This time last year, I took the opportunity to write about Cameron’s partnerships with - and impact - in the community. This year, I would like to explore Cameron’s partnerships and impact in the world.
A quick look through Cameron’s current Strategic Plan, as well as UNCW’s Strategic Plan, UNCW’s Vision Statement, Cameron’s Mission Statement and other planning documents, it is easy to find the strategic initiative of having a “global mindset.”
In today’s digital age, there are very few boundaries to overcome in sharing knowledge, ideas and research. The speed at which data can be shared simultaneously around the world is mind-blowing.
Cameron’s entrance into global business was not only out of strategic planning but also out of necessity. Business schools need to adapt their curriculum, distance education and philosophy in reaction to the increasingly global nature of the business world.
Cameron is committed to preparing our students for careers in a global business community, where success is no longer measured on a domestic scale
- Sixty percent of UNCW international students are in the Cameron School of Business.
- Over 200 Cameron students study abroad each year.
Every student in the Cameron School of Business (CSB) has the option to internationalize his or her education by spending a year, semester, summer or short-term summer session abroad. Possibilities include attending classes at a school in another country or participating in a group trip to visit businesses in several countries.
Cameron has very active summer study abroad programs; this summer total participation was more than 180 students.
These programs facilitate opportunities with our TABSA Partners:
- Kedge Business School in Marseille, France
- Hochschule Bremen, University of Applied Sciences in Germany
- Universitat de Valencia in Spain
- University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, UK
These programs, led by Cameron faculty, include at least one business core course taught by a CSB faculty person.
The CSB also hosts faculty-led study abroad trips to various other locations, including China and Australia and, soon, Russia and Barbados. One course provides business valuation and marketing experience through an annual consulting project in Prague, Czech Republic, with approximately 30 students participating this past year.
Which leads us to Cameron’s curricular programs… two universities plus two countries equals one dual master's degree in one year. The International MBA is a unique master's program combining travel, adventure and culture with a profound academic experience. This is a full-time program for students with an undergraduate degree in business, finance or economics. All courses are taught in English.
This past year saw the launch of Cameron’s new online Executive MBA Program. Recognizing the new global business world, students engage in a one-week international residency in Europe or Asia as part of the program.
If all else fails, another possibility for global engagement is Cameron’s International Business option. This program allows a student to focus on the other international aspects of management, marketing and finance to gain an understanding of the forces that influence the conduct of businesses around the world.
One of the best examples of embracing international diversity on campus occurs every Thanksgiving at the home of Cameron faculty member, Tom Simpson, and his wife, Cindy. Hundreds of international students are able to enjoy an American tradition and have a sense of belonging around the holidays.
Where in the world is the Cameron School of Business? Cameron – its faculty and students – reach most points of the globe!
Robert T. Burrus, Jr., Ph.D., is the dean of the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, named in June 2015. Burrus joined the UNCW faculty in 1998. Prior to his current position, Burrus was interim dean, associate dean of undergraduate studies and the chair of the department of economics and finance. Burrus earned a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics from Wake Forest University. The Cameron School of Business has approximately 60 full-time faculty members and 20 administrative and staff members. The AACSB-accredited business school currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate students in three degree programs and 200 graduate students in four degree programs. The school also houses the prestigious Cameron Executive Network, a group of more than 200 retired and practicing executives that provide one-on-one mentoring for Cameron students. To learn more about the Cameron School of Business, please visit http://csb.uncw.edu/. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].
