The Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER) at Columbia University in New York is working to improve the ability for colleges around the country to find jobs for MBA graduates. The center's 12th annual MBA Career Services Conference will be held on March 17-18 in New York.
     "The conference program is planned to enhance career professionals' ability to deliver the best possible career services to students from many countries as well as to global recruiting organizations" says Regina Resnick, assistant dean and director of Columbia Business School's Office of MBA Career Services. Her department is the co-organizer of the conference along with the Columbia CIBER.
     "There are special issues in international business, such as cultural issues, that need to be addressed," says Resnick. "The conference teaches career services people how to deal with diverse constituents including international students and recruiting organizations. They share perspectives on how students might best present themselves and to let companies know what resources are available to help them recruit talented MBAs. The conference's purpose is to optimize the effectiveness of career services personnel."
     This year, 90 placement professionals representing 65 schools are expected to attend. In the past, participants have come from schools such as Columbia, Rutgers, NYU, Harvard, and Northwestern. Topics at the conference will include "International Economic Development" and "Leading a Global Brand." And a discussion on "Student Perspectives on the International MBA Experience" which will be led by Columbia University students from Canada, Chile, Italy, Japan and the U.S.
     There will also be small group sessions that focus on professional growth. Participants have a chance to learn from guest speakers who will share their expertise on the design of programs geared to help career services directors improve their services. "All of these represent the opportunity to exchange ideas," says Resnick. "We are always looking for ways to uncover some additional opportunities for both students and the companies looking to hire them."
     The MBA Career conference is one of many educational initiatives by the Columbia CIBER. The center was established in 1990 as a collaborative venture of the Columbia Business School and Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. Since then, the Columbia CIBER has become a multi-faceted organization that is the focal point of international business activities at the university.
     The Columbia CIBER is one of 30 Centers for International Business Education and Research created under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to increase and promote the nation's capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise. Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, CIBERs form a nationwide network focused on improving American competitiveness and providing comprehensive services and programs to help U.S. businesses succeed in global markets.
     "We continue to work toward internationalizing the curriculum at Columbia," says Joshua Safier, director of both the Chazen Institute and Columbia's CIBER.
     For instance, the Columbia CIBER currently sponsors an International Speakers Series in which business leaders from around the world come to the campus to discuss international business issues.
     In 1996, the Columbia CIBER broadened its scope by launching a university-wide foreign language initiative to improve language study opportunities for graduate professional students. Recently, the center has provided grants for international business students to learn languages not traditionally taught at Columbia. "We collaborate with other departments on campus, identify less commonly taught languages," Safier says, "and make it possible for students to take advantage of the opportunity."
     The center has also sponsored seminars on entrepreneurship and global branding, global training opportunities, and study abroad/exchange programs with 23 partner schools in graduate management education around the world.
     The Columbia CIBER also provides grants for international business research by faculty and Ph.D. students. And it helps faculty members from other institutions, such as community colleges, to attend seminars or workshops at other CIBER schools around the country.

More information about Columbia University CIBER is available online at www.columbia.edu/cu/ciber