The course, International Marketing, Trade and Export Management, which deals with the internationalization processes of companies, is a joint project of an entirely new kind between JIBS and The Swedish Trade Council, The Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN), The Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK), Swedfund and ALMI. There has been a great interest from students.
Besides JIBS teachers, representatives of the participating export promoting organizations have also been involved in the course. The course material has consisted of a compendium with both research-related information and practical experience of overseas expansion from various companies and organizations. Lectures have been supplemented with case studies described and commented upon by the individuals involved.
One of the tasks the students undertook as team work was to face a “board”, composed of representatives of JIBS and the participating organizations, and show them how a Swedish product or brand would be launched internationally, or how a company could establish itself in a foreign market.
The students presented so many good ideas and interesting suggestions that the collaborating organizations decided to institute an award for best performance during the course. A jury consisting of Professor Helen Anderson, course coordinator, senior lecturer Anna Blombäck, programme coordinator and Bo Leander, project coordinator, has appointed a prize winner in accordance with established criteria.
-It has been a very stimulating co-operation. Our collaborators have been given an insight into the course contents and the students have been able to discuss “real cases” with the organizations’ representatives in class. The Award is an evidence of that we have been able to create a so called win-win partnership, say Helén Anderson and Bo Leander.
The export promoting organizations taking part in the project as well as some of the companies that were represented in the course compendium were invited to a roundtable discussion at JIBS on May 30. Inspired by this year’s good results, the participants are now discussing how the project can proceed.
The “Expanding Markets Award” and the sum of 10,000 Swedish Crowns was presented to Martina Schweighofer, the top student of the course, by project coordinator, Bo Leander, during the event. The three other nominated students: Ryan Vintinner, Yuliya Lukyanchenko and Carly Wohlers were given diplomas.
