Last June when we decided to profile our international activities in this issue of The State of Business, we never imagined its release would coincide with the defining event of the 21st century. The horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on our country's political and financial capitals changed our world forever. Although this tragedy occurred on U.S. soil, killing and injuring thousands of Americans as well as people of other nationalities, it represents an attack against all of humanity.
We are confident that our government and its allies will take the necessary political, military, and diplomatic measures to bring the perpetrators to justice and to safeguard freedom and democracy in the United States and abroad. However, at this historic juncture, Georgia State University and the Robinson College of Business (RCB) believe that our school and other higher education institutions also have a vital supporting role to play. Through diverse international programs that enhance learning, knowledge, and skills acquisition, our institutions contribute to building the international good will, understanding, and prosperity that is critical to preventing the recurrence of such a terrible catastrophe in the United States or elsewhere on earth. In this context, the many international activities of students, faculty, and staff of the RCB highlighted in the following pages of The State of Business are more important than ever before.
Drawn from 47 countries around the world and from throughout the United States, our students benefit from a wealth of programs and institutional linkages around the globe - from our study abroad opportunities in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia to our partnerships with schools such as the Sorbonne in Paris and Group Ecole Superieure de Commerce in Toulouse, France, Cairo University in Egypt, or the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy in the former Soviet Republic. Students enrolled in the Master of International Business program build international competencies through case studies in the classroom and participation in an overseas internship. Central to the success of these exciting initiatives is the highly experienced and outstanding Robinson faculty and our equally talented colleagues at the College's many partner institutions abroad.
The RCB also offers continuing education and professional development for business people around the world. The Expanding Horizons program in the Institute for International Business, for example, brings executives from Latin America to Atlanta to attend seminars and make company visits to some of our most successful global firms. In South Africa, the RCB is leading a consortium off U.S. and South African institutions to establish the Ronald H. Brown Institute in Sub-Saharan Africa. Named in honor of the late former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the Ron Brown Institute will provide business skills training for existing and aspiring business people across Sub-Saharan Africa.
We also are proud of the significant accomplishments and contributions of RCB alumni to the international arena. Allen Reed, president and CEO of General Motors Investment Management Corporation, heads the United States' largest corporate pension and savings plans. The corporation invests assets of more than $100 billion in a portfolio of worldwide holdings. Eric Joiner, president and COO of AJC International, devotes his time and energy to helping RCB students secure international internships. These opportunities are invaluable and provide our students with experience and, in some instances, a competitive advantage in the workforce.
In dispatching this issue of The State of Business, I, along with my colleagues in the RCB share the resolve of our nation's leaders and the people of the United States to stand firm in the face of tragedy and to make the world a better and safer place. Through the programs presented here and those yet to be developed, we, in unison with our international partners, are committed to doing our part.
Sidney E. Harris
Dean
Robinson College of Business
