Students from around the world flock to the Robinson College, drawn by its international reputation, top rankings and flexible degree programs.

Since his graduation from Cairo University's business school in 1993, Ahmed Saad Hassan-Aly has built a solid resume of experience in the financial sector. He has worked for the largest private bank in Egypt - Commercial International Bank - as a money market and FX trader, then as a senior credit officer for the world's second largest bank - HSBC, headquartered in London - and also as head of research for Egypt's largest brokerage firm, Commercial International Brokerage Company. When he decided to return to school for a master's degree, Hassan-Aly wanted a program that offered him the flexibility to continue working, an international faculty and an opportunity to study in the United States. A joint MBA program between the Robinson College of Business and Cairo University met his requirements. Not only did Hassan-Aly enroll in the program, he also convinced his best friend Mohy-Eldin Abdin to pursue the MBA as well. This summer, the two roommates arrived in Atlanta to complete a year of studies in finance.

Egypt is just one of the countries from around the world which have a strong presence at the RCB. The college draws students from more than 47 countries. The Flex MBA alone draws students from 38 countries, with Egypt, India, Germany, Turkey, and South Korea heading the list. In the specialized master's programs, international students hail from 23 countries, with China, India, Egypt, Germany, and South Korea sending the most students. Some 53 percent of PhD students enrolled at the RCB are from foreign nations. Of 1,440 applications for master's programs this fall, 617 came from foreign students.

Why are these students drawn to Atlanta and the Robinson College? Many, such as Yue Chen, an accountant from China, base their choice on the school's top national rankings and the flexibility of its part-time program. This summer Chen completed two years of studies, graduating with an MBA and a concentration in accounting.

Buket Altinoz, an industrial engineer from Turkey who is working on an MBA with a concentration in finance, wanted to study alongside peers with substantial work experience. "In my classes, almost everyone knows what they are talking about because they have significant work experience," Altinoz said. "I learn from the person sitting next to me."

Altinoz was familiar with Atlanta before she enrolled in the RCB. She had visited during the Olympic Games in 1996 and often returned to see her brother, a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Still, she had a few surprises when she relocated. "I still got a culture shock," she said. "I felt I was in the competition right away."

She has fared well in that competition, arranging an internship for herself with UPS Capital. On the job, Altinoz has met other RCB graduates, who stand out in their jobs as successful MBAs. She hopes to join their ranks permanently after graduation next spring.

Awantika Joshi, a marketer from Bombay, India, had always wanted to study in the United States, and with family in Atlanta, she chose the RCB. Upon enrollment, she already had one master's degree in marketing from a university in India and four years of experience in retail and education. This summer, Joshi completed her MBA with a major in information systems and e-commerce. While she searches for a permanent position in Atlanta, she is continuing to work for the Small Business Development Center, which is affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Association and offers management consulting services for entrepreneurs.

Jeung Bo Shim, an insurance underwriter from Seoul, South Korea, came to the RCB with years of work experience. He learned of the college through his employer, a property and casualty insurance company in South Korea. After Shim completes his MS with a major in actuarial science, he hopes to continue in the college's PhD program. "In my country, we need skilled experts in this area," he said, "but unfortunately now there is not a large pool of people who have those skills."

Based on the recommendations of friends who had graduated from the RCB and with an interest in living in the southern United States, South Korean Byungkook Choi enrolled as an MBA student. Sponsored by the government of South Korea, he is concentrating on e-commerce. At the end of his studies, he will return to his job in the Department of Agriculture and Forestry for two years to repay his sponsorship.

Other students have come to the RCB through exchange agreements with business schools around the world. Benedicte Romac, for example, is a student at the International Business Study Program at the Groupe ESC in Toulouse, France, where the RCB has a partnership agreement. While completing her MBA with a concentration in marketing at the RCB, Romac also has participated in the school's female mentoring program, which connected her with a mentor from Coca-Cola. "I had previously only worked with small and medium-sized companies, so I wanted to get to know someone from a large multinational corporation," Romac remarked. "The women's mentoring program was very helpful for both personal and professional women's advice."

Lars Kortholt, a student at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel near Frankfurt, Germany, was eligible for study abroad for one semester in either France or the United States or for one year in a master's program in the States. He chose to attend classes at the RCB, which is a partner of his German program. "I heard of the good reputation of the J. Mack Robinson College from a network of former students," Kortholt said. With work experience at two real estate companies, one bank and one Internet start-up in Germany, Kortholt is enrolled in the Master of Science in Real Estate program with a secondary concentration in finance. He believes his studies will earn him a better position in his home country and prepare him well for business in the global economy - a goal shared by the many international students on the roll at the Robinson College.