admin The time zone differences are a major set-back for businesses looking to connect globally.
Kristen Getchell teaches business communication at Babson College, and he found this set-back among many businesses, which can be dangerous for the business seeking to create a global connection for profit and giving out opportunities for young growing talents.
“A lot of students don’t have these kinds of experiences, so they need to interact with colleagues internationally and see how to build teams with people across different countries, different languages, and different cultures,” Getchell, an associate professor, said.
The partnership between Babson and Nord university has made it possible of global connectivity and are encouraging students to take part in the American Association of Colleges and Universities institute (AAC&U) virtual exchange/collaborative online international learning (VE-COIL), sponsored by the Norwegian government.
Amir Reza, Dean of the Babson Academy of Global Entrepreneurial Learning and of Global Education said, “The program will immerse students in intercultural collaboration, connecting them with their peers in Norway and preparing them for an increasingly globalized economy.”
“The world of work that our graduates will enter will require these types of skills,” Reza said. “Many assume that these are ‘soft skills,’ when in fact they are essential. More and more work is done with people across the world in these sorts of virtual formats or teams.”
The virtual access means students who might not be able to travel due to cost, time constraints or ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, can experience team building with other cultures.
“There’s a whole area of both research and progress being made on the concept of cooperative online international learning, which has multiple benefits,” Reza said. One of the biggest benefits, he adds, is that it, “enriches all students with a global learning experience without mobility. Previously, this was primarily done through education abroad programs.”
To complete details of their program is provided by the college on their website, Babson Thought & Action.
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