Monday, January 13, 1997
FORUM:
New strategies for a rapidly-changing marketplace discussedBy
Frances Lee
Daily Bruin Contributor
Speaking to an audience of about 200 students, staff, faculty
and alumni of The Anderson School at UCLA on Friday, various
experts addressed one of the pressing questions in the global
marketplace  whether to go east, go south, or stay at
home.
Sponsored by the Anderson School’s Office of International
Affairs (OIA), the third Global Partners Forum (GPF) of the year
took the Anderson community on a "Tour Around the World."
Faculty members, who are also leading experts in their fields,
offered insights into the current economic, political and social
climate of Latin America, Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe.
But far from being just a showcase for the "region of the
moment," the Global Partners Forum offered participants a chance to
get a picture of the world economy as a whole, and a perspective on
how business has to be done in a rapidly-changing marketplace.
Andrea McAleenan, associate dean for International Affairs,
stressed the importance of integrating and understanding the impact
of a global community as one of the key ingredients to success.
"Our graduates must be able to grasp the complexities of the
global marketplace and design the strategies in business which will
shape the future," McAleenan said. "(There is an) urgent and
growing need for international skill-building."
Having a grasp of those skills is what will set people apart in
the business community, according to Erin Colman, an MBA student
and vice president of the International Business Council. "Are we
part of the global team? The regional team? Or the local office?
And how are those roles going to change?"
With the emergence of independent east European countries, an
economically friendlier and viable China and exploding growth in
Latin America, each speaker stressed that the skills needed to
succeed in the international business scene are becoming
increasingly important.
Peter Elko, a 1996 graduate of the Anderson School, felt the
forum was valuable, because rather than simply taking individual
classes in economics or political science, "Here, you get a chance
to look at each discipline on a common problem. It ties everything
together."
Although the speakers could not agree on which region of the
world presented the greatest opportunity, they did emphasize the
importance of a global strategy, and offered some unofficial advice
on how to cope in the international arena as well.
"Keep your bags packed, your passport up-to-date and your PC
updated with a fast modem and cellular communication. That’s the
world we’re headed for," said Jose de la Torre, professor of
International Business Strategy and the director of the Center for
International Business Education and Research.
Through the forum, the Anderson School hopes to increase the
school’s international presence and impact. The school plans to
stage a series of GPFs on a large-scale basis that will "bring
together leaders and international experts from business, education
and government to discuss key issues," according to the Office of
International Affairs.
The first forum outside of UCLA will be held in Hawaii this
April to focus on the Asian-Pacific business community. More
forums, in different cities and each with a different regional
focus, are also in the works.
AARON TOUT
Henry Ford II presents at the Anderson School’s Global Partners
Forum.