Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/90487
The first students graduate from the BBA program at Azerbaijan University in spring 2012. ficult. Egypt's educational system is long overdue for a change, and I've seen signs that the old top-down approach is giving way to a new student-centered system. However, the old system is currently in place and we must follow its norms. We must pay close attention to the differences in societies to make certain the processes we want to put in place will suit the cultural framework of the country we're in. should use local cases or cases that can be adapted to local realities. They also must make sure cases are presented simply and clearly—par- ticularly if they're teaching under- graduates, who typically have little work experience. Sometimes professors can write new cases based on businesses in developing countries, but I think it's unrealistic to expect visiting Ameri- can professors to understand the cul- ture well enough to produce many of these. Some local faculty are enthusi- astic about putting their knowledge to work by developing cases of their own, and GSU has provided classes that train them on researching, writ- ing, and publishing cases. However, to date there has not been a voluminous produc- tion of cases. Many professors in emerging economies must teach at several universities in order to earn adequate salaries, so they have little time left over to do aca- demic research. In addition, it's rare for them to receive incentives such as reduced courseloads that would enable them to devote time to scholarly pursuits. Therefore, producing and teaching local cases remains an ongoing challenge. More Lessons When American professors are teaching in developing countries, not only do they need to modify their classroom content, they need to modify their teaching styles. For one thing, not all students are flu- ent in English, so professors must be careful not to use colloquial- isms or ethnocentric examples. They also must be aware that the students with the best command of the language are likely to partici- pate most actively in class discus- sion, so teachers have to seek ways to engage the rest of the students in the class as well. Because it's almost impossible for a visiting professor to wholly assimi- late into the new culture, I believe American faculty should always be accompanied by teachers from the host country. Local faculty can explain cultural differences to visiting professors, and they can find ways to get key points across to students in ways the students will understand. While many American faculty are keen to bring change to the educational systems in developing nations, the entrenched bureau- cracy in some of the public univer- sities makes true reform very dif- A Multitude of Benefits Even though there are plenty of challenges, I believe it's important for Western schools to help estab- lish business programs in emerging economies, because such programs spur the development of these societies. The schools help train a competent managerial workforce that can function in the global economy, and in turn this leads to jobs, economic growth, and a higher standard of living. To find evidence of the impact we've had by training this gen- eration of managers, I look at the work positions that some of these schools' graduates have secured. For instance, in 2008 we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Azer- baijan State Oil Academy's MBA program, which has produced more than 500 MBAs. Many of the alumni hold positions in the oil industry; many have become entre- preneurs. One graduate is now the head of the board of directors of a multimillion dollar holding company engaged in international finance and real estate. These are tangible benefits, but I believe our collaborations result in even more benefits that extend beyond the countries where the schools are located. For instance, BizEd November/December 2012 41