Basic HTML Version
Campus Review
March 6, 2012
Page 4
MBA Students Travel to Hungary
For International Business Study Abroad Trip
Following last month’s visit to Atlanta
by His Excellency György Szapáry,
Ambassador of Hungary to the United
States, four Clayton State University
MBA students left for Hungary on
Friday, Mar. 2.
John E. Parkerson, Jr., honorary consul
of Hungary for the Southeastern United
States, president of the World Trade
Center Atlanta (WTC), and director of
International Programs for Clayton
State University, is leading a group of
Clayton State and Kennesaw State
University students on an MBA inter-
national business study abroad trip to
Hungary and Austria from Mar. 2 to
Mar. 11. All but two days of that trip
are in Hungary, and two of the days in
Hungary will be hosted by Clayton
State’s Hungarian partner institution,
the University of Pannonia in
Veszprem, Hungary. During his trip to
for the southeast U.S. in 2007, and
Parkerson subsequently (in 2008)
began a dialogue with the University of
Pannonia in Veszprem, Hungary, that
has thus far produced student and fac-
ulty exchanges.
In 2009, the Clayton State University
Foundation participated in a tour of
Hungary and the Czech Republic. In
2010, Clayton State hosted Hungary's
first exchange student, Sofia Terek, for
a semester; and in 2011, Clayton State's
Ashley Gombar studied tourism mar-
keting at the University of Pannonia.
Moreover, Pannonia's Faculty of
Economics and Clayton State's College
of Business have exchanged several
faculty members on short-term
exchanges. Finally, this past year
Pannonia's Faculty of Economics
appointed Parkerson to serve on its
International Advisory Committee.
Atlanta, Szapáry met with the MBA stu-
dents who are currently on their way to
Budapest.
The Clayton State students making the
trip include; Juanita Walker (Woodbury,
Ga.), Leslie Narain (Grayson, Ga.), Frank
Davenport (Fayetteville, Ga.) and Lera
Fox (Locust Grove, Ga.)
“Clayton State’s partnership with
University of Pannonia in Veszprem has
matured significantly during the past three
years,” notes Parkerson.
Clayton State's ties with Hungary are
mature and span seven years, starting
when former Clayton State President Dr.
Thomas Harden and Clayton County busi-
ness representatives visited Hungary on a
business/trade mission in 2004. The
Government of Hungary appointed
Parkerson as its diplomatic representative
Students Attend Georgia International Leadership Conference
On the weekend of Feb. 24 to Feb. 26,
five Clayton State University students
(Tony Yaacoub,
Lebanon; Yash
Brahmbhatt, India; Amber Nguyen,
Vietnam; Elitha Sinclair, U.S.; and
Shuranda Taylor, U.S.) represented the
University among 175 participants from
colleges and universities across the state
at the 2012 Georgia International
Leadership Conference (GILC).
The annual event is held at the Rock
Eagle 4H Center, near Eatonton, Ga. Brett
Reichert, Clayton State associate director,
International Student Services Office
(ISSO) accompanied the students. This
year marked increased representation for
Clayton State; five students attended,
compared with two last year. Among the
five attendees, senior Yaacoub and junior
Taylor, presented at one of 15 sessions at
the conference. Their presentation, enti-
tled, “Interpretations of Different
Gestures Around the World,” was one of
the most popular, according to Reichert.
“GILC was an event I will never forget,
the life impact will be lasting, and I look
forward to incorporating many of the
ideas shared from students at the partici-
pating universities,” says Taylor.
The intensive weekend of workshops, ses-
sions, simulations, and inter-active cultur-
al games was designed to break down
stereotypes, raise global awareness and
build social networks in a fun, structured
setting.
Brahmbhatt, a sophomore biology major, says,
“It was great meeting so many other interna-
tional people surviving in theU.S., dealingwith
F-1 visas, homesickness, and without fami-
lies…”
“The weekend was structured and intense by
design,” Reichert says. “In addition to attend-
ing three sessions from among 15 available
presentations, participants put on an interna-
tional fashion show, a talent show, watched a
moving documentary film about cultural
stereotypes, learned Kung Fu moves, were
entertained by a `Chinese Lion Dance,’ took a
nature walk to Rock Eagle, held two dances,
and even found time for s’mores around anout-
door global campfire! All this in just about 40
hours, not including a little time for sleeping.”
The annual event is open to all Clayton State
Students who are interested in world issues,
international themes and other cultures. Photos
of this year’s GILC are on the Facebook Page
of the International Student Services Office:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clayton-
State-University-ISSO-International-Student-
Services-Office/165772960107113.
(L to R) Tony Yaacoub, Elitha Sinclair, Brett
Reichert, Amber Nguyen, Shuranda Taylor,
Yash Brahmbhatt.