Faculty impact

40 years of teaching, research and global business

“Enabling students to become productive, caring citizens of the world”—that is how Zahir “Zack” Quraeshi, professor of marketing and G.W. Haworth chair of international business, describes the focus of his work for the past 40 years.

His career at WMU began in 1978, when his research partner, Dr. Mushtaq Luqmani, encouraged him to apply to the University. At the same time, the college’s accrediting organization, AACSB, was emphasizing the importance of internationalizing the curriculum in order for students to better understand the global business environment. This was one of Quraeshi’s interest areas. In addition, his fiancée Nalini, now his wife, was doing her Ph.D. at MSU. “After Nalini finished her degree, we were supposed to move to a place where we would both find employment,” says Quraeshi. “We fell in love with the University, the town and the people, so what was meant to be a three-year plan has now become a 40-year one, and counting!”

Quraeshi is an internationally renowned scholar, with expertise in important global topics, including building world-class competitive sectoral capabilities, privatization policies, conscientious marketing, and international business strategies. His work has appeared in numerous prestigious journals, including International Marketing Review, Business Horizons, Journal of Consumer Marketing, International Business Review, Journal of Macromarketing and many more. He has published numerous papers focusing on global education, including studies related to increasing participation in study abroad.

Increasing the amount of quality study abroad opportunities for business students is something that Quraeshi has worked on tirelessly. The college now offers six short-term study abroad courses and nine semester-long courses. These programs, several of which Quraeshi has organized and led, have consistently received some of the highest course evaluations from students. Quraeshi also championed greater study abroad support for students. Today, every student receives a study abroad scholarship when participating in these programs.

“Spearheading our efforts in global business and creating a positive, collaborative space for that work is one of Zack Quraeshi’s great strengths,” says Dr. Satish Deshpande, dean of the college. “He has demonstrated outstanding sustained contributions toward our goals of global engagement. He generously encourages and recognizes the efforts of others, while downplaying his own role. However, we would not be where we are today without Zack’s efforts.”

Dr. Q’s career highlights

• Developing a required undergraduate course in international business.

• Receiving several grants for international initiatives, notably four multiyear U.S. Department of Education Business and International Education grants, which supported study abroad programs; international research; educational programs for faculty to strengthen the global content of their courses; and bringing researchers from all over the world together for collaborative research.
• Establishing the Global Business Center to create synergies in internationalizing the curriculum.
• Facilitating professional development programs for international participants, particularly from the Middle East.
• Serving as founding editor of the Journal of Asia-Pacific Business.
• Being awarded the Tan Sri Noah Distinguished Chair of Business at the Graduate School of Business Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
•  Receiving the WMU Teaching Excellence Award.
•  Being the first faculty recipient of the University’s Global Engagement Award.