There is no debate that globalization can be good for the University. The French Business School, SKEMA, has already formed faculty and student exchange ties with UNC-Chapel Hill and potentially Duke, and now has started delegations to come to N.C. State. Interestingly enough, no press release or documented negotiation has been brought up any benefits N.C. State will have from this deal. If the University is opening its doors to SKEMA and its students, some concessions should be made on SKEMA’s part to help the University.
One of the primary reasons SKEMA is considering the University for its new locations is Centennial Campus’ close proximity to RTP because it would benefit the French business students. SKEMA students would be able to get experience American business through their university and would not need to compete with the increasingly challenging international student admissions. On this same point, SKEMA’s extension to Raleigh should provide N.C. State students with networking opportunities and provide them with a little bit of an advantage over other local universities. While UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke students would have to travel or rely on their international exchange programs for that advantage, N.C. State students can reap those benefits from the comfort of their classroom.
SKEMA’s prestigious business program could be particularly beneficial to N.C. State’s fairly new management school. It would add a new angle to international business and theory. With the growing global market, an international perspective on business, especially one from an elite business college, is more than likely to make the College of Management’s program more dynamic. They should develop partnerships and programs to work together. The demand for international business professionals is very high, and students would be able to easily attain the necessary skills toward becoming a business professional with this opportunity.
Currently, final details about lease agreements between the University and SKEMA are being worked out, including whether SKEMA will have its own library and student commons or it will share the University’s facilities. It should not be a one-sided agreement for SKEMA to use our facilities and location, but completely block out students from N.C. State. SKEMA students should have accessibility to N.C. State facilities, like libraries and student commons, but at a reasonable fee. This is not to block them out, but to level the playing field. Students have to pay student fees so these facilities can be provided and maintained, so SKEMA students should contribute if they use them. They are worth the cost and would benefit the French students just as much as the location.
