Moving beyond 'thinking outside the box' to see the world

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The historic role of universities prepare students for their future. More and more, those futures involve global roles and careers. And as companies, including small and mid-sized organizations, continue to reach for international customers, the importance of understanding the world increases in concrete ways for business professionals. At Western Michigan University's, Haworth College of Business, this effort to understand the world’s cultures, customers and business practices is evident in the activities of its faculty, staff and students.

“People talk about ‘thinking outside the box’ but the most important aspect of international activities is the opportunity to ‘see outside the box,’” says Dr. Kuanchin Chen, professor of business information systems, director of the Center for Business Analytics and two-time Fulbright Specialist, who researches extensively throughout the world.

Where in the world

As an expert in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, deep learning and other analytics, Chen’s most-recent projects involve collaboration with researchers in Poland, Germany, France, Sweden, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia and Korea.

“All of the projects in my most recent Fulbright trip converge into one main theme—connect my research experience in AI, analytics and project management to the different constituents of the extended research community in Poland,” says Chen. “I was able to bring in not just research experience, but also opportunities to those who I worked with during this trip. It is hard to say which one of these activities is the most significant, since all these activities form a portfolio of offerings to the host institution that is rooted in my years of research experience.” Read about Chen's AI research

In addition to supporting faculty research, WMU Haworth offers ways for faculty and students to explore changing industries through a global lens, ‘thinking outside the box’ and developing a global perspective that will inform business decisions. The Global Business Center helps reach this goal through support for faculty global activities and curriculum development and by coordinating student travel, offering scholarships for business students studying abroad.

“We want students to learn that they are global citizens, and the choices they make in their careers can impact others throughout the world,” says Renuka Phillips, director of the Global Business Center. 

Embracing change

Recently, a group of accounting students did just that. Taking a deep dive into environmental, social and governance accounting (ESG), they traveled to Ireland with Dr. James Penner, chair of the Department of Accountancy, and Dr. Jagjit Saini, professor of accountancy.

“ESG accounting has the potential to be one of the biggest changes to the accounting and auditing field since Sarbanes Oxley,” says Penner. “Students are passionate about the field and curious to learn about the impact on their professional careers once they graduate.”

Students embraced the chance to learn more about themselves, too, partaking in many experiences. This included visiting Ernst & Young in Ireland, delving into the accounting firm’s response to corporate sustainability reporting directives; engaging deeply in discussions about sustainability and the impact it will have on their careers; meeting with the Institute of Chartered Accountants about career possibilities in Ireland, and exploring Irish culture—the people, geography and local cuisine.

“I learned that I need to see more of the world,” says Kaitlyn Tinsley, a senior working on her B.B.A. in accountancy. “It is a big and beautiful place, and there is so much of it to see. I also saw a different side to accounting than I had before while there. I think it’s exciting that a new door is opening to create a new field in accounting (ESG)—one that allows our generation to become the experts in it.”

“The trip's activities opened my eyes to the possibilities that are around for people who want to pursue an accounting career and want to contribute to future sustainability goals,” says Noah Hahn, a graduate student working toward his Master of Science in accountancy. “I enjoyed learning that auditors will still be needed to audit sustainability reports.”

Emphasizing for the students the importance of international activities, the trip was supported by two alumni families who view global engagement as so important for future employees that they provided scholarships to participants.

• Chris Abate, B.B.A.’01, and Stacey Abate, B.S.’03
• Karen Stone, B.B.A.’78, and Ted Stone, B.B.A.’78

What's new?

For 2024, WMU Haworth has added three more study abroad programs: an eight-week business course aimed at MBA students in Portugal; a food marketing course in Ireland; and a business and culture course in Japan. That brings the offerings to seven different business-focused, faculty-led study abroad programs. All offer $1,000 scholarships to participating business students. The Portugal trip provides $2,000 scholarships. There are also 11 semester-long programs that provide participating students $2,000 scholarships.

“Students should be open to trying new experiences,” says Phillips. “They should be willing to embrace and immerse themselves in new cultures. If it is their first time traveling abroad, the faculty-led programs offer the best of both worlds—being able to experience a country and culture without being completely on their own.”

Chen believes students, researchers and business professionals must be open to not only new experiences but also to understanding concepts from others’ perspectives.

“By globally engaged, you are not always on the ‘offering’ side to help other researchers and countries,” explains Chen. “Sometimes you are on the ‘taking’ side that helps you learn from the way people think in other countries or cultures."

Next steps

With all that WMU Haworth offers, Chen’s extensive international collaborations have shown him another important facet of immersive activities throughout the world—showcasing all the University has to offer.

“Globalization efforts should be strategically pulled together and promoted to build a brand—how do we want to be known as a key player of global engagement is a question for the faculty and leadership team,” says Chen. “People outside the U.S. do not necessarily know WMU’s brand well. As a result, they see WMU through news and common ranking systems only, rather than understanding what the University can truly offer. By engaging globally, WMU has an opportunity to build name recognition.”

That name recognition not only will elevate the reputation of WMU Haworth, but will also help fulfill the mission of the University whose students will be prepared for their futures as global citizens.

To learn more about supporting global activities for students and faculty research or about international partnerships with WMU Haworth, contact Phillips at (269) 387-5086.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.