Educating Locally to Lead Globally
At the Gatton College of Business and Economics, thinking globally drives the faculty and students to think beyond the rivers and mountains that define the Commonwealth. Students are challenged to see more, to do more and to think broader than they ever have before. They are encouraged to study abroad, study languages and explore other academic areas that interest them outside of the Gatton College.
“Our students must be world ready in order to compete in the business world today,” said Devanathan Sudharshan, dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics. "They must prepare to be actors on a global stage.”
Since becoming dean in 2003, Sudharshan has worked tirelessly to focus the undergraduate and graduate offerings within the college on preparing students to be leaders once they leave UK’s campus – whether they travel across the world or stay in Kentucky.
“Close to 90 percent of our graduates stay in Kentucky and are the engine of economic development for the state. Our alumni are leading organizations of all sectors from Pikeville to Paducah; they work to create and retain jobs that will move Kentucky forward.”
Although many of these students remain in the Commonwealth, they conduct business worldwide. “This is why it is so important for us to prepare our graduates for the world; they are starting companies in Kentucky that reach all over the globe,” says Sudharshan. “These companies must know how to market, position and manage competition in our ever changing world.”
“Our goal is to transform our students for a life of innovation, initiative, integrity, inclusion and, above all, passion to make the world a better place.”
Several programs have been developed to help reach this goal.
The Global Scholars Program targets and attracts incoming freshmen who want to develop their professional, academic and leadership skills as they prepare to work in culturally diverse environments. These select students take several cohort classes each year and spend a semester abroad during their junior year.
Scholars in Engineering and Management, or SEAM, is designed to complement business and engineering majors. The program brings together undergraduate business and engineering students to participate in an integrated program in which students learn from each other. Competition in the marketplace is driving these two areas to work together, so the SEAM program offers students a chance to prepare for the real world.
“The transition from engineer to marketer is fairly common in the work force; in fact, it is one that I went through in my professional career. As engineers develop new products, they increasingly must understand how the end user thinks and how the product is meeting that user's need,” said Sudharshan. “We can no longer think unilaterally.”
One of the most innovative programs offered through the Gatton College is the immersive MBA program, an 11-month-long intensive, cutting-edge offering designed to enhance Gatton’s first-rate teaching with real-world experience. Partnering with esteemed faculty and successful businesses, students walk away with an MBA degree that has prepared them for real-world business. The core of the program contains three hands-on modules that provide students the opportunity to work side-by-side with corporate firms through new product development, supply chain management and mergers and acquisitions.
“The immersive MBA program came from an understanding of the marketplace by our faculty. This program clearly meets the needs of everyone involved -- it breaks down silos, readies students for the world and accelerates experiential education,” noted Sudharshan.
“It’s the quest for education that I hope stays with our students when they leave the Gatton College. I call myself the '31-year Ph. D. student.' I love to learn and to be challenged and to grow. I want to discover avenues where I can be of service to others, nurturing their ambition and offering guidance, much like my mentors were to me. As UK grows into the Top 20 public research institution it seeks to be, the Gatton College must do our part in attaining those goals by producing more cutting-edge research, educating more students and letting the world know of our accomplishments.”
