Program Profile

William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI) – Business and Culture

Business and Culture: A Virtual Practicum

  • Undergraduate
  • Young Adult

Implemented by WDI, Business & Culture: A Virtual Practicum is a classroom-to-classroom, action-learning course on international business cultures that brings together students from Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, and the U.S.

Participants attend synchronous (live) lectures by international faculty, work on interregional teams through synchronous and asynchronous exchange, employ field research methods to learn about one another’s business cultures, and create a final project that captures their cross-cultural learnings. The program equips young people in the U.S. and MENA region with the competencies they need to communicate, problem-solve, and collaborate in a global team environment— all essential 21st century skills in an interconnected world. Learn more.

  • Number of Participants: 475
  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate/Young Adult
  • Partner in the United States: WDI at the University of Michigan
  • Partners in the Middle East and North Africa: Egypt – American University in Cairo; Lebanon – American University of Beirut; Libya – Benghazi Youth for Technology and Entrepreneurship (BYTE)
  • Project Duration: May 2019 to June 2023

Business and Culture: A Virtual Practicum is implemented by the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.