THE FINAL COURSE SYLLABUS IS NOW AVAILABLE.

This web site was designed for general purposes and to promote the course.  The official web site is now guiding the course.  It is available only to registered students and is password protected.  This web site still contains useful general information about the course and study trip.

The Course.  This new course, to be offered for the first time during the Spring 2010 semester, is listed as Management and Human Resources 365 and is cross-listed as International Business 365.   A minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 undergraduate students will be admitted to the course.  We hope to include students from many of the business majors as well as students from non-business majors.  We believe this mix will produce the most value for all students.  Consent of instructor is required to register for the course.  If you want to be considered for the course, please make an appointment to talk to Professor Randy Dunham.  If necessary, a selection process will be created.  A syllabus will be posted later in the Fall.

Format.  The course will meet as a seminar on Tuesdays from 4:00--7:00 p.m. (most but not all weeks).  During spring break (March 24—April 4), all students will participate in a study trip to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hanoi in Vietnam.  Students must participate in both the seminar and the study trip.

Topics.  A wide range of topics (e.g., history, culture, politics, economics, business practices, environmental issues, education, health care, and legal practices) will inform students about important issues related to Vietnamese society and doing business in Vietnam.  The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be studied in some detail including those that make microloans to the poor to support entrepreneurship.

Study Trip Activities.  Study trip activities may include company visits, meetings with executives, lectures from local professors, discussions with U.S. and Vietnamese officials, a visit to a school, a meeting with UW alumni working in Vietnam, and a visit to a microfinance organization and some of its clients.  We will also participate in a number of cultural activities.

Student Responsibilities.  There will be a series of readings and seminar discussions.  Students and student teams will research select course issues and present to the class.  Other assignments will help students derive maximum value from the course and will be used to evaluate student learning.

Cost.  Grants underwrite significant portions of the cost of the study trip. The cost to individual students will be $3000.  This will cover course reading materials, airfare, lodging, three meals a day in Vietnam, and all planned on-the-ground activities.  More detail on costs can be accessed via the “Costs” link at the top of this page.

Instructor.  The seminar will be taught and the study trip led by Professor Randy Dunham who has directed a number of prior study trips to Asia.  Guest lecturers and speakers will deliver some class sessions.  Susan Huber Miller will co-lead the study trip.  To ask questions or to express interest in the course, contact Randy.

Support for the course provided by The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), The Division of International Studies & The Center for Southeast Asian Studies.