More Michigan engineers, architects and contractors may soon have the opportunity to work in Eastern Europe, but not before getting a lesson or two in Eastern European culture.

The MSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is planning a two-year study abroad program with Michigan companies that would help former Soviet countries build new roads and buildings and undertake environmental cleanups. The Michigan Economic Engineering and Education Gateway Program will teach the language and cultural aspects needed to prepare businesses for international partnerships in the region.

In collaboration with the current study abroad program for students, the worker program will give Michigan businesses a competitive advantage in the global market, said Department Chairperson Ron Harichandran.

Harichandran said Ukraine and Russia were chosen for the program because MSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering already has ties with the countries from its Russian study abroad program, now in its ninth year.

“Russia is hidden in many ways,” Harichandran said. “Very few people know how to do business there. We have a head start on the competition in that part of the world.”

Harichandran and other faculty members will visit Kiev, Ukraine and Moscow in June to meet with Eastern European education and business partners to discuss the countries’ needs and the Michigan companies best for the job.

Harichandran said the program will give Michigan businesses the same benefit that engineering, mathematics and language students gain when they go abroad in Eastern Europe.

Materials science and engineering senior Brad Hall went on Russian study abroad trips the past two summers and said the program has shown him the importance of working among people of different cultures.

“It’s nothing earth-shattering to adapt to,” he said. “It demonstrates responsibility and a willingness to try new things.”

Economics professor Steven Matusz said reaching out to a new market is useful for businesses that have already “plowed the ground at home.

“If it’s an untapped market, that means there’s a tremendous room for growth,” he said.

When companies go overseas in the future, Michigan businesses will already have made a name for themselves, Matusz said.

Harichandran said the program should begin in a year or two, depending on available funding. The department hopes to receive money for the program from President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative, a $137 billion, 10-year program aimed at research, development, education and entrepreneurship programs.

Other funding possibilities include the Eurasia Foundation of Ukraine and the New Eurasia Foundation of Russia — organizations that build free market institutions in former Soviet countries.

Source: statenews.com

This entry was posted by Taman Siswa on Friday, May 26, 2006 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Study Abroad. Tags: Brad Hall, Bush, Eastern Europe, Education News, Environmental Engineering, Eurasia Foundation of Ukraine, Kiev, Michigan, Moscow, MSU Department of Civil, MSU's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Eurasia Foundation of Russia, Ron Harichandran, Russia, Steven Matusz, Student, Study, Study Abroad, Ukraine, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.