Le Moyne MBA students head for lesson in Polish business

CNY Business Journal (1996+), May 30, 2008 by Martino, Kristina

SYRACUSE - Ten students from Le Moyne College's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program plan to immerse themselves in Polish business when they travel to Warsaw for 10 days in June.

For the last eight years, students from Le Moyne College's MBA program have traveled to Poland's capital city each June to study business from a European perspective, says George Kulick, director of Le Moyne College's MBA program.

The ninth group of students is set to leave for Warsaw on a 10-day trip June 13. Students who are enrolled in a strategic management or international-business leadership class have the option to travel to Warsaw.

Poland entered the European Union in 2004 and since then has been reviving its economy, making it a good business case study for students, Kulick says.

"It gives them a good viewpoint and reflects a lot of places in Europe," Kulick says. "Poland is very aggressive and is coming out of its shell."

Students attend lectures given by Polish professors, executives, and other community leaders. They also visit and tour local firms to experience first hand business, environmental conditions, and the strategies of Polish firms. Students also attend sightseeing trips in and around Warsaw.

The Poland trip started in 1999 when the Le Moyne College MBA Program established an educational relationship with the University of Warsaw through Adam Opalinski, a 1995 MBA graduate of Le Moyne College who was from Poland, says Donna Egan, trip coordinator and Kulick's assistant.

As part of the exchange, the University of Warsaw sends students or professors to Le Moyne for one semester. Students attend MBA classes and professors research and hold guest lectures.

Professor Bernard Arogyaswamy, of Le Moyne College, and Dean Alojzy Nowak, from the University of Warsaw, teach the courses.

If a student is taking one class, tuition costs $3,950, which includes airfare to Poland and housing. Taking a second offered course costs an additional $1,800.

Le Moyne College is located at 1419 Salt Springs Road in Syracuse. It's an independent college established by Catholic Jesuits in 1946. According to Le Moyne, the college "has evolved into a nationally acclaimed college of liberal arts and sciences that draws students from across the United States and abroad."

About 2,800 undergraduate students and 800 graduate students are enrolled at Le Moyne. It employs a 300-member faculty and maintains a 13-1 student ratio.