Faculty and students from the Management Institute of Georg-Simon-Ohms University (GSO) in Nuremberg, Germany recently visited Barry University’s Miami Shores campus for the 10th Annual MBA business seminar. This year’s seminar was titled Creativity and Innovation Management; Keys to Organizational Success. Participants from both Schools explored the difficult issues that United States and European leaders must face to sustain healthy businesses, innovate, and thrive in the global economic environment. Topics for discussion included how to generate new ideas and recognize opportunities, establish strategic direction for profitable product development, and foster creative conflict within groups among others.
During the week-long visit, students took part of several interactive case studies concerning innovation management led by Barry’s School of Business faculty. Students learned about the future of money, a seminar led by Dr. Nichole Castater, Associate Professor of Finance. The seminar showcased the newest innovations in banking, payment systems, and financing projects and enterprises that could lead to a “democratization” of financial systems. They were also exposed to the diverse and innovative approach to finance and held discussions on financial products such as the exotic derivative securities in a seminar led by Dr. Stephen Morrell, Professor of Finance. Students also had an opportunity to learn more about how China is ramping up its innovative approaches to the technology and how the process of innovation cycle is managed in a seminar delivered by Dr. Roman Wong, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems and Dr. Shirley Ye Sheng, Assistant Professor of Marketing. Students even participated in a joint exercise with Barry University MBA students in the Cross-Cultural Management course taught by Dr. Inge Nickerson, Professor of Management, that helped them learn more about each other’s culture as well as each other’s business environment.
Every seminar contains pragmatic components for the visiting students to participate in. This year, students from Barry’s Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) gave a quick background on this relatively new project at Barry University and presented its investment portfolio to their German guests. SMIF is a co-curricular, student-initiated, project that provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience managing a real investment portfolio. The GSO group also visited companies with offices in Miami that provided first-hand experience on what creativity management and innovation management are all about today: República and Embraer S.A.
República is a cross-cultural agency specializing in advertising, branding, digital, social media, public relations, media buying, promotions and research with headquarters in Miami. They also have satellite offices in Orlando, New York, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Embraer S.A. is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 120 seats, and one of Brazil’s leading exporters. Embraer’s headquarters are located in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, and it has offices, industrial operations and customer service facilities in Brazil, China, France, Portugal, Singapore, and the U.S. Founded in 1969, the Company designs, develops, manufactures and sells aircraft and systems for the commercial aviation, executive aviation, and defense and security segments. It also provides after sales support and services to customers worldwide.
As part of the GSO/Barry collaboration, last summer, Barry MBA students traveled to Germany for a summer course in Macro-Economic Context & Internationalization Strategies, focusing on European companies. The trip was made possible by Barry’s School of Business and taught by Management Professor, Dr. Ingeborg Nickerson. This year, Barry University MBA students will be visiting Nuremberg once again as continuation of this long-term relationship with the European partners.
“The course was a long-anticipated culmination of Barry’s partnership with Georg-Simon-Ohm University,” said Nickerson. “For the past 10 years, GSO has been sending once-a-year contingent of MBAs to Barry. Our MBA seminar at Nuremberg rounded out the loop by exposing Barry students to the culture and business practices of the European Union and Germany in particular.”