IBN Meeting 2/28/2012

Come join us tonight for a wonderful speaker, Karl Thomas - CEO of Clarus Technologies. Karl has been connected with Professor Thomas Roehl in the past for IBUS 473 - International Trade Ops. Clarus Technologies provides green solution to oil recycling and has products sold in multiple countries! Join us in PH 288 @6PM, and enjoy pizza and drinks!

Great times with our visiting Korean Students!

We  had a wonderful time greeting students from SWU,  donuts, coffee, and followed by group discussions! It was a cultural experience for all of us. If you would like to participate in future events like this, email us at wwuibc@gmail.com or join the International Business Network at WWU for more information!

Greetings!

Welcome back to Winter quarter 2012! It's going to be an exciting quarter with events that provides job opportunities and preparation. Follow us on twitter @WWUIBN. Events will be updated on this website and announced with twitter. Any question please email to wwuibc@gmail.com.

The Threat of Competition

Hello readers. Welcome to the WWU International Business Network Blog.  In this post I will discuss some of the outside threats we face as students, as well as what the International Business Network at Western Washington University is doing to ensure our success.  Our newly restructured organization represents the inspiration and energy of an up and coming generation of business professionals.

I would first like to start with a quote that was heard from a recent speech given by the President of Boeing -Turkey, Greg Pepin, during a visit to Western Washington University:

 “China has more honor students than the United States has students.” 

While this is surely no surprise to anyone mildly aware of the United State’s number one creditor’s incredible growth, I warn all those reading to remain ever cognizant of this fact.  Simply put, the competition facing U.S. students is stiffer than ever before.  Furthermore, if we consider cuts to educational funding, we have some reason to regard with apprehension the brightness of our futures.  

So, what can we do about it?
The officers of the WWU’s International Business Network are not satisfied with the conventional offerings of the university system. We know that no one will give us the additional tools we need to be competitive in this increasingly uncertain global economy.  For this reason, we take it upon ourselves to expand beyond the limitations of the classroom.  Our toolboxes will be filled by our impetus, making us better prepared than the complacent around us.  In reaching out to the surrounding community of professionals, we strive to create an environment where skills are honed and business-oriented minds flourish.  Our network will interlink students with those working beyond academic confines, bridging the gap between university and the workforce.

We are international business students and we pay heed to a stark reality; markets are more global than ever, and are becoming even more so every day.  I imagine the reaction to my usage of the word “stark” in the context of globalization (followers of Smith, Ricardo and Friedman will certainly have their backs up).   While internationalization presents many opportunities, it also poses many risks and challenges.  In this case, I speak from my perspective as a student soon to enter the job market and contemplating future MBA studies. 

The competition for what I want, a good job and one of the few slots in a top MBA program, is coming from outside our boarders like never before.  There is a new dynamic to the field of competition.  Our Chinese and Indian counterparts are better equipped than ever to challenge us in our endeavor to scale the social ladder.  From the programmer at Microsoft to the Stanford MBA candidate, contention for coveted slots has reached a new level of intensity, delineating the evermore fragile nature of our prosperity.  Thus, this post marks the culmination of much debate and contemplation regarding a future beyond the university comfort zone.

Filling the Gaps

Let me be clear to my colleagues: NOBODY is going to give us anything. It is up to us to profit from the incredible resources placed at our disposal as Americans. I give you a reminder, the next time you are beckoned by your favorite show or sports match, think about the millions of “have-nots” around the world working hard to raise their standard of living up to yours. While trade is not a zero sum game and one person’s success does not strictly imply the failure of another, the reality of increased competition for scarce opportunity must keep its place in the front of our minds. It is with this understanding that the International Business Network will fill the gaps left by the standard course of study.  

Thank you for visiting our site.  While here, don’t forget to subscribe to our e-mail listen in the box on the right hand side of the site.  You can also follow us on Twitter @WWUIBN.  Also, find our group on LinkedIn by searching “WWU International Business Network.”  We hope you enjoy your stay! 

This article was written on 11/15/2011 by Matthew Davenport and edited by Matthew Deem. Copyright ©2011 WWUIBN

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