Despite the often overwhelming negativity in the public discourse about Rhode Island’s economy and its prospects – 56 percent of respondents to a recent PBN.com poll on this topic said the state deserves all the raspberries it receives – there are many good stories hereabouts, not the least of them being the Bryant University international-business senior practicum.
The practicum is the culminating spring-semester project for those students enrolled in the international-business program and connects teams of three with companies looking to expand business outside the United States. This year more than 20 companies took part, and Bryant has created smaller versions of the program for the summer and fall months.
Companies point to real business that has resulted from taking part in the program, including opening new markets in Europe, Latin America and Asia. One company said that the student work was so good that a call made to research an opportunity resulted in the foreign contact wanting to place an order on the spot, while another was so impressed by a student’s work that it hired her, and she now works on developing international markets.
So the next time someone bad-mouths what’s happening in the Ocean State, ask that they read up on Bryant’s international-business senior practicum. •