General Information
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Instructor Bio
Bernardo Blum is an Associate Professor of Economic Analysis and Policy and Director IIB at Rotman. He teaches an MBA course in International Economics. Bernardo’s research falls into three broad areas: international trade, where his work examines the determinants of international trade patterns and the economic institutions that facilitate trade; urban economics, where his work examines the impact of urban agglomeration on the productivities of, and so returns to, different kinds of skills; and the determinants of income inequality.
Walid Hejazi is a Professor of Economic Analysis and Policy at the Rotman School of Management, Fellow of the Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship, and member of the Board of Directors of the David & Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation. His research focuses on the development of strategies which enhance the ability of companies to compete in domestic and global marketplaces. He has worked closely with many companies to develop and implement innovative strategies, with a particular focus on the role of leaders in preparing those companies to lead strategic change. He is currently working on a book that analyzes strategies that can mobilize global pools of capital into the development of sustainable infrastructure projects in the developing world. He has also worked extensively with Canadian and foreign governments on the development of policies around foreign investment and international trade and has testified extensively before parliamentary and senate committees. He teaches in Rotman’s MBA, EMBA and custom executive programs, and has delivered lectures in over 30 countries, and is a frequent commentator in the media.
Target Audience
All students are welcome to take this course as it will cover a number of areas such as international trade (importing and exporting), foreign investment, market entry strategies, strategy consulting, developing value propositions, and more. Students will be matched with a company and will develop a multitude of skills for future employment.
Prerequisites
RSM2123H – International Business in the World Economy
Format
Mandatory touchpoints with Professors to discuss progress of project:
- Tuesday, October 15 from 6pm-8pm, online – Kickoff of the GCP
- Wednesday, October 16 from 6pm-8pm, online – Test and lecture on Value Propositions
There will be weekly touchpoints thereafter, all from 6pm – 8pm:
- Wednesday, October 23
- Wednesday, October 30
- Wednesday, November 6
In addition, there will be 5 hours of training videos that participants must watch – these videos will be made available for you to watch when convenient. There will be a multiple-choice exam that will be written during the October 16 touchpoint, which will ensure that students absorbed the material.
The final date for the GCP is Friday, November 8, 2024.
The final deliverable for the GCP is due by midnight, Friday, November 8, 2024. Details will be available on Quercus.
Course Mission
Learning Outcomes:
- How to go from the theory of internationalization to the practice: taking companies global.
- How to assess a company’s product potential in global markets?
- Understanding which global markets to enter.
- Understanding strategies on market entry.
- Designing global supply chains: how to serve foreign markets most effectively?
- Understanding how to navigate global markets, including managing tariff and non-tariff barriers, protectionism, intellectual property protections, and exchange rates risks.
- Working together with senior management in a growing business with global aspirations.
- Learn how to manage a project from start to finish including client engagement and management.
- Strengthen capacity for working as a team in a challenging and new environment and work-side-by-side with local people and organizations.
- Develop the cross-cultural understanding essential for success in a globalized world.
Course Scope
Key policy goals of The Government of Canada include diversifying Canada’s international trade beyond the US market, and to enable Canadian small and medium-sized companies to export. This GCP offers an opportunity for students to work with companies to help them to enter foreign markets. In particular, after obtaining formal training in RSM2123 – International Business in the World Economy, which is a pre-requisite to take this GCP, students participate in in the additional training that is more practical in nature and provides insights on how to adapt and refine market entry and expansion strategies for Canadian companies. Thereafter, students are paired with companies that wish to export their products or services to an identified foreign market and who are participating in a trade mission these foreign others. Each semester, the industry focus is based on the trade mission the companies will participate in. This time, the focus is on the Electronica Trade Mission, and the companies will travel to Munich during the November 11-15 period.
Students will work with these companies on developing their strategies in preparing for this trade mission, within a defined structure provided by your professors. There will also be room for additional contributions – Rotman students have many insights in various areas that can be very valuable to these companies.
Students who complete this GCP will have an opportunity to travel on the Trade Mission with the companies they worked with during the Global Practicum to Munich, Germany from November 11-15, 2024.
In order to travel, you must enroll in the Global Practicum RSM2709 separately. Note that travel is NOT mandatory to earn the GCP (RSM2701) credit. Nevertheless, those students that do decide to travel with the company on the respective Trade Mission would earn an additional global/experiential credit (Global Practicum), and Rotman will provide financial support to cover part of the travel costs.
Global Manager Initiative Courses:
- RSM2123H – International Business in the World Economy (prerequisite)
- RSM2701H – GCP – working with a company
- RSM2709H – Global Practicum – traveling with the company to the trade mission
Evaluation and Grade Breakdown
| Component | Due Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Online Training and Write the Test – Virtual | Test will be written on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 | 15% |
| Interim Touchpoints with Professors (in groups) – Virtual | Four Touchpoints – see dates above | 15% |
| Final Deliverable Prepared with your Company – Upload to Quercus | Friday, November 8, 2024 (before companies travel to Munich) | 70% |
Grading and Assessment
This course will use the Honours/Pass/Fail grading scale, and this course will not count towards a student’s GPA. The final course grade reflects the student’s level of demonstrated achievement of the Course Learning Outcomes listed above. Deliverables provide feedback on your progress towards the course grade. Students should contact the instructor as early as practical if they have any questions at all about how they are going to be assessed. The onus is on the student to ensure they have received full clarity and that they fully understand the assessment process.
Experiential Course Limit
There are limits to the number of RSM27XX range courses that students may take for credit toward their degree. Please refer to the Global and Experiential Course Eligibility Specifics and Limits section on the RO website for all details.