Timing Proves Right For DeSales MBA Program in Romania
DeSales University has partnered with the Romanian-American University to establish the DeSales MBA Program in Project Management in Bucharest, Romania. Inaugurated in Fall 2007, the new program joins an ever-increasing group of initiatives already established in India, Italy and Peru that support the University's globalization efforts.
Dr. Mohamed Latib, vice president for program and strategic development and director of the DeSales MBA Program, believes the timing was right for DeSales to establish an MBA program in Romania.
"The initiative is consistent with our mission and our globalization efforts," said Latib. "With the recent entry of Romania into the European Union, there will be a great demand for well trained managers. This was affirmed in meetings with corporate executives in Romania who supported our plan to offer the DeSales MBA Program with a concentration in Project Management."
This past fall, the DeSales MBA Program offered two hybrid courses in Romania: Financial and Managerial Accounting and Organization Management. These courses were comprised of two class meetings in which the United States and Romanian students met separately with the professor, four video conference meetings between students in the United States and Romania, and six asynchronous online classes. The courses were taught by Dr. Mohamed Latib and William Dwyer, associate professor of business at DeSales. The two traveled to Romania in early September to meet with the Romanian students for two classes.
According to Latib, the Romanian and U.S. students worked together in teams, as part of the requirement for completion of the course, which adds the rich dimension of cross-cultural exchange to the class.
In addition to Dwyer and Latib, members of the University's senior administration who made the journey to Romania to attend the official inauguration of the MBA Program in September included: Fr. Bernard O'Connor, OSFS, president; Dr. Karen Walton, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Fr. Peter Leonard, OSFS, dean of graduate education; and Dr. Galen Godbey, associate to the president for globalization. They were joined by Rector Smedescu, president of RAU, and more than 100 others including faculty and staff from both universities and other invited guests in celebrating this new partnership.
Latib admits the future looks good, but also realizes there are challenges.
"We had to learn a great deal with our entry into a country that still has many bureaucratic obstacles," said Latib. "However, the opportunity for our faculty and students to cross geographic and cultural boundaries is exciting."
The DeSales MBA Program also will offer three classes in Romania during the winter session, which runs from January 7 to March 27. The courses, Executive Skills Development, Business and Society, and Financial Management will be presented in the same way as the fall courses.
In April 2008, the first cohort of students from Romania is expected to come to the U.S. for an intensive one-week study tour.
For more information on the DeSales University MBA Program, call the main campus office at 610-282-1100, ext. 1450.
Press Release: Timing Proves Right For DeSales MBA Program in Romania | Posted on: 12/6/2007
For more info:
Tom McNamara, Executive Director of Communications
DeSales University | 2255 Station Avenue | Center Valley, PA 18034
610.282.1100 x1219 | Tom.McNamara@desales.edu |
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