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34 September/October 2014 BizEd 34 September/October 2014 BizEd tions; another team studied how Watson could make call centers more efficient by helping operators get accurate answers more quickly. ■ When developing its pro- grams, Lancaster University Management School in the U.K. partners with corporate leaders or specialty bodies. For instance, it has solicited direct input from Ernst & Young on its bachelor's- level courses in accounting, audit- ing, and finance. It also has worked with an organization called e-skills UK to develop a four-year bachelor of science degree in management and information technology. As these examples show, when faculty engage with the busi- ness community, the classroom environment becomes richer and students gain valuable real-world experience. Benefiting Society Whether faculty are conducting research that's sponsored by the state, consulting with schools in emerging economies, or serving on private or governmental boards, their activities can have a positive effect on business leaders, other universities, or society at large. Business schools are taking a range of approaches to this side of the equation: ■ Faculty at Kozminski Univer- sity in Warsaw, Poland, frequently conduct research funded by the European Union, usually under- taking projects that are focused on executive training and profes- sional development. One project will develop a cooperative network among thousands of small and medium enterprises in Warsaw; another will promote entrepreneur- ship and self-employment among Warsaw citizens in part by train- ing students to launch business ventures after they graduate. Both were financed by the European Social Fund. ■ Four faculty from American University's Kogod School have served on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, two spent time as visiting scholars at the World Bank, and one served on an Institute of Medicine commission. ■ At Frostburg State University's College of Business in Maryland, a recent consulting effort has resulted in an eight-week Entrepreneurial Leadership Program that is offered to the local small-business com- munity. Starting in early 2014, it is slated to become an annual offering. ■ As part of a universitywide initiative at Washington State, fac- ulty at the College of Business have worked with the Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania, to develop courses on innovation, venture creation, and technology transfer. The courses benefit postgraduates and post- doctoral professionals in science, engineering, and technology-related fields. One professor continues to travel to Tanzania to teach work- shops and entrepreneurship courses at NM-AIST. ■ At Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston, Texas, faculty partici- pate in two workshop series that blend academia and business. The Thought Leadership series pairs a senior business professor with an executive; they give presentations that show how academic research complements real-world situations. At the RoundTable Series, profes- sors present topical research to members of the business commu- nity during a luncheon and receive feedback and assessment on the practical value of their research. ■ At the University of Connecti- cut, the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) hosts annual faculty development programs. A pro- gram on Green Business in Asia focuses on how Australian universities, government, and Funding allows professors to attend conferences, collaborate on scholarship, act as visiting faculty, and host exchange students. JACE K_KADAJ /TH I N KSTOCK