Business professors, Dr. Pete Diffenderfer and Dr. Tim Veach, will present: “Cultivating Global Leadership Skills Through Cultural Exchange: A Case Study on Northwest Christian University-University of Macau Summer Program” to the regional assembly of the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education on Oct. 14, 2016 in Spokane, Wash.
“This is an exciting opportunity to present how a strong, multi-faceted program between NCU and the University of Macau supports the further advancement of participating students’ global competency,” said Diffenderfer, NCU’s Assistant Dean of the Business Department. “Dr. Veach, and I look forward to sharing our experience with peer institutions attending the meeting.”
Other IABCE members participating in the Northwest Regional Assembly include: Alaska Pacific University, Carroll College, Eastern Oregon University, Heritage University, Lewis-Clark State College, Marylhurst University, Montana Tech, Oregon Institute of Technology and University of Montana University-Western.
“I am pleased to participate in this important assembly,” said Veach, who spent years working and teaching in Asia. “What we have learned from our relationship with the University of Macau provides a foundation for NCU, and other like-minded universities, to build other important global programs with top universities in Asia.”
What follows is the presentation abstract:
Smaller faith-based institutions face the challenge of providing ample exposure and resources in the advancement of global competence among students, which has been identified by the Rand Corporation, among others, as integral to the current job competency skill set by employers. By tapping into existing human networks, including a Chinese member of the board of trustees, Northwest Christian University (NCU) was able to leverage relationships to meet this challenge. In conjunction with NCU’s mission, vision, and strategic plan, a program was developed with the multi-faceted objective of meeting the need for global competence and leadership skills of students at Shiu Pong College, University of Macau, as well as creating the opportunity for NCU students, faculty, and staff to engage with Chinese students in activities commensurate with the NCU institutional purpose. Development and implementation of this program represented an opportunity for augmentation of cultural competence for all participating constituents from both cultural backgrounds. This presentation provides an overview, results, and financial implications of the program, including implications for the institution and further development. The focus is on experiential learning and continuous improvement leading to sustainability of this, and similar programs. Emphasis is given to the fact that the Department of Business is strategically poised for participation in the development, implementation, and improvement of such programs, based on the ability to engage leadership, learning, and financial acumen. As a result of the successful execution of this program, NCU has gained confidence to initiate further global outreach activities in additional countries, including Korea and India.
The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) was founded in 1997 in response to the expressed needs of presidents, chief academic officers, and business deans and chairs who wanted an accreditation process that was mission-driven and outcomes-based. The IACBE is nationally-recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and is the leader in mission-driven and outcomes-based programmatic accreditation in business and management education for student-centered colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions throughout the world.
The IACBE’s mission is to promote and recognize excellence in business education in institutions of higher education worldwide, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, through specialized accreditation of business programs. The IACBE has hundreds of member institutions and campuses worldwide, and has accredited over 1,300 business and business-related programs in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central America, and South America.