San Diego State's Global Perspective

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Dean Gail Naughton
San Diego State University

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What will separate this from the traditional MBA program?

Basic business courses will have a global focus. The program will emphasize entrepreneurship as well—not just starting up a company but also maintaining a culture of entrepreneurship in large companies such as Qualcomm (see BusinessWeek.com, 8/9/06, "Encouraging Entrepreneurship at Work").

Did you look at other programs that are similar? What did you find?

Absolutely. There are a number of global programs offered, none that we found in global entrepreneurship and none that offered 12-week extensive stays in each geographic location. Why we went with the 12 weeks is that we don't want the students to just have a flavor for the culture. We want them to really become immersed in the culture of each geographic location and truly become immersed in the business of doing business in those areas as well.

There have been no programs that we have found that have been co-branded with five corporate leaders. Those corporate leaders were specifically chosen because they were small entrepreneurial startups that now have become global leaders. Each one of our global partners has a presence in each of the countries that we'll be visiting.

Why do you think your school was the perfect setting for this idea to bloom?

We already had the established high-ranking programs in international business and entrepreneurship, so we're just building on success. Also, our location on the Pacific Rim is an absolutely perfect starting point to go and partner with schools in Asia and other areas. San Diego State as a whole is very much into international studies. We have one of the best study-abroad programs. Our tagline for the university is "Minds that move the world." We have a dedication from our president and provost on down to becoming a global leader, particularly in international affairs.

Why is this kind of program important to people who are aspiring entrepreneurs in fields like biotech, high tech, etc.?

When you're looking at growth in the world of high tech, biotech, the wireless environment, or financial advising, you're looking at a highly competitive, rapidly moving area where being able to be a nimble thinker and embrace innovation is key. If you don't move quickly and intelligently, you lose your leadership position (see BusinessWeek.com, "Video View: Exporting Entrepreneurship").

By being able to go and train with the corporate leaders in these areas and find out about their best practices, students will be able to see the importance of being entrepreneurial, creative, innovative, quick-thinking, and quick-acting.

The areas we focused on geographically—with the exception of the U.S.—really weren't seen as areas of the most tremendous economic growth. That has all changed. Certainly, China and India are seen as two of the most rapid areas of growth and outsourcing, where many, many companies are setting up new facilities from research and development to manufacturing. Those are two areas that will be of a tremendous competitive threat to us unless we learn how to be able to function well within them.

The bottom line is you have to think like an entrepreneur, not reinvent the wheel. You need to learn from the best practices of those who have been successful, and be able to understand how to maneuver and succeed in countries that traditionally haven't had these high-tech businesses where the greatest growth will occur at least over the next decade.