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Katz Students Meet with Global Leaders in Brussels
Left to right: Christopher Curd, Brian Quigley, Steven Scott, Heather Henry, Melissa Carp, Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber, Philipp Kaethe, Jessica Woodhouse-Witt at the Interstate Programme in Brussels June, 2009.
MBA students from top-ranked business schools worldwide, including seven students from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, met European and U.S. policy makers at the Interstate Programme in Brussels, June 1-4.
Five part-time MBA students: Melissa Carp, Heather Henry, Jessica Woodhouse-Witt, Steven Scott, and Christopher Curd, from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business joined full-time Katz MBA student Philipp Kaethe and Katz Executive MBA student Brian Quigley for this four-day global learning opportunity. Because global thinking is such an intrinsic part of the Katz MBA program, partial funding for the students participation in the Interstate Programme was provided by Katz MBA Programs and the International Business Center, one of 31 Centers for International Business Education and Research.
MBA students discussed topics ranging from the current economic crisis and financial policy to climate change with dignitaries including European politics and decision makers like members of the European Commission and other European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials; U.S. Administration officials; Ambassador Dimitry Rogozin, the Russian representative to NATO. Financial Times editors Quentin Peel and Lionel Barber added to the discussion as well.
Students had the opportunity to have direct dialogue with speakers, and Katz students took full advantage. Heather Henry especially appreciated the significance of meeting the various policy makers. Henry said, "The session with Ambassador Rogozin was one I will not forget. He engaged directly with our group and discussed his country's unique point of view of relations with both the EU and the U.S., along with Russia's position concerning its war with Georgia in 2008. It was a special opportunity to see the other side."
"The Interstate Programme served as a fantastic introduction to the EU while providing an up-to-date perspective on the continued growth of globalization and Trans-Atlantic trade," said Chris Curd. "The speakers had great depth and the group setting worked extremely well for us to learn more about international business,"
The program also provided ample opportunities for global networking as well. "I made several excellent contacts with students from around the globe," Henry said. "We all had a lot in common as MBAs and had some great discussions about the conference topics, politics, business, and our lives in general."