VCU news

By Mike Frontiero and Van Wood

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business has received a Fulbright grant to explore the development of an executive MBA program in Cairo, Egypt. The grant is the result of a partnership between VCU and the Helwan University Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration in Cairo to educate future Egyptian business leaders and further internationalize the business curricula at both universities.

“VCU’s strategic vision includes the building of alliances that can enhance efforts to grow and improve its programs at the regional, national and international levels,” said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D. “The VCU School of Business is leading the way in this area. I believe that VCU’s highly successful educational joint venture in Doha, Qatar, would bode well for a successful executive MBA program in Egypt.”

The $100,000 Fulbright grant will serve as seed money to develop the program, which eventually would support itself through student tuition.  If the program were determined to be feasible, it would begin in the fall of 2005. The program would focus on cutting-edge executive MBA subject areas such as corporate planning and strategy, team building and leadership, quantitative and qualitative information analysis, organizational culture, productivity and innovation, marketing strategy, and global challenges of the future.

Van R. Wood, Ph.D., VCU professor of international marketing, submitted the successful proposal to the Fulbright Commission. “The goal of the partnership is to provide an enhanced professional environment for students, faculty and business communities to better meet the challenges and seize the opportunities offered in the globalized environment of the 21st century,” said Wood.

The term of the program for each class would be 16 to 18 months. Students would spend part of that time studying at VCU to more fully understand the U.S. business market and make business contacts. They possibly would graduate with two degrees, one from VCU and one from Helwan University. “We will be looking for aggressive, experienced and academically qualified students who are on the fast track in their careers and organizations,” said VCU Professor of Finance David A. Dubofsky, Ph.D., one of the organizers of the program.

VCU School of Business officials said that Helwan University is an ideal international partner because it is located in a major metropolitan area and has an excellent reputation in the Middle East. Its business program was established in 1961 and offers academic majors such as foreign trade, international relations and economics, and business and accounting. It also is considered to be a pioneer in business education in the English language. Since 1983, all subjects have been taught in English by qualified staff members with doctoral degrees from American and British universities.

VCU’s Executive MBA program, also known as the Fast Track MBA, is now in its 10th year of operation and enrolls students from the executive ranks of diverse business, government and non-government organizations. “It is recognized as one of the top academic programs offered by the university and the ultimate success of the new program in Egypt will draw heavily upon the experience and current success of this premier program at VCU,” said Wood.