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Expanding Global Academic Collaboration: Insights from a Fulbright Experience

02-04-2025

The Fulbright Program offers scholars worldwide a unique opportunity to engage in cross-cultural exchange, conduct research and foster global academic collaboration. Professor Zhiwei Zhu, academic director of the undergraduate Business Analytics and Information Management (BAIM) program at the Mitch Daniels School of Business, recently returned from a four-month Fulbright assignment in Hungary, gaining valuable insights into European business education and laying the groundwork for meaningful program partnerships.

During his Fulbright Scholarship appointment, Zhu participated in a variety of academic and professional engagements. He co-instructed a large undergraduate business statistics course with more than 150 students, blending theoretical concepts with creative team-based exercises. His engaging teaching style was met with enthusiasm, and his co-instructor described his contributions as "amazing."

Additionally, Zhu was invited to visit 12 business schools across eight European countries, where he delivered a seminar titled “Business Analytics in the Era of GAI” and exchanged insights on business analytics program development. These visits, which included institutions such as the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, provided a valuable platform to introduce the Daniels School and explore potential academic partnerships.

Conversations with faculty, administrators and students at these institutions highlighted several key themes:

  • The visited business schools were impressed with Purdue University and the Daniels School's scale and success, expressing strong interest in research and teaching collaborations, including student exchange programs, study abroad initiatives and dual-degree opportunities.
  • A major barrier to teaching collaborations between European and U.S. business schools is the limited number of English-speaking instructors and students. Interestingly, many colleagues and students who Zhu met reported learning English primarily through U.S. television programs rather than formal education.
  • European business schools, particularly those outside the UK, emphasize traditional disciplines such as economics, marketing and supply chain management. Their analytics programs, often referred to as informatics or digital economics, are more narrowly defined compared to the Daniels School’s innovative programs like BAIM and Integrated Business and Engineering.

Building on these insights, Zhu sees significant potential for expanding the Daniels School’s global engagement and contribution. Opportunities include strengthening student exchange agreements, expanding study abroad programs and establishing joint degree programs. Institutions in the UK, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia all showed enthusiasm for study abroad partnerships. Such initiatives not only provide Daniels School students with a global perspective on education and business, but also create opportunities for PhD student exchanges and visiting scholar programs, broadening talent pipelines for both institutions.