New student club takes care of business

Global markets have created new opportunities around the world, including one at Sacramento State. Students in the University’s College of Business Administration have started an International Business Organization (IBO) to help learn about real world experiences in business. 

“Understanding international business practices is very important in today’s world because many organizations, whether they recognize it or not, are involved in global business,” says Ken Chinen, associate professor of international business and faculty advisor for the organization. “It’s important for students to understand how the world is connected in the business sense and to learn how we are impacted by global stakeholders and how we impact the global economy.”

The club, which began in the ‘70s and existed on campus until 2003, was revived this year by Robert MaCauley, a business student and the club president.

“The whole point of departmental clubs is to provide students with experience, and since international business is becoming increasingly important, I looked into starting it up again,” says MaCauley. “Look around. Almost everything is either made overseas or comes from overseas. The clothes I’m wearing probably came from thousands of miles away.”

The club has already had visits from several Sacramento area businesses including NEC Corp., Mikuni Restaurants, Import Services Inc., and the Northern California World Trade Center. They all sent representatives to talk to the students during their meetings.

“I think it’s important for people in business to give back to the students and help them understand the reality of the business world,” says Derrick Fong, CEO of the Mikuni chain.

Fong says 90 percent of his administrative team received their degrees from Sacramento State. “I’m impressed with the quality of the students from Sacramento State,” he says. “They work hard and take a very practical approach to business.”

The IBO is open to all students. For more information about the club, send e-mail to the IBO (ibo_csus@yahoo.com).