The Global Business Institute (GBI) is a collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and The Coca-Cola Company. This multi-faceted, immersive program was designed to give a select group of students from across participating countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Near Asia the opportunity to learn about business in the context of American culture. The selection process was highly competitive with thousands of students applying for the 100 program spots each year.
GBI 2018: Beyond Limits
A collaboration between the Department of State and the IIB led to the creation of the Global Leadership and Innovation (GLI) program, a capstone project for 40 GBI alumni to apply their GBI learnings toward MENA cross-border collaborations and economic development. Program components on leadership and innovation allowed students to employ executive-level skills toward issues in the MENA region. Over three intensive weeks, students learned about the impact of borders on innovation, cross-cultural communication and understanding, how to lead and develop leaders, and how to manage resources, time, and team dynamics to achieve goals.
Students gained a basic understanding of American business practices and pedagogy through the accelerated 3.5-week curriculum based on the core elements of the Kelley School of Business undergraduate program. Disciplines covered included Accounting, Communications and Presentation Skills, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Operations, and Law and Ethics. In addition to the more traditional classroom sessions, students also engaged in a series of panels and site visits to introduce them to the wide variety of entrepreneurial venture opportunities.
Students worked in small teams on a group feasibility study project which culminated in a case competition style presentation of 15 minutes with 10 minutes of question and answer from a panel of judges. The project required the teams to develop and conduct a feasibility study of a business idea to launch in their home countries and necessitated them drawing upon what they learned in the program.
Students were also exposed to American culture through formal and informal interactive programming. The program concluded with visits to Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. While in Washington, D.C., student teams had the opportunity to present their feasibility studies at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
From 2012 to 2017, 576 students from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, The Palestinian Territories, and Tunisia participated in the program. The GBI program has had a variety of impacts on participants, including furthering international scholarship, initiating business formation, and improving employment. The economic and diplomatic effects of these impacts cannot be understated. Alumni surveys indicate:
- 162 alumni have received a scholarship to study outside their home country
- 93% of alumni were employed within six months of graduating
- Over 2/3rds of alumni are actively engaged in entrepreneurial activities
- 164 businesses have been launched, with 81 still operating
- 984 people have been employed as a result of GBI alumni entrepreneurial activities; 899 currently employed