K-State receives grant to help strengthen graduate, undergraduate business programs at Nigerian university

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Sources: Ike Ehie, 785-532-6180, iehie@k-state.edu;
and Myra Gordon, 785-532-6276, mygordon@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Katie Schurman, 785-532-2753, schurman@k-state.edu

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

K-STATE RECEIVES GRANT TO HELP STRENGTHEN GRADUATE, UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS PROGRAMS AT NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's College of Business Administration and the office of diversity and dual career development have received funding for a project that will benefit business students in Nigeria.

K-State received $500,000 in grant money and $468,000 in cost share from the U.S. Agency for International Development that will go to strengthen graduate and undergraduate business programs at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. The American Council on Education and Higher Education for Development coordinated the grant application process.

K-State's Ike Ehie, associate dean and director of undergraduate programs at the College of Business Administration, and Myra Gordon, associate provost for diversity and dual career development, serve as the principal investigators of this grant.

"In Africa, Nigeria was a pioneer in the development of a higher business education program, but over the years the quality of the business program has not kept up with the needs of the changing business environment," Ehie said. "Business education in today's society needs not only to be rigorous but current and relevant to international business needs."

The three-year grant award will fund faculty and curriculum development for the University of Lagos. Yar M. Ebadi, dean of K-State's College of Business Administration, will join Roger McHaney, professor of management, and Amir Tavakkol, associate professor of finance, in traveling to the Nigerian university to assess the curriculum and realign it with private sector needs. They also will assist in linking University of Lagos graduates with employment opportunities.

In addition, faculty members from the University of Lagos School of Business will have the opportunity to travel to K-State for conferences, workshops and seminars.

"Globalization of our programs is a College of Business Administration priority," Ebadi said. "In our increasingly global business world, educational alliances like this one offer the ability to learn from the respective strengths of diverse institutions. The cumulative knowledge gained will enhance the educational experience of all students and help prepare them to be thriving members of the international business community."

Currently, the University of Lagos School of Business offers courses leading to a bachelor of science in accounting, actuarial science, business administration, finance, insurance, industrial relations and personnel management. The master's degree program in business administration is designed specially to meet the requirements of Nigerian business executives. The school is widely recognized as the first institution in tropical Africa to offer an executive business education in a continuous and stable way.

The University of Lagos School of Business has about 4,000 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students currently enrolled.