In the spring of 1999, the Office of International Business Programs (OIBP) was established in the College of Business at Tennessee State University with the primary mission of providing the impetus for internationalizing its curriculum and programs. Now we can assert with some confidence that OIBP has made headway toward that end.

The Minor in International Business program is fully established and supported by OIBP staff. Several students have completed all the requirements for the Minor, and several more are in the pipeline. In June 2003, two TSU students began a semester of study at Siam University in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The Multicultural Friendship Society (MCFS), formed in 2000, is a student organization dedicated to bridging the cultural divide between U.S. and international students. Each spring, MCFS organizes a Multicultural Festival on campus featuring ethnic cuisine, music, and dancing.

OIBP reaches out to the Nashville business community. OIBP staff are active in the World Trade Council and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. This has helped to open doors for student internships and long-term job possibilities. TSU students have participated in several research projects involving the Nashville businesses and several have completed internships with the Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Office of Business and Economic Research, in conjunction with the Office of International Business Programs and The Journal of Developing (JDA) areas, organized a 3-day International symposium on globalization and urbanization challenges and opportunities from 6 to 8 May 2004 held in the Renaissance Hotel Nashville, Tennessee. This symposium brought together panels of internationally known experts, as well as researchers from all around the United States. There were invited papers, but the symposium was also open for contributed papers by anyone with an interest in globalization and urbanization and its impact on local economy especially research students and post-doctoral fellows. The keynote speaker was Dr. Barry Blue Stone, Director of Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, Boston.

Since the fall of 1999, OIBP has presented the Windows onto the World lecture series, which takes place six times each year and focus on issues that concern international business. The first event each fall showcases TSU students who have studied abroad or had an international experience.

OIBP manages partnerships with universities in other countries. We have completed a two-year and a half-year linkage program in Ukraine in which TSU hosted over a dozen Ukrainian faculty, students, and businessmen in Tennessee. TSU faculty traveled to Ukraine as well, teaching and conducting collaborative research. Under our Malawi linkage we are developing a Distance MBA degree program to be offered in Malawi, the first of its kind in that country.

With partial funding from Title III, in 2002 OIBP assisted Prof. Abu Wahid to begin publishing an academic review entitled The Journal of Developing Areas, a multidisciplinary publication focused on problems of development. The third issue of the journal is now at the press.

The OIBP staff consists of the Director, Assistant Director and several graduate assistants. We invite you to visit our offices (K-44 & 45) in the Avon Williams (downtown) Campus of TSU and to participate in our programs.