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In addition to a dual-degree program with Tongji University in China, NYIT offers M.B.A. programs in North America and the Middle East. According to Professor Scott Liu, Ph.D., who heads the curriculum, such a culturally diverse program provides the ideal business education for a 21st-century global workforce.
A “masterful” performance: NYIT student Hosam Sarraf (M.B.A. ’07) scored the highest on a nationwide M.B.A. business exam in Jordan.
Professor Bill Lawrence, Ph.D., enhances his M.B.A. classes by discussing international and cultural business concerns that are crucial in understanding today’s global economy.
Students Enjoy a Global Education Amid Worldwide Expansion
By Angela Marshall
“Hosam Sarraf, you’ve just received the highest score in Jordan on a national business competency exam. What are you going to do now?”
No, he’s not going to Disney World, but he will soon be visiting New York City. And he couldn’t be happier -- after all, for this recent NYIT Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) graduate, Manhattan is the most famous playground of all.
The scores of Sarraf and his fellow students at NYIT’s Jordan campus earned the top ranking among colleges and universities that participated in the Jordan Ministry of Higher Education’s M.B.A. competency exam. In addition to Sarraf’s score, five of the top 10 scores were from NYIT students. To celebrate, Sarraf is planning to visit NYIT’s Manhattan campus this fall. (NYIT students also scored above the national average on the Jordanian ministry’s competency test for engineering technology and computer science majors.)
The very nature of business these days is global, and this is just one example of how NYIT’s School of Management is on top of this trend. According to the Top M.B.A. International Recruitment and Salary Report 2007, this degree is one of the most sought after by recruiters, with hiring predictions expected to set a new record this year. An August 2007 Times of India article cited that this demand will continue to grow worldwide in 2008 as M.B.A. degrees become the standard for knowledge workers who will drive the world economy. That’s good news for M.B.A. graduates, as well as NYIT.
“Ultimately, the winners in the new global education race will be those countries with institutions that are the most international at every level,” reports Newsweek in its Aug. 20-27, 2007, issue. “They will boast international student bodies, elite foreign campuses, offer internationally recognized degrees, and, no matter where they’re based, will teach in English -- still very much the global language of business, research, and technology.”
Pursuing international expansion is a significant component of the school’s future, says Professor Scott Liu, Ph.D., of NYIT’s School of Management. He stresses how important it is for NYIT to be global both in location and content. And faculty members are getting the chance to go global as well. NYIT already has business degree programs firmly established in Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Canada. In fact, professors who teach at these locations have discovered that bringing back foreign concepts and cultural understanding to the United States also enhances the business programs at NYIT’s New York campuses.
This fall, NYIT is expanding its China offerings with a new dual-degree program in partnership with Tongji University in Shanghai. Such a business model, says Liu, “will enhance NYIT’s global scope as well as its domestic programs.”
The dual-degree program allows students to study in two of the world’s most influential business meccas -- New York and Shanghai. The first year of study is conducted at NYIT’s Manhattan campus, and the second takes place at Tongji University. Students can earn either an M.B.A. or a Master of Science degree in human resources management and labor relations from NYIT. At the same time, they will complete Tongji’s Master of Enterprise Management.
“I’m very excited about this collaboration,” says Liu. “I think it is the most efficient way of doing business.”
Liu hopes that in addition to attracting Chinese students, the new program will draw a broader range of U.S. students to NYIT. “Understanding other cultures is critical to developing healthy businesses in this global economy,” he says. “The best way to gain that knowledge is visiting foreign countries. And our cross-cultural program provides a great opportunity for that exploration.”
This basic business concept is something Sarraf is well aware of. When it came to selecting a U.S. school that offered M.B.A. degrees, he wanted one that would expose him to other cultures.
“I had heard NYIT offered one of the strongest M.B.A. programs in Jordan,” says Sarraf, who holds an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and is the production planning and control section head for Fine Hygienic Paper Company Ltd. in Amman. “In addition, I knew attending NYIT would give me a better chance to improve my English.”
Now, with a visit to New York in the near future, Sarraf can’t wait to see up close how U.S. businesses operate. “Because of NYIT, I know I am on the right path toward a better career.”