Promoting crosss-cultural understanding through information systems
November 2008 —A revolutionary new program based in the College of Management aims to provide its graduates with international experience previously unheard of within the UMass system by supplying them with the proper tools needed to compete in today’s new global economy.
The Transnational Dual Bachelor’s Degree program in Information Systems, spear-headed by William Koehler, graduate programs director in the College of Management, was awarded a four-year $440,000 FIPSE grant from the U.S. Department of Education. FISPE, the Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education, will allow students from four universities—the University of Massachusetts Boston, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Fachhochschule Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany, and the Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences in Kemi, Finland—to spend a semester studying at each campus. This program aims to broaden and enhance students’ academic, professional, and cultural experiences while promoting cross-cultural understanding.
This grant will be directed primarily at easing the financial burden of students by covering transatlantic travel costs and living expenses. Participating students need only pay tuition at the rate of their home institution. One of the program’s aims is to provide students previously unable to participate in costly study abroad programs the opportunity to gain valuable personal and professional experience. Given the inherently international nature of work in information systems, providing students with overseas experiences seemed like a perfect fit.
“We realized many students were graduating without having any training in cross-cultural experiences--and with all the outsourcing that has been going on during the last few years, this program is really addressing a need that we have recognized for a long time,” says Koehler.
The program is extremely competitive; six students from each participating university will be admitted, allowing for a greater focus on each student. While studying abroad, students will gain an international perspective on the study of information systems and will engage in real-world projects with leading corporations.
“Students will get good exposure to corporate cultures in other countries,” notes Koehler.
In fact, it is this focus on collaboration with global companies that is one of the distinctive features of this program. Corporate partners such as Siemens, Ericsson, and Price Waterhouse Cooper will play an active role in the program, with Nokia already lined up as a project site for the first year. A number of guest speakers will come to both the U.S. and European campuses to speak to students on issues affecting the corporate world. Students will also have the opportunity to go on a number of company visits, and will participate in projects and internships within the companies.
“The idea, of course, is that some of these opportunities will lead to permanent positions afterwards,” says Koehler.
In addition to gaining experience in different corporate cultures, the program will increase students' analytical and critical thinking skills as well as promote adaptability. Students will benefit from the strengths of the four institutions, which include respective core competencies in information and systems security, enterprise resource systems design and implementation, business process innovation, systems design, business analysis, IT controls and auditing, and IT accessibility.
Students will also be exposed to faculty specializations from all four institutions; the joint curriculum has been planned to maximize students’ exposure to a comprehensive range of course offerings that tap into the principal emphases of each school.
Aside from gaining invaluable business experience, students will also gain horizon-broadening cultural experience. UMass students will participate in four-week language and cultural immersion programs at each campus, as well as complete a full year of German language study prior to the start of the program. Students will also be schooled in conversational Finnish before arriving at Kemi-Tornio University. While at their surrogate campuses, students will be paired with local mentors who will help guide them through the culture. Students will also partake in culturally oriented side trips and festivals such as Finland’s Vappu and Germany’s Oktoberfest.
This program will also benefit faculty members from all four campuses who will travel with students and participate in exchanges as visiting professors. In turn, faculty members at UMass Boston will have opportunities to pursue joint research with colleagues at the partner institutions which students will be involved in as well.
Overall, this program will prepare its graduates with the business, language, and cultural skills needed to succeed in one of the most competitive and fast-paced fields on Earth. The benefits from this program will not only affect the students and faculty involved, but the entire UMass Boston community as we become more of a presence on a global scale.
By Emily Sullivan, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
[Contact: William Koehler; william.koehler@umb.edu]