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Research CIBERs Put Funding to Work This summer, the U.S. Department of Educa- tion (DOE) announced its grants to support Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at U.S. business schools from 2010 to 2014. Many existing CIBERs had their funding renewed, and three more schools were added, bringing the number of CIBER schools to 33. The DOE awarded $12,757,000 to 33 CIBERs in 2010, compared to $11,527,300 to 31 CIBERs in 2009—most grants fell in the range of $1.5 million to $1.6 million. This year, the DOE solicited grant proposals in two specific cat- egories: language instruction, test- ing, and assessment for one of 78 less commonly taught languages (LCTLs); and outreach activities, consortia, or educational exchanges that help business schools in disad- vantaged areas internationalize their programs. The department indicated special interest in proposals that emphasized sustainability or emerg- ing markets. With their funding in place, CIBER schools are now putting in motion plans for a range of interna- tional initiatives: Looking at language. As a new CIBER location, the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis will use part of its grant to emphasize language instruction. It plans a summer institute for K-16 language instructors and also wants to involve language instructors in its study abroad experiences. For exam- ple, a Chinese language instruc- tor will accompany students on an upcoming short-term trip to China. 58 BizEd SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 This model will allow the instructor to "convey and teach Chinese business language in the context of Chinese business," says Michael Houston, director of the U of M CIBER. Turning to teaching. A new CIBER at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business in Atlanta will use part of its funding to hold a regional higher education consortium, where educators can dis- cuss pedagogy focused on emerging markets and LCTLs. Studying international ser- vices. The University of Miami School of Business in Florida, the third new CIBER, will match its $1.5 million in funding to dedi- cate $3 million over the next four years to support programs that explore competitiveness within the services sector. The center will emphasize four international service subsectors: healthcare, financial reporting, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. Fostering collaboration. The CIBER at Brigham Young Uni- versity's Marriott School of Busi- ness in Provo, Utah, will support development of a ten-day Summer Culture and Language Boot Camp. Held jointly with the Texas A&M CIBER, the boot camp will train college students in international business, culture, geopolitical top- ics, and language instruction. Tackling technology. The IU CIBER at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloom- ington is planning social entre- preneurship consulting projects in Peru, India, and Ghana, as well as a short-term international faculty development program focused on sustainable business practices in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also will hold programs in language and culture for undergraduates nationwide; these will include field trips overseas. The first of these will focus on Brazil and the Portuguese language, Egypt and Arabic, and China and Mandarin. TANYA CONSTANTINE/GETTY IMAGES