Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Interdisciplinary learning projects can be beneficial, but often encounter institutional resistance and implementation challenges. American University decided to include on an experimental basis the undergraduate course “Fundamentals of International Business” in the general education program of “Cultural Inquiry and Habits of Mind”. In this way the course meets the requirements of both general education and of the business program itself. Success of this innovation required deep re-design of the course itself, development of new faculty skills and overcoming institutional opposition. The paper offers a detailed analysis of the innovative process of developing and successfully teaching this course within the institutional context. Traditionally business courses were not taught from the perspective of the intersection of power and culture and how these vary across countries and regions, here the aim was to help students develop new “habits of mind”: deeper ways of thinking about the nature and impact of cultural differences. Using a variety of case studies and discussions with expert guest speakers, the course analyzes how institutions and their quality drive (and sometimes hinder) economic growth. The constructive power of inclusive institutions, based on democratic values, are contrasted with the destructive capacity of extractive institutions based on unchecked authoritarian power. Differences in national cultures and governance systems are shown to affect patterns of international trade and investment, monetary and currency systems, which in turn determine the ability of modern societies to thrive in a global economy. The lessons learned from this teaching innovation are useful for institutions of higher learning.