Executive Development Center

 Before the words "global market place" had become a cliche, Illinois was offering management programs to international business people through its Executive Development Center. In fact, the first such program was introduced in 1977 at the request of a group of Japanese manufacturers, the Pacific Economy and Technology Associate (PEATA). Today, the international component of EDC is our largest and strongest.

    SOME OF THE MANY BENEFITS OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE:

  • Access to foreign firms for our faculty
  • Increased knowledge of other countries, both from a business and cultural perspective, through interaction with these international business managers.
  • Interaction between American and international students. since many EDC students take classes with American students in other programs, there is considerable opportunity for cultural exchange, enriching the experience of all.
  • Sharing of knowledge and experience across campus. Many of the students who participate in these programs are senior managers in their countries. They are willing and do share their expertise across campus by participating in panels and other activities.
We offer specialized programs for executives from Japan, China, Korea, and Russia. Our general programs are attended by students from the Pacific Rim, Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

The program for Chinese managers, started in 1993, has grown considerably. This fall there are eleven separate programs. Each prgram enrolls 25-30 managers.

In addition to our on-going Program for International Managers (PIM) sessions, the Special Program for International Managers (SPIM) was introduced several years ago. Similar to the year-long PIM sessions, these courses are concentrated into one semester and focus on one particular area of study, for example, banking. Among the SPIM participants this year, five will be attended by heads of companies owned by the Chinese government. One need for these shorter programs is the demand placed on the participants by their own jobs. Most are senior managers who cannot be spared from their regular employment for an entire year. One semester is a less disruptive period of leave.

Participants in these programs have impressive credentials. Most are sponsored by their companies, although a few are self-financed. They bring extensive work experience to their studies and so are poised to benefit from a short intense, directed program. Frequently these are influential people in their companies and countries. The college and university receive much excellent, free press fromthese alumni who generally become enthusiastic ambassadors for the University of Illinois.

SINCE 1957 THE EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT CENTER HAS PROVIDED BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND GOVERNMENTS WITH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT HELP THEM DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC.

New international programs offered this year include and M.S. for International Finance and a number of significant initiatives with Korea. This past July we introduced a joint program with the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, an agriculture/production/management program for Chinese managers who are responsible for agricultural production in the provinces.

Through EDC, the college offered five distance-learning courses this year. At Catepillar, Inc.'s request we offered four accounting courses that their employees could take on site. And thanks to the miracle of technology, students in the M.S. Tax program where able to receive institution from Ed Risch, a partner at Coopers & Lybrand, via teleconferencing. From his office in Chicago, Ed Risch taught students on the Urbana campus once a weeks, from 5-8 pm on Wednesday. In the future, this technology may totally change the way instruction is delivered.

These few courses are only a prelude to the great changes in education that the technological revolution can foster.

The Executive Development Center is exploring ways to increase interaction between its executive programs and the National Center for super Computing applications. The center wants to build on the technological strengths of the university as it creates new programs and strengthens existing ones.

Hanns-Martin Schoenfeld, professor of accounting, a frequent participant in EDC programs with students. 		"Because participants in our programs come from all over the world, our students learn things about today's complex international business climate that can't be taught from books. Through interaction with fellow students, they experience the multi-cultural aspects of the international work place."

Carolyn Pribble, director
of International Programs

Kazunori Maruyama, with Snow Brand Milk Products in Japan, found that the strong understanding of business administration that he gained from his first EDC course - the MSBA for International Managers, completed in 1993, helped him perform better at his job. "As a result, I returned to the U of I, this time in the SPIM program, which is very suitable for studying a specific subject - in my case, marketing."

Jae-Seob Jung, with POSCO in Korea says the SPIM course "fits the need of each participant. Classroom study, visits to industrial and commercial institutions, and seminars by business executives prepare participants for top managerial demands and responsibilities by (providing) an understanding of the international business environment."