Crowning a Global Champion

Winners of ISP competition celebrating
After traveling to Barcelona, Ho Chi Minh City and Santiago, students competed for top prize at the 2014 ISP Competition.

Each spring semester, every NYU Stern Undergraduate College junior participates in The Edward and Nancy Barr Family International Studies Program (ISP). This semester-long course explores the economic, cultural and political histories of countries in Asia, Europe and South America, and includes an international trip and business plan competition.

In March 2014, 582 students visited either Barcelona, Spain; Santiago, Chile; or Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where they heard academic lectures, visited global companies, and engaged in local cultures. When they returned from their travels, students began work on their final projects – a business plan for the companies they visited while abroad.

The 2014 ISP Competition Global Champions created a business strategy proposal for Vinamilk, the largest dairy company in Vietnam. The winning team comprised Stern juniors Charles Dong, Mark Chu, Nicholas Karram, Esmond Wei, Kevin Yan and Stephen Yeung. Christina Fang, Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at Stern, was their professor for the course.

“Global Study through our Stern Around The World programs is a pillar of the Stern undergraduate experience, and ISP has truly become a hallmark,” said Undergraduate College Dean Geeta Menon. “No other school does anything on its scale.”

The Undergraduate College has hosted the ISP Competition since 2003. Through semi-final rounds one team from each region – Asia, Europe and Latin America – was chosen to compete in Skirball auditorium for the ISP championship. In attendance are the entire junior class, as well as Stern faculty and deans.

Crowning a Global Champion pic 2

The winning presentation was selected by a panel of judges, which included Andrea Bonezzi, Assistant Professor of Marketing; Marc Cooper (BS ‘83, MBA ‘87), Vice Chair of the Peter J. Solomon Company; Aswath Damodaran, the Kerschner Family Chair in Finance Education and a Professor of Finance; Anastasia Economos (BS ‘83, MBA ‘89), a partner at Ernst & Young; Angelo C. Malahias (BS ’83), the President of DACKS Inc.; Irv Schenkler, Director and Clinical Professor of Management Communication; and John Thomopoulos (BS ’84, MBA ’86), a Partner at Ernst & Young.

Since ISP began in 2000, over 7,000 students have traveled abroad, including 582 students this year. ISP allows students to understand the competitive position of a company in its industry, country and its context in the global marketplace. Visiting the companies allows students to gain a deeper understanding of international business and a new culture.

Learn more about the International Studies Program.
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