Bentley University Receives Second Consecutive Grant from U.S. Department of State for Summer Institute
University to Host Two International Summer Programs
For the second consecutive year, Bentley University received a $180,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State to host a Summer Institute for Outstanding European Students from July 12 to August 15, 2009. Twenty undergraduate students from Denmark, France, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden will travel to Bentley to learn about the United States, its people and culture. Bentley will also host its 5th annual International Summer Institute at Bentley (ISIB) from July 5 to July 26. This year's program will bring 40 advanced undergraduate and graduate business students from 13 different countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, and Turkey, for a three-week intensive study of the business environment in the U.S.
The European program consists of a series of workshops and seminars designed to familiarize participants with various aspects of U.S. society, including history, politics, immigration, diversity, arts and culture. It also helps students develop leadership skills and engage in community service.
"We are proud to be one of two institutions of higher learning in the country to have the privilege of hosting the European institute again this year," says Professor of Marketing and Program Director Abdolreza Eshghi, of being selected with Drexel University. "Last year's participants greatly enjoyed their immersion into an intensive study of the United States and we hope to give this year's students a deep and varied learning experience as well."
Classroom lectures are complemented by a relevant experiential activity or field trip; for example, curriculum on the American Revolution will be reinforced by a visit to the battlefield in Lexington, Mass., and a walk along the Freedom Trail in Boston. The workshop "Diversity in America" includes a guided tour of ethnic neighborhoods in Boston, led by teenagers living in those neighborhoods.
The ISIB students will attend a series of seminars including American Business in the Global Economy, Entrepreneurship, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Innovations Through Advanced Information Technology, Conscious Capitalism, and Competition and Business Strategies. Faculty experts from Computer Information Systems, Management, and Marketing departments will teach in the program, which includes a number of cultural activities and day trips designed to familiarize the participants with American history and culture.
"I am pleased that ISIB is appealing to more and more business students from around the world," says Eshghi, founding director of ISIB. "The program has created a great deal of visibility for Bentley at world class universities around the world and it promises to expand its reach in the years to come."
BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is a leader in business education. Centered on teaching and research in business and related professions, Bentley blends the breadth and technological strength of a university with the core values and student focus of a close-knit campus. Our undergraduate curriculum combines business study with a strong foundation in the arts and sciences. The McCallum Graduate School emphasizes the impact of technology on business practice, in offerings that include MBA and Master of Science programs, PhD programs in accountancy and in business, and custom executive education programs. Located minutes from Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, the school enrolls approximately 4,000 full-time undergraduate, 250 adult part-time undergraduate, 1,400 graduate, and 30 doctoral students. Bentley is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), which benchmarks quality in management and business education.
