GIM papers go online

10/26/2009 - Tackling timely issues has always been a hallmark of the Global Initiatives in Management (GIM). Now a new Web site, “International Focus at Kellogg,” offers a window into the depth and breadth of this popular global business leadership program.

The site features summaries of student research projects executed as part of the GIM program. The projects — which address topics such as wind energy in China and HIV/AIDS in Brazil — are organized into eight categories:

• Business strategy
• Energy and natural resources
• Finance
• Healthcare
• Innovation and technology
• Leadership and human resources
• Marketing
• Sustainable development

Along with serving as a resource to the Kellogg community, the new site “shows the depth of the research that the students do at Kellogg,” says GIM Assistant Director Lindsay Kadish-Williams. “It’s a way for people to see the quality of the students in our program and how Kellogg is using its international prowess to address important issues.”

“International Focus at Kellogg” will also offer global exposure to the students’ findings. “We want the people we meet abroad to understand what the GIM program is and what the students are researching,” Kadish-Williams says.

“The breadth of research conducted within the GIM program is unparalleled,” notes Professor Mark Finn, GIM academic adviser. “Every year, GIM students complete more than 80 research projects on some of the most important questions facing the global business community. Each project entails on-the-ground primary research in host countries, resulting in a treasure trove of insights not available elsewhere.” In 2009, Kellogg student research spanned topics that ranged from renewable energy in India and China to HIV diagnostic testing protocols in Uganda.

Through GIM, Kellogg students participate in 10 weeks of classroom instruction, followed by an intensive two-week field study in which they research a current issue affecting a country or region. Previous research has formed the basis of several books, including Kellogg on China (2004) and Global Corporate Citizenship (2007).

“International Focus at Kellogg” is free and accessible to the public, and visitors can subscribe to research updates via the RSS Feed or GIM monthly e-newsletter. The summaries of student research papers are searchable by date and category.