With its twentieth president at the helm, Lou Anna K. Simon, PhD, Michigan State University has embarked upon global awareness and global engagement of faculty, staff and students as an institutional priority. In the spirit of MSU helping to define what it meant to be a land grant university in the 19th and 20th centuries, the university is now working to define what it means to be a world grant university in the 21st century.

The foundation for MSU's world grant focus—an initiative of President Simon—goes back a long way. Thinking globally has always been a major priority for the MSU community. For example, the university is recognized for its international work in a large number of areas such as basic human needs, education, international trade, sustainable agriculture, human and animal health and welfare, and the environment. Some 1,400 faculty members are currently involved in international research, teaching, and service projects and programs in more than 170 countries.

In international business, MSU has a world renowned research faculty (Management International Review, 2004) with significant editorial influence (Journal of International Business Studies, 2005). The Eli Broad College of Business has the nation's leading Center for International Business Education and Research, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and also serves as the Web hub of all 31 CIBERs nationwide (http://ciberweb.msu.edu).

One of the Broad School's most high-impact international business products is globalEDGE (http://globalEDGE.msu.edu)—the world-leading international business resource on the Web (as measured by major search engines such as Google and Yahoo!). The Broad School is also the world headquarters to the prestigious Academy of International Business with a membership of about 3,000 individuals spanning more than 80 countries, along with its premier international business journal (Journal of International Business Studies).

Global initiatives

The Broad School's Global Initiatives draw on the vast international expertise and experience of the Broad School's faculty in accounting and information systems, finance, hospitality business, management, marketing and supply chain management to produce outstanding international business programs for undergraduate, masters and doctoral students. These international faculty experts are also organized in the virtual international business department in addition to their functional home department. Currently, seven global initiatives are developed, implemented and maintained to continue the Broad School's global leadership position.

Initiative 1: The Broad School is establishing a global initiatives council to more directly and more intensely leverage the superb people assets that the Broad School and Michigan State University have around the world. The background for this global initiative is that Broad School and MSU have alumni members (more than 400,000) and prominent friends on all continents who have shown interest and willingness be linked closer with MSU and assist in advancing the global mission and reputation. Regional "cabinets" are established for maximum impact and synergy.

Initiative 2: The Broad School has established a comprehensive website which showcases all global aspects of the Broad School and its on-campus and off-campus partners (http://global.broad.msu.edu). The background for this global initiative is that the Broad School is the leader in online resources in international business (e.g., globalEDGE, CIBERweb, AIB). The idea is to showcase the myriad of global business activities and projects undertaken by Broad School faculty and to serve as a communication and promotional vehicle.

Initiative 3: The Broad School has established a virtual international business department. The background for this global initiative is that MSU has the world-leading research faculty in international business (Management International Review, 2004) with the most editorial influence (Journal of International Business Studies, 2005). They also house the premier organization in international business, the Academy of International Business. The International Business Department is made up of 75 highly qualified internationally oriented faculty from the Broad School's functional departments. They represent 22 countries.

Initiative 4: The Broad School is establishing a strategically based study abroad and international internship program. The background for this global initiative is that MSU's study abroad options are among the most diverse in the country, with more than 200 programs in 60 countries on all continents. Moving forward, the idea is to build a study abroad and international internship program that allows all interested business students (about 6,000 total) the opportunity to engage globally in all strategically critical areas of the world. The international internship director is a key component of this initiative (http://global.broad.msu.edu/education/internshipDirectory.aspx).

Initiative 5: The Broad School has established a network of strategically located global research centers (GRC) worldwide to facilitate faculty and doctoral student research. The background for this global initiative is that nearly 1,400 MSU faculty members are currently involved in international research, teaching and service projects in more than 170 countries. These GRCs will provide an opportunity for faculty to immerse themselves in the culture of the world regions to conduct cutting-edge global research within the structure of established institutional linkages.

Initiative 6: The Broad School is establishing innovative online and hybrid global education programs that leverage their global brand and entrenches the Broad School as a leading global business school. The background for this global initiative is that MSU has a half century history of being in the forefront of international education and outreach. The focus is on being the leading world-grant university with true international reach and distinction. A cross-campus initiative is the Center for Global Sustainability, and a foreign-located program is the general management major with an international business specialization in Dubai.

Initiative 7: The Broad School is establishing close partnerships and global campuses in strategic locations in the world to have a physical presence that allows them to be truly global in scope and scale. The background for this global initiative is that MSU has a rich history of being a globally engaged university, with the nation's first dean of international programs. For example, MSU has several offices and project locations that the Broad School can leverage to establish a global infrastructure for programming activities in a very engaged way (e.g., MSU Dubai, Japan Center for Michigan Universities). Locally, they recently implemented pro bono services to help Michigan companies with their international needs called the Michigan Export Growth Program (http://ciber.msu.edu/MEGP).

As always, the Eli Broad College of Business and the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University welcome input, suggestions and feedback on these seven global initiatives and look forward to serving the Lansing and Michigan business community with innovative and cutting-edge programs and products.

		Professor Tomas Hult, PhD, is associate dean for global initiatives and director of the International Business Center in the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. Hult is also executive director of the Academy of International Business and cofounder of Hult Ketchen International Group, LLC. Professor Hult can be contacted at hult@msu.edu.