A plethora of business students filled the halls of the James B. Hoover Center for Business to bask in the knowledge and experience of 24 members of the international business community on Oct. 16.
Elizabethtown College’s International Business Day is a highlight of the fall semester for International Business (IB) majors. The information and contacts it provides students with are invaluable, and it would not be possible without the planning of one man: Dr. Hossein Varamini, director of International Business. In fact, Varamini was the one who found all of the professional business professionals who serve on the IB Advisory Board.
“I work to identify the right type of people to become members of the IB Board. I go to meetings near Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Lancaster and surrounding areas to identify IB executives who could bring their experiences to our program and share them with our students. These business people have offered internships and jobs to IB students and have served as mentors to them as well,” Varamini said.
He acquired business executives from companies such as Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Between the 24 executives on the board, there exists over 500 years of IB experience. “The professionals always have great advice and continually expand my mind as to how International Business is used in the workplace,” junior IB student Katie Brumbach said.
Organizing IB Day is not the only thing Varamini does for his students. He also developed the Collaborative Industry Partnership (CIP), a program which teams up students to do research, solve problems and consult with businesses throughout the semester. This project is the result of collaboration with the Pa. Small Business Development Center and gives students practical experience in the business world.
At the end of the semester, executives from participating businesses are invited to campus to hear the results of the work each team has done. They watch student presentations, in which the students make recommendations to the companies. “The results of the CIP projects have been very good. Company executives have been happy with the recommendations, and our students have benefited significantly from realistic, practical experiences,” Varamini said.
Developing programs such as IB Day and CIP is necessary due to the changing face of international business and globalization. Varamini believes making curriculum revisions alongside the development of these programs, as well as providing practical experiences for the students are important components of preparing IB students to succeed in their careers and graduate schools. “The IB program is a very strong program because of our students. They work hard and are highly motivated. They also take advantage of opportunities, which makes it easier for them to find internships and jobs,” Varamini said.
Varamini was also appointed to the Turnbull-Jamieson Chair of Business and Accounting. This award is in recognition of his work, and it provides funding for teaching business and accounting courses.
Varamini teaches courses in two areas: finance and international business. “Every day I go to class and I say ‘this is my favorite topic to talk about,’” Varamini said. “I like finance classes, because my students learn a lot of new concepts and develop new skills. I facilitate real world learning, but IB classes let me get to know IB students really well.” Senior international business major Danni Qiao said, “He’s one of my favorite professors. He’s very passionate about teaching and he’s always eager to help.”
Varamini is also the faculty supervisor for internships in business. In order for students to receive credit for their internship experience, Varamini must approve and monitor their learning activities throughout the duration of their internships.
For his research, Varamini is mainly involved in working with his students. Through independent research and honors in the discipline projects, Varamini and his students conduct research, which results in published papers, and presentations at national and international conferences.
Varamini works with all of his students closely to help them reach their goals. “He genuinely wants us to succeed, expects us to succeed, and because of programs like IB Day, I know that I can and will rise to his expectations,” sophomore IB major Shayla Marshall said.
“I love working at Etown. It gives me the opportunity of working with young people who are interested in learning,” Varamini said. “Seeing them engaged in their learning, seeing them succeed after college and seeing them want to give back; each is always a rewarding experience.”
