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Message from the Directors
Through the “Boldness by Design”
initiative, Michigan State University, under
the leadership of President Lou Anna K
Simon and Provost Kim Wilcox, is working
to establish MSU as the global leader in
our industry MSU is advancing a strategic
commitment to become recognized
worldwide as the United States’ leading
land-grant research university for the 21st
century by 2012 For MSU’s International
Business Center, the key strategic imperative
that is a part of the university’s global
initiative is “expanding international reach
through academic, research and economic
development initiatives and global, national
and local strategic alliances” At the same
time, IBC is also dedicated to MSU’s other
strategic imperatives for maximum impact
(i e , enhance the student experience;
enrich community, economic, and family
life; increase research opportunities; and
strengthen stewardship)
Closely aligned with the university’s
five strategic imperatives, IBC and its
portfolio of projects represent the most
aggressive, far-reaching, and high-impact
agenda that the center has ever proposed
to undertake in its seventeen years of
existence Resourceful business schools such
as the Broad School, with its world-leading
international research faculty (Management
International Review 2004) and influence in
the field of international business (Journal
of International Business Studies 2005) can
achieve signifi cant accomplishments within
the structure of the center’s programming
Such business school infrastructure coupled
with a truly global university makes us a very
effective center
A number of important developments
have taken place since our last annual
report globalEDGE (http://globalEDGE
msu edu/) went through a design overhaul
and has continued to rank as the world’s
leading online source for international
business information (based on rankings by
Yahoo! using the search term “international
business” as of December 31, 2007) In May
2007, we launched a brand new section
on Industry Profi les which boasts “all-youneed-
to-know” information on 20 economic
sectors We also continue to provide business
information on 199 countries, 31 categories
of international global resources including
more than 5,000 online resources, and
numerous other international topics to
maintain our world-leading position as “Your
Source for Global Business Knowledge”
The diversity of audiences served by the
center’s programming efforts is impressive
First, we have supported over 150
international research projects this year, most
in an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary
effort Second, we worked with several
organizations to start the India Information
Technology Forum The inaugural studentorganized
event took place on March 16,
2007, and planning for next year is in full
swing Third, we were a key co-sponsor of the
October 24, 2006, International Trade Forum
together with, among others, the Greater
Lansing United Nations Association Fourth,
we partnered with the Lansing Regional
Chamber of Commerce to co-sponsor the
International Business Forum held May 1,
2007 The center also co-sponsors a number
of conferences and workshops designed to
assist faculty in building these synergies with
the Lansing Chamber and others
Since we became the new home of the
Academy of International Business (AIB)
in January 2004, the membership has
increased by about 800 people to a current
membership of some 3,000 members in 75
countries The attendance at the AIB annual
conference is also at an all-time high with the
four highest attendances since 2004 (2004
in Stockholm with 811 attendees; 2005 in
Quebec City with 869 people; 2006 in Beijing
with 1,055 people; and 2007 in Indianapolis
with 731 people) We are thankful to all our
sponsors for those events and look forward
to celebrating AIB’s 50th anniversary in Milan
in June 2008 We hope you can attend!
Starting in 2007, IBC partnered with the
Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
to co-sponsor the Chamber’s monthly
Economic Club Luncheons These luncheons
are becoming more “global” in scope, which
will allow IBC to reach a broader audience in
the Greater Lansing Region Speakers during
2007 included Tim Daman, Vice President of
Economic Development, Lansing Regional
Chamber of Commerce; George Biltz, Global
Vice President of Purchasing, Dow Chemical
Corporation; Congressman Mike Rogers,
8th District, Michigan; Bill Sepic, CEO &
President, Lansing Regional Chamber of
Commerce; Carrie Hall, Communications
and Public Affairs Advisor, United Nations
Global Compact Office; and Tom Maguire,
Director/International Trade Specialist, U S
Commerce Department
We encourage you to visit our website
to get to know the IBC team that makes it
all happen (ciber msu edu/team) We also
welcome you to visit us on the web (ciber
msu edu or globalEDGE msu edu) or at our
office at Michigan State University (7 Eppley
Center, East Lansing, Michigan)
Sincerely,
G. Tomas M. Hult, Director
Irem A. Kiyak, Associate Director
Sarah Singer, Assistant Director
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