Global Zoom classroom brings grad students together from Nazareth and Australia

The business television reality series "Shark Tank" is inspiring a virtual global entrepreneurial challenge that is bringing college students from Rochester and Australia together. Nazareth graduate students in the School of Business and Leadership are collaborating on Zoom each week with students from Australian Catholic University's (ACU) Pete Faber Business School pitching their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of experts in a Global "Shark Tank" competition, much like the hit show, to launch a business on the global stage.

"The student projects vary widely and reflect the immense change that is happening in the global marketplace and economy," says Jake Kwiatkowski '12, '21G. One group is buying a winery in Brazil and trying to import little-known Brazilian wine into the United States market. Another is working to recycle batteries in Africa. "My group is working on a third-party consultation platform for small businesses wanting to enter international business. It's inspiring to see the ingenuity of these projects inside a classroom setting."

Kwiatkowski adds: "This is tremendous practice for current working conditions, both global and domestic. We have to meet by Zoom and account for three different time zones, working with students from varying backgrounds, nationalities, and goals. Working in a team on business solutions that are applicable and important to today's world gives this project a sense of realism and applicability."

The Shark Tank project is part of the bigger Global Virtual Intercultural Program (GVIP) gives students from both institutions online real-time access to each other's weekly classes taught by Nazareth's Professor Adam Crandal and ACU's Luigi Belmonte and Dr Andrew Papadimos.

"The intent of the program is to help our graduates become outstanding global leaders by learning global leadership skills and perspectives," said Nazareth School of Business and Leadership Dean Kenneth Rhee. "What a great way for our students to embark on that path by engaging directly with other students from our global partners, especially during the time of pandemic. We hope both groups of students walk away from their collaboration with valuable skills that will be highly beneficial in their future global careers."

Since the start of the fall semester, Nazareth College students in the Global Business Environment class join students in ACU International Business class. They join each classroom twice a week in a virtual classroom.

While students at ACU approach the study of international business from a regional-based perspective, Nazareth students learn from a managerial/operational approach. Having access to both units provides ACU and Nazareth students with a more holistic educational experience, equipping them with the necessary knowledge to engage in international business activities while developing key global networks.

"Thrust into a virtual world, I commend our students, lecturers and partners at Nazareth College for embracing the Global Virtual Intercultural Program (GVIP) as an opportunity for connectivity, global citizenship, and the development of new skills such as cultural IQ," said Professor Terri Joiner, Executive Dean Faculty of Law and Business at ACU.

Through this initiative, Nazareth and ACU students are developing their teamwork skills using the CATME (Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness) system. CATME helps form dynamic groups designed to develop students' intercultural skills and resilience to work within diverse teams.

Students at both Nazareth and ACU will receive a joint "Certificate of Participation" signed by both institutions. This will be a useful addition to their resumes to show potential employers their "work-ready" skills, especially in a global marketplace.

"The creativity and spirit of collaboration by everyone involved with this partnership has been really exciting," said Albert Cabral, director of Nazareth's Global Business & Leadership Graduate Program. "There is s true focus on enhancing student learning through direct experience. We are actively discussing projects for the next semester and are hoping to expand the partnership to include Nazareth undergraduate courses in the future."

Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.

Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.

• published: 2020 November
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