鈥淲e live in a globalized world,鈥� says Sergio Carvalho. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we be exposed to other cultures, not just within Canada, but outside.鈥�
Dr. Carvalho is a professor of marketing in the Rowe School of Business who also directs the Centre for International Trade and Transportation (CITT). Since arriving at the Rowe School in 2013, he has been creating opportunities for students to have a more global education. He began the Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation Israel Exchange Program, and has now begun a new initiative to teach students about international trade 鈥� the 鈥淒oing Business in Emerging Markets鈥� program.
A major donation from three sponsors has made this possible: Export Development Canada, Northstar Trade Finance and the Bata family have partnered to fund the program for the next five years.
In developing the program, Dr. Carvalho carefully considered the field of study.
鈥淲e looked at some of the areas in which students don鈥檛 necessarily see a career path, such as international trade,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd we thought that it would be a fantastic thing to show them that potential.鈥�
Great potential
Dr. Carvalho observes that it is useful to teach Nova Scotia鈥檚 business students about trading internationally, since Canada and the Atlantic region need to increase trade, especially in emerging markets. 鈥淭he presence of Canadian business in these markets is very small, and they have great potential for us,鈥� he says.
Dr. Carvalho approached the three sponsors to help send the students abroad, and all of them loved the idea. Export Development Canada was a perfect choice, he says: 鈥淭his program ties right into its main concerns, and it鈥檚 a big recruiter of graduating students,鈥� he explains. 鈥淓DC has employed a lot of our former students and knows the quality of our programs.鈥�
Aside from its monetary donation, EDC also takes care of most of the program鈥檚 logistics, putting the students to work with local businesses for their projects. EDC also helps organizers secure guest lecturers and find companies for the students to visit.
Northstar Trade Finance was already a major supporter of CITT. 鈥淣orthstar fits because of its global trading,鈥� says Dr. Carvalho. The company鈥檚 president, Scott Shepherd, is an alumnus of the Rowe School; through Shepherd, Dr. Carvalho got in touch with the third sponsor, the Bata family, whose international outlook and leadership works well with the program.
鈥淒oing Business in Emerging Markets鈥� consists of a marketing course available each winter and a 12-day trip abroad to end the term. Valerie Trifts, associate professor of marketing, helms the course, which combines students from all three of the Rowe School鈥檚 programs: the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Management and Corporate Residency MBA.
Students from each program work closely together, explains Dr. Carvalho, 鈥渁nd the MBA students have a little bit of a mentor role to the undergrads.鈥�
The students are assigned to one of four groups that each work with a specific company looking to expand into emerging international markets. 鈥淭hey work throughout the term directly with the CEOs of these companies, and do parallel research on the markets,鈥� says Dr. Carvalho. The emerging market highlighted in the course will change each year; this term, the first cohort of students is researching China, and working with LED Roadway Lighting, Survival Systems, MedMira and Acadian Maple Products.
An immersive learning experience
After a term spent discovering the details of the Chinese market, the students will make the trip to China to immerse themselves in the environment they鈥檝e been studying. The course will culminate in market-entry plans that each student group will present to its business partner.
鈥淚t鈥檚 completely hands-on,鈥� says Dr. Carvalho. 鈥淭hey are working with real projects for real companies, which at the end will be used by those organizations.鈥�
Another benefit of the program, he says, is the opportunity for the students to network: 鈥淔rom day one, they are put in touch with top executives, not just here in Canada but also in the country that they visit.鈥�
With two international programs already underway, Dr. Carvalho has plans for more, including a course on social entrepreneurship that would see students visit developing nations to see firsthand their social venture work. 鈥淭he motivation for this program is similar to the 鈥楨merging Markets鈥� one,鈥� says Dr. Carvalho: 鈥渇or students to see that there is career potential in starting a social venture or working for one.鈥�
Helping students to discover a potential career is important, says Dr. Carvalho. But the professor, who was born in Brazil, settled in Canada, and has traveled extensively himself, believes programs like these allow students to grow in other ways as well. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e having these complete experiences 鈥� cultural, business and so on,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very, very rich experience.鈥�