Berkeley MBA students who participated in the International Business Development (IBD) Program this year will present summaries of their projects in Gabon, Brazil, Finland, and 12 other locations at the third annual IBD Conference on Friday, Sept. 25, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in Andersen Auditorium.
The 20-year-old IBD program, run by the Clausen Center for International Business and Policy, dispatches teams of MBA students each summer to work around the globe on projects such as new venture evaluation, business planning, and financial analyses. Student consultants from 20 teams will describe at the conference work they performed in sectors that include technology, eco-tourism, agriculture, and education.
Students also will discuss the challenges they faced working overseas. "There’s so much we take for granted in the US professional setting — even simple things like getting to and from the office, or having a functioning Internet and telephone," says Dave Bend, MBA 10, who was working in Gabon, West Africa, when President Omar Bongo unexpectedly died after more than 40 years in power. After the president's death, "the Internet and TV were cut off for days throughout the entire country. The government also shut down the airport. I hadn't expected that."
The conference is open to the public. Find the complete conference agenda at the IBD conference website and RSVP to [email protected].