhwari, a group of women whose craft consists of making home decor from discarded newspaper.
Both students said that such international experiences is a big part of what makes the program so lauded.
But, according to Newburry, international experiences don’t begin abroad. For him, they begin on campus with more than 133 countries being represented in the student body.
“Understanding cultural differences is very important,” Newburry told FIU Student Media. “Not many schools in the United States have this… This gives us our niche.”
The University is a full member of the Consortium for International Business Educators, which facilitates the benchmarking and sharing of the best practices for International Business education among members, according to the organization’s website.
Newburry credits this membership for assisting the University’s program and bringing its education to the next level.
Sugey Ramirez, a senior accounting and international business major, hopes to work in international business, traveling and working with different cultures, after graduation.
She said the University has prepared her for this next step.
“I’ve become very ambitious,” said Ramirez. “I want to know about every type of business, I want to travel the world and keep learning and growing. This all grew in me while at FIU.”
The University’s international business program, ranking in the nation’s top ten for three consecutive years, has more milestones to achieve in its future, according to Aldrich.
“We give everything that global view, continuously embedding internationality into all of our programs,” said Aldrich. “Next, we go for number five and, eventually, to number one.”
leslie.ovalle@fiusm.com
Image courtesy of Creative Commons
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