Global Initiatives in Management

A Cornerstone of Kellogg’s International Curriculum

Experience firsthand the economic ecosystems, business practices and market dynamics of a particular country or region.

More than 250 students per year elect to experience international markets in person and dig deep into a specific topic or sector during the Global Initiatives in Management program. Before they leave, they analyze their perspectives in the classroom and research their partner businesses. The course is designed for students to:

  • Gain a foundational understanding of the macroeconomic trends, politics, history and culture of a country or region outside the United States.
  • Experience firsthand through meetings with government officials and company representatives the future opportunities and challenges of a particular country or region.
  • Understand the framework of a particular business topic or issue through the lens of a specific country or region, including any challenges, opportunities and strategies used to address it, and then apply the framework to other countries and regions throughout the world (for topics classes).
  • Collaborate with peers on a project that navigates international networks and proposes solutions to a particular problem within a business sector.

Reflecting on the 2018 Kellogg GIM China Course

Lalu Beré (2Y 2019) shares her experience in the Global Initiatives in Management course on China, including her class’ visit to the country during spring break.
There are three factors that make GIM unique: It is open to all programs at Kellogg, so Full-Time, Evening & Weekend and Executive MBA students can collaborate and expand their networks; it provides premier access to business leaders and organizations relevant to the topics being studied through the Kellogg network; and it allows students to pursue a topic that is relevant to their own interests through their group project teams.

GIM begins with a foundation of classroom learning followed by an in-country immersive experience.

In-Class Portion

  • Timing: GIM is offered as a winter elective class for Full-Time, Evening & Weekend and Executive MBA students.
  • Major Deliverable: Students work in groups of four to five to design a business plan, research question, industry analysis or business case around a business topic of interest relating to all countries being studied. Past projects have focused on women entrepreneurship in emerging markets, social impact education and fighting energy poverty in East Africa.

In-Country Portion

  • Timing: Over spring break, all GIM classes will spend up to ten days in-country. All students are expected to arrange their own international flights and meet up with their classes at 9 a.m. on the designated start-date of their itineraries. At the end of the trip, students may either continue traveling or return to Evanston. All students are expected to return in time for their first class of the spring quarter.
  • Schedule: In-country time is primarily devoted to business and culture, with free time for the students primarily in the evenings and during the weekends. The class will meet with government officials and business and industry leaders as a group (called “plenary meetings”), while the group project teams will work to set up their own meetings and conduct first-hand research with key stakeholders in the country. Past plenary meetings have taken place with companies such as Boeing China, Off Grid Electric, Gustu and Fab Lab Peru.

Questions? Please contact Christine Dunn to learn more about the 2022 GIM program.


Explore Upcoming and Recent GIM Programs

See what projects our students have worked on and where they’ve traveled to for their in-country portion of GIM.

Doing Business in the Middle East: Israel and the UAE 2022

Providing students with an essential grounding in the business environment and market dynamics of the Middle East.  

Frontier Markets: Panama and Costa Rica 2022

This course focuses on the opportunities and challenges in frontier markets.

Social Impact: Peru and Chile 2022

In this course, students gain exposure to a variety of organizations deliberately designed for social impact.

Sustainable Ventures: Ecuador and Mexico 2022

Learning from experts in sustainable ventures and development and focusing in on impact reporting for sustainable and impactful ventures. 

Branding the Nation: Spain and Greece 2022

Learning how country reputations are managed and their effects upon investment and development in an increasingly global world.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: The Netherlands and Germany 2022

Digging deep into the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in two countries – The Netherlands & Germany.

Recent GIM Programs

Learn more about recent course topics and locations.

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Questions about global opportunities at Kellogg?

Featured Experience

Students had the chance to visit Sri Lanka on a recent GIM trip.

Global Opportunities at Kellogg

Discover our complete portfolio of global programs.