Debra Cannon, Director of Hospitality Administration
When Cannon visited Ghana in February, she saw firsthand
what her research had indicated: Ghana has a tremendous untapped potential for tourism. The government is relatively stable, and Ghanaians are friendly, warm and receptive to outsiders, said Cannon.
Bijan Fazlollahi, Associate Professor of International Business
"I thought I was going to Africa, to the jungle,² said Fazlollahi of his teaching experience in Venda. "But with its good roads, gas stations, food courts and other facilities, South Africa seemed much more like Europe than the Middle East, where I come from."
Wes Johnston, Director of the Center for Business and Industrial Marketing
Because of the colonization of the Ivory Coast by France, the French system currently dominates university programs. "In the French system, you show up to listen to a lecture, take a test and have little interaction," said Johnston. "By contrast, American-style education offers more academic freedom and interaction through exercises and case studies."
Tad Ransopher, Assistant Professor of Accountancy
The country's high death toll from AIDS affects investments in the country, according to Ransopher, who co-directs Robinson's study abroad trips to countries with emerging economies. Africans who work on the stock exchange in Johannesburg shared with him the difficulty of convincing people to invest if they expect to die young.
"In the United States, we study the federal reserve system, which is firmly established," remarked Ransopher, "but in South Africa, students get a different perspective by seeing how a country actually develops its economic system. Students see a broader range of management styles and entrepreneurship from the beginning."
Marta White, Professor of Management
"The most important word is flexibility," said White of the study abroad trip she helps lead to South Africa every three years. Things change day to day.
"Characteristic of many developing nations, they are leapfrogging over many of the steps longer-established countries have typically taken, especially in the area of technology. Their wired telecommunications system is far from excellent, but their wireless system is superior."
