Students from 67 countries presented at the International Expo, sponsored by the Neil Griffin College of Business and the International Student Office.

The expo, held March 28 at Centennial Hall, was organized by students in international marketing, family business management, social impact management and international management fields.

Sarath Nonis, Ph.D., professor of marketing, facilitated the expo. Nonis said his goal for the expo was to bring awareness to the diverse cultures on campus and their global impact.

“Experiential learning assumes that learning results from encountering information outside our comfort zone,” Nonis said. “Once we are uncomfortable, we seek to learn new ways of being comfortable.”

The expo featured projects from students in various cultures. Nonis said the event was focused on principles and expectations from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). He said the event specifically focused on the global mindset, societal impact and diversity and inclusion principles.

Nonis said the event allows international students to educate domestic students on countries from across the world. Nonis said he wanted to allow the students to share their cultures through food, dances, clothing and posters.

“We have students from different countries that make our school global and our goal was to provide a  venue for these students to interact where you can talk, learn and eat.”

Erick Chang, Ph.D., associate professor of management, assisted his students who presented at the expo. 

Some of these presentations included comparing Cemex, one of the largest cement companies in Mexico, and Reliance, the largest petrochemical company in India and comparing the sustainability practices of automobile businesses Geely and BMW.

Lauren Maness, an international business major from Marion, Arkansas, presented at the expo. Maness said the goal for her group’s project was to promote Nestle and explain how it impacts the environment, as well as other sustainability goals. 

“We also looked into the United Nations’ global sustainability goals. They promote work-life balance, which overall helps their economy because overall, people want to work if they’re in a positive environment,” Maness said.

Atsuki Ohbuchi, a business administrator major from Japan presented at the expo. Ohbuchi said participating was important to him because it allowed him to share his culture with people at A-State. 

Paula Guevara, a marketing major from Jonesboro, Arkansas, presented a project on Chile at the expo.

“This project was kind of special to me because my parents are from Chile,” Guevara said. “It was cool to do something about a place they are from. I thought the landscapes were really cool because I did not know about them growing up and I got to learn how beautiful Chile really is.

Guevara and her group used posters to present Chile’s food, landscapes and culture. This allowed them to learn about the origins of Chilean culture while describing the benefits to the economy and the United States.

Nonis and Chang said they are looking to organize more expos to get students involved in the future. They want to connect more students to help them embrace their true heritage and culture. 

“This is not just international but this is global. We are all together in Jonesboro, Arkansas working together as a team,” Nonis said. 

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