Baruch College's Weissman Center for International Business will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall by honoring its patron and benefactor, George Weissman, and by expanding programs that promote international trade and encourage active engagement between students and international business professionals.
      The center - founded in 1994 with an endowment from Weissman, a 1939 Baruch graduate and former chairman of Philip Morris - sponsors programs, conferences, and forums for New York business professionals and provides students first-hand experience at companies involved in international trade through internships, study-abroad programs, and fellowships.
      Bringing students and businesspeople together, both on and off campus, fulfills the center's mission of helping students make sense of and prosper in an increasingly global economy. "Sponsoring events for the New York business community is one of the ways we engage our students in important business issues," said Terrence Martell, the center's director and a former senior vice president of the Commodity Exchange of New York City. "Our Global Market Breakfasts bring panels of experts to discuss a particular region, country, or emerging business sector."
      For example, India's role in the global economy was the focus of the spring 2004 breakfast, which featured presentations by Rajiv Khanna, president of the India-America Chamber of Commerce, and Ashok Tomar, deputy consul general of India. Previous breakfasts have focused on China, Korea, the European Union, and Africa and on related issues such as global e-commerce, the introduction of the euro, and capital investment in foreign markets.
      Other events, such as Lunchtime Forums sponsored by Mitsui & Co. (USA), focus more broadly on issues facing the global business community. At a forum held earlier this year, Jack Caldwell, director of trade and environment for the National Wildlife Federation, Kent Jones of Babson College, and Mark Levison, chief economist of UNITE challenged participants to answer the question, "Who's Afraid of the WTO."
      Recent forums have featured Henry Jarecki, chairman of The Falconwood Corp., who discussed strategies for international portfolio management, and Moshe Banai, professor of business management at Baruch, who asked participants to consider and debate whether democracy is important to global economic development. Other forums focused on topics such as the world cotton market, the struggling Japanese economy, and the role of the IMF in international financial markets.
      One of the center's most ambitious projects is the International Business in New York City Directory, published biannually in cooperation with the city's Division of International Business. More than 2,600 foreign companies from 100 countries are listed in the directory along with consulates, missions, trade offices, and bi-national chambers of commerce. "The Directory is a comprehensive and authoritative source of information on New York's international business community," said Martell. (Print versions of the directory and customizable CD versions can be ordered online at www.zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu or by calling 646-312-2070.)
      The center also helps New York businesses in other ways, such as its sponsorship of an annual "Meet Your International Business Partners" reception for the city's bi-national chambers of commerce and international business organizations. At informal receptions held throughout the year, Baruch's international business alumni organization provides networking opportunities for alumni and allows current students and past graduates to meet.
      The center also has conducted original research on major trends such as offshoring.
      Looking ahead, Martell's vision for the center's second decade is to increase the number and breadth of opportunities for students by expanding current programs, such as the overseas programs, attracting a diverse faculty, and continuing the focus on research.
      "Recently," said Martell, "we have enhanced our research agenda in order to expand our knowledge about the linkages between business as it is conducted here in New York and around the world."
      With assistance from Siemens, Mitsui & Co., The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the New York Economic Development Corporation, and the New York City Partnership, the center has surveyed over 2,500 foreign companies on a variety of trade issues, and the results will be the subject of an international business conference in 2005.
      "Involvement by New York businesses as research partners and as grant, scholarship, and internship sponsors," Martell said, "is good for New York businesses and positions our students for challenging jobs and rewarding careers in the New York business community."

More information about the Weissman Center is available at www.zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu