International Business Institute
Seeing the World from a Business Angle
45 students. 24 corporate visits. 10 weeks. 12 academic credits. 13 countries. 20 key phrases. A whirlwind of information and experiences. An “opportunity of a lifetime and worth the commitment,” according to Valerie Seehafer, an Olivet senior majoring in international business. Representing Olivet in the 2017 IBI group with Valerie were Mike Warner, a senior majoring in business administration and economics/finance; Jonathan Terpenning, a senior majoring in economics/finance and financial planning; and Elizabeth Lanham, a senior majoring in business administration and political science. Dr. Paul Koch, professor in Olivet’s School of Business, served as an IBI faculty member for three of the 10 weeks. He taught the course in
comparative economic systems and traveled with the group in Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Germany and Austria. “The question of why this program provides a high degree of ‘value-added’ for students can be answered in two words: Context Matters,” he says. “IBI students consistently report that their interest in, and knowledge of, global business and economics increases significantly as a result of their participation in this program.” “IBI is not a trip around the world,” Valerie says. “It’s a rigorous academic program that pushed me farther than I thought I could go, both physically and mentally.” Mike was most surprised by the small things that made a large impact on him. In India, the