"One of our goals here is to help small and medium-sized businesses realize that their market is no longer their immediate surroundings," Dr. Ruben Boling, director of the university's Center for the Future of North Georgia, said. "Their market can now easily be a global one."
A broad assortment of business owners and government officials attended the daylong conference, including state Sen. Steve Gooch.
The university's growing emphasis on developing globally prepared graduates extends to the regional business community, as it provides academic resources and opportunities through events like Thursday's summit for businesses and economic development agencies to expand their horizons.
North Georgia President Bonita Jacobs began the day by talking about how the message of the summit is very important to the university.
"Even if our students plan to work only in the North Georgia region following their graduation, they need to be able to understand other cultures and conduct business with people in other parts of the world. At North Georgia, our internationalization initiatives are gaining momentum and will provide new opportunities for students to study strategic languages and explore other cultures," she said.
Gretchen Corbin, deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of global commerce for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, stressed the importance of businesses working together-noting that partnerships have kept Georgia afloat during the economic downturn.
Dr. Cristoph Rückel, a founding partner of German-based BridgehouseLaw, spoke at length about placing more attention on teaching multiple languages to American youth-an issue North Georgia's Department of Modern Languages is working to remedy by expanding language offerings.
"This is the starting point for international business," he said. "Our children must learn more languages so they can connect. They are on the internet and so they believe they are globally connected. They are not."
To close the "Being Internationally Ready" portion, Mr. Christian Viviers, chief executive officer of Futura North America, called attention to the future of Georgia's economic development after describing the hardships his company faced when opening a new business in the United States in 2007-the beginning of the economic downturn.
"Global growth is the only solution for Georgia," he said, adding that it takes global roots to ensure survival in the worst of times.
A short panel discussion and question-and-answer period rounded out the morning. Near the end, an audience member asked how U.S. high-school graduates compared with their foreign counterparts, specifically in Europe.
"High school graduates in America are much less prepared for real life than kids in Europe," said Sibylle Mair, chief financial officer of the German company Hansgrohe. She noted that although many young adults choose not to attend college in Europe, they have usually chosen a trade by that point and have already attended a technical school to gain the skills they will need to flourish in their chosen job market.
The other representatives agreed, adding that focusing on a general education and job-specific training and conduct are crucial to economic development in Georgia.
"Economic development lies in preparing the youth," Viviers said.
NGCSU President Bonita Jacobs
http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/3/246573