How the GSB is preparing students to be global leaders by fostering deep understanding of international business through firsthand experiences.

The Innovation
International experiences and global business courses help students develop respect for diverse cultures, understanding of the complexities of managing effectively in a global environment, and awareness of the impact of businesses on communities. Global experiential learning activities supported by the Center for Global Business and the Economy provide unparalleled opportunities for students to gain firsthand experience.

The Need
Global Study Trips, Global Management Immersion Experience (GMIX), and exchange programs with Tsinghua University and the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) are eye-opening and transformative. But developing these unique and highly rewarding experiences, along with new international business courses, requires extraordinary faculty commitment and extensive resources.

Why Give
As the world economy becomes more interdependent, business leaders must remain sensitive to differences between markets, countries, and people. “I wanted to invest in the GSB because of the strong need for more global-minded business leaders,” says Roger Deromedi, MBA ’77, chairman of Pinnacle Foods Group. “During my career, I have been continually confronted with managers caught in the paradigm of their own local view.”

Impact on the GSB
We need continued investment from our alumni and friends to innovate and create new opportunities and courses that prepare leaders for the global marketplace. “My trip to Russia instilled a tremendous curiosity in me, and I have already begun working on Russian-centric projects at Stanford,” says Tim Hade, MBA ’12. “It also influenced my view of international business. In today’s world of instant information, people are losing interest in having their 'boots on the ground.’ It reaffirmed my belief that you can’t truly understand a society unless you visit it.”