(35 years ago) Rockhurst Goes Coed! - Rockhurst University

ROCK REPORT Rockhurst Exports Experts to IndiaImagine competing in a field of 50,000 students forone of 250 slots in an MBA program. Those are theodds that filled the classrooms of two HelzbergSchool of Management faculty members who spent thesummer teaching at one of India’s top managementschools — the Xavier Labour Relations Institute.XLRI is a Jesuit institution located in the northeasternsteel city of Jamshedpur. Martin Stack, Ph.D., associateprofessor of management, taught international healthcare management and international management. JacobKurien, Ph.D., visiting associate professor of economics,taught managerial economics.Stack said the students are very curious about the U.S.business environment. He was invited to give three 90-minute presentations on differences between the businessculture in the United States, Europe and India. Eachone lasted longer than scheduled, with 15 students at thefinal session remaining for an additional hour to talk.“They know a great deal about U.S. culture and history,”Stack said. “In a sense there is a great informationasymmetry, as they know a lot about our society and wedon’t know much about theirs.”Martin Stack, Ph.D. (left), and Jacob Kurien, Ph.D.,taught summer classes in India.Kurien, who is from India, says he found the studentsenthusiastic, challenging and at times demanding. Manyof them have engineering degrees and want to enter thecorporate world of business in the manufacturing, technologyor financial sectors.“With the advent of globalization, there is a need forwider exposure to the outside world and the Indian studentsneed to get the opportunity to go to other countriesto get first-hand experience,” Kurien said.Student Tackles Global IssuesWhat would it be like to play in asoccer game where your opponent isallowed to move the goal posts, stealyour best player and receive specialtreatment from the referees? ForMargaret Hansbrough, ’07, who found herself in thissituation last summer, it was incredibly frustrating.The activity was part of a leadership training programshe attended in Boston through Oxfam America’s ChangeInitiative, and the game was an exercise demonstratingthe reality of unfair trade practices around the world.Oxfam America is an international development andrelief agency committed to finding lasting solutions toglobal poverty, hunger and social injustice.Hansbrough was one of only 52 college studentsnationwide to take part in the highly competitive program,where she studied how to organize campaigns on acollege campus. Today, she’s working hard at Rockhurstto conduct campaigns focused on fair trade and hunger.Why is she so driven? Through her advocacy work,Hansbrough is connected with others from all over theworld who share her passion.“It’s not just about plagues of locusts any more ora year of failed crops that causes starvation, althoughthat does happen,” said Hansbrough. “It’s about peoplewho have a successful crop year, but because of the waysthe rules are written, they can’t have access to markets.So farmers can’t sell their crops or feed their kids.”Hansbrough is pursuing a degree in political sciencealong with minors in economics, theology and nonprofitleadership studies. She plans to study sustainable developmentin graduate school, then travel internationallyto help communities reach their economic and socialpotentials.And whether it’s “global trade soccer” or real peoplewho don’t have enough to eat, Hansbrough hopesto help level the playing field for everyone aroundthe world.6 ROCKHURSTFALL 2005