SU College of Business launches first Study Abroad program

(left to right) Donald Andrews, dean, College of Business; Ashagre Yigletu, associate dean; Sung Chul No, associate professor, entrepreneurship; and Richard McCline (sitting), professor, entrepreneurship, pose at the equator in Uganda. Uganda is one of only 10 countries in the world that lies on the equator.

Several Southern University College of Business (COB) students and faculty adventured abroad as participants in the college's first Study Abroad Program.

Two undergraduate students, Brittany Carter, senior, accounting, and Terrica Wilson, senior, management, along with five masters of business administration students, Makisha Dillon, Deion Dorsett, Walta Yemane, Nolan Aikens, and Ave Ross, traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; and Dakar, Senegal. Accompanying the students were COB faculty and staff Donald Andrews, dean; Ashagre Yigletu, associate dean; Melanie P. Rey, assistant to the dean; Richard McCline, James A. Joseph Endowed Chair, Small and Minority Business, and entrepreneurship professor; Sung Chul No, W.E. Tucker Endowed Professor and associate professor, economics and finance; and Gregory Spann, director, Small Business Development Center of Louisiana and adjunct professor, entrepreneurship.

The students' journey abroad began in Baton Rouge with lectures on economic development in emerging economies, entrepreneurship, and international business. Upon the students' arrival in Kampala, they were introduced to other topics taught by Makerere University Business School (MUBS) faculty.

"The study abroad experience has helped college of business students to grow and mature in ways that they will appreciate for a lifetime…" said Rey, who added that the trip also demonstrated the college's commitment to its mission to prepare students for global careers.

While the students continued their studies with MUBS, Andrews and McCline led a Training of Trainers (TOT) seminar for MUBS faculty to enhance their entrepreneurship knowledge and improve their teaching methodology. No also conducted a workshop for MUBS faculty interested in research activities. Other workshops led by SU's COB included a one-day TOT seminar for international marketing and finance, and a one-day TOT seminar on integrating learning and content management systems into the Makerere University Business School.

"Our first study abroad program to Africa was a tremendous success. We accomplished more goals than we had planned," said Andrews. "Students were able to experience, East, West, and South Africa in one study abroad program."