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40 May/June 2014 BizEd DIG ITAL VISION./TH I N KSTOCK does East meet West and North meet South in international trade and investment? What trade-offs exist between economic and social interests? Can nations be open to trade and still protect their domes- tic economies? Through readings, discussions, and written assignments, students learn how critical issues in com- merce have evolved over time. They examine issues through non- U.S. perspectives—an experience that is enhanced by the presence of international students. The seminar encourages students to discuss core issues in the form of thesis, antith- esis, and synthesis while discussing opposing points of view. ■ In Competing in a Flat World, students explore how faster infor- mation technologies, expanding foreign markets, wage rate differen- tials, and improved transportation are breaking down barriers of time and space between countries. Students analyze new ways to work with suppliers and strategic partners in the global supply chain, and they learn to align the incen- tives of different players to develop collaborative relationships. They choose a company they're familiar with—such as Nike or Amazon— to see how supply chain concepts apply to multinational corporations. Students take strong positions and must defend them in both oral and written formats. This seminar intro- duces the concepts of global logis- tics and also helps students think critically about topical issues facing multinational corporations. Making Assessments To see how well the FYS program was meeting its goals, we surveyed students before and after the first A t Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business in Washington, D.C., we recently revitalized the undergraduate cur- riculum with three key goals: We wanted to foster a global perspec- tive in our students, give them greater exposure to ethics and social enterprise, and provide more opportunities for them to develop critical thinking skills. We have met these goals in large part through instituting a First- Year Seminar (FYS) program titled "International Business, Public Policy and Society." Launched in 2010, this seminar program has become so popular that it now consists of seven sections. Each class is an optional three-credit course in which senior faculty teach interdisciplinary topics. Classes are kept small—about 20 first-year students—to maximize discussion. Each seminar requires multiple writ- ing assignments and includes a ser- vice component built around a case competition for a local nonprofit. A Detailed Look While the seminars cover differ- ent subjects, they all emphasize improving writing skills and under- standing global issues, as these two examples show: ■ Patterns of Global Com- merce examines the evolution of commerce between nations from geographical, historical, political, business, and ethical perspectives. It focuses on the dynamics of trade in scarce resources, food, minerals and fuels, armaments, legal and illegal drugs, human beings, intel- lectual property, and services. We want to transform students' understanding of these issues and encourage them to ask more ana- lytical questions. For instance, why and what do nations trade? How Seminars for Leaders BY NOREAN SHARPE, RICARDO ERNST, AND CHARLES SKUBA