Posted May. 25/06
By Tara Jackson
In September, thousands of students will begin work on their Carleton degree here in Canada. Thanks to international partnerships with the Sprott School of Business, students in Iran, India and China will be doing the same thing in their own countries.
Bringing an international component to the world of business study is a major focus for faculty in Carleton’s business school. Four years ago, the university collaborated with educators in Qeshm, Iran, to offer Carleton’s MBA degree in Iran. The majority of courses are taught by Carleton and Iranian professors, allowing MBA students to continue to work and live in their own country. The remaining courses are taught in Ottawa, giving students an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the North American business environment.
“The world of business is global, so the world of business education should be too,” explains Vinod Kumar, director of the international program. “Carleton took the opportunity to bring a world-class North American education to these students, right to their doorstep.”
With the success of the Iranian program, Sprott turned its attention to India, offering a Bachelor of Commerce degree through the Kohinoor Business School in Khandala. Last year, Carleton welcomed students to its MBA program at Donghua University in Shanghai. More than 140 students have entered the Iranian MBA program, more than 30 have enrolled in the commerce program in India, and 25 students have signed up for the second year of the China program.
“With each year, we see our entering students getting stronger in terms of entry grades, experience, and their ability to speak English,” says Kumar.
To graduate with a degree from Carleton, students need to successfully complete the course curriculum taught or supervised by a Carleton professor. Professors traveling to Iran, China or India accumulate a wealth of experience, which enriches the course content they teach in their Ottawa campus classes, says Kumar, making it a win-win situation for students at home and abroad.
When the courses were first offered oversees, Carleton undertook promotional campaigns to advertise to local students. Now Kumar says graduates are spreading the word and acting as ambassadors for the program.
“These students are getting a world-class North American MBA program in their home country without leaving their jobs or families and at almost one-third of the cost of studying in Canada,” says Kumar. “Their Carleton degree will be their ticket to the international job market.”
Reprinted from Research Works, Fall 2005.