Global Business class collaborates with business school in Mumbai

One Global Business professor has found a way to ensure students get the experience they expect from CSB/SJU. Professor Kingshuk Mukherjee piloted GBUS 341 a month after having the idea of creating a joint-class experience with the Thakur Business School in Mumbai. In a Zoom interview, it was clear the experience left him proud and energized. The class “worked out much better than I ever expected,” Mukherjee said.

He and his students thrived despite a nine hour and nearly 8,000 mile divide. Together, they explored pandemic-related issues in the global supply chain.

This was only made possible by efforts on both sides. Led by Professor Prateek Shrivastava, the Mumbai graduate students put in immense effort, working through a full day of regular classes before the meetings. The IT department worked tirelessly to enroll the 11 graduate students in Canvas and repair other technical difficulties.

The class gave students a real feel of global business and what working in virtual teams is like.

The students collaborated on projects that they eventually presented to industrial experts, including a Global Supply Manager from Mahindra Trucks alongside other cooperate connections of CSB/SJU.

Students communicated to each other across the schools through applications like GroupMe and WhatsApp. They worked in groups and break-out rooms, taking advantage of the technology the school implemented for hybrid learning.

Three undergraduates were paired to one of their 11 Mumbai classmates.

Mukherjee felt the graduate students helped the CSB/SJU students work at a higher level. He said they were “learning enormously” from each other “… and in their work there was a sense of positivity and excitement.”

This was reflected in the testimonials the class gave. It is obvious that both graduate and undergraduate students saw the class as a resounding success. The collaboration led Noah Murphy, SJU junior, to create “one of the best, knowledgeable research papers that I’ve ever written.” Elena Branca, CSB senior, referred to the class as “the epitome of what our Global Business major is trying to prepare us for.” Likewise, “All the sessions from beginning to end were amazing, especially the presentation on various industries,” Darshana Gawde, MBA student, said.

Such a success raises questions on if this experience can be expanded and shared. Mukherjee explained how opportunity lies in the other schools across the globe that CSB/SJU maintains relationships with.

The joint classroom is a way for students to grow in dimensions that the pandemic makes difficult. It empowers them with opportunities previously found in study abroad experiences, such as reaching out, growing through intercultural interactions, developing awareness and respecting the diversity of the world’s identities.

This model can extend beyond the GBUS department and present opportunities for other students and professors, while paralleling university goals. As Mukherjee said, these kinds of experiences are a “breath of fresh air” during overcast times.