91 students from the Middle East and North Africa have arrived in Bloomington for this year’s edition of the program
July 5, 2017
Saturday, June 24th marked the beginning of the Global Business Institute 2017 Program. Thanks to the public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State, The Coca-Cola Company, and The Kelley School of Business, the Kelley Institute for International Business welcomed 91 students from the Middle East and North Africa to Bloomington. This year, the program features representation from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and, for the first time, Saudi Arabia. These students of different cultural and academic backgrounds all share an entrepreneurial vision and applied for the program by proposing a new business idea that would improve lives in their home country. Through classroom sessions, networking activities, site visits, and concluding trips to Washington DC and Atlanta, GBI will equip these students with the business skills and acumen to engage in entrepreneurship in their home countries and around the world.
The students arrived in four waves on Saturday and were greeted by GBI Cultural Liaisons and Program Assistants at the Indianapolis Airport. After checking into the Foster Shea residence hall, they were able to kick back, get to know one another, and enjoy some Pizza X and Coca-Cola. The students hit the ground running, with a full-day orientation on Sunday, June 25th. This orientation introduced them to the program, its organizers, and expectations for their stay here.
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The first bus of students from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Tunisia, and Algeria leaving the Indianapolis airport.
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| The GBIers settling into their new home for the next 3.5 weeks. |
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| MENA Coca-Cola Scholarship Manager, Chris Nelson, gave the students an inspiring and motivating speech at the Eid celebration. |
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These Jordanian presenters were all smiles while introducing their product, “Coca-Cola Summer Breeze.”
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The students’ arrival fell on the last day of Ramadan, so Sunday evening following program orientation GBI enjoyed a celebratory Eid dinner. At the event, students were able to better meet one another, as well as the faculty and coaches teaching in the program.
On Monday the students were challenged with a Coca-Cola case that prompted them to come up with a new Coca-Cola product to be introduced into a country in the MENA region. The students worked in groups to come up with a strategy and presentation in under twenty-four hours. They presented in front of their peers and faculty the following day, using their newly-developed slide deck and presentation skills. “Arabicoca,” “CokeUp,” and “Coca-Cola Coffee” were just a few of the product lines proposed. This team presentation is just the first in a long line building up to the final presentation, which will determine a winning business idea building off those initially proposed in student applications.
Over the next three and a half weeks the students will work tirelessly on their projects, but will also continue to experience Bloomington and the US on a cultural level — building a lifelong network of international friends.
To stay up to date with what the GBIers are doing, follow us on Instagram and Twitter @KelleyIIB
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