Kenyan Students Travel to Northwestern College to Study U.S. Business & Economics

Daystar University students spend two weeks learning from leaders at Medtronic, Best Buy and more

ST.PAUL, MN (08/04/2010)(readMedia)-- On August 1, Northwestern College welcomes 19 students and three faculty members from Daystar University (Kenya) Commerce Department for a two-week visit to study U.S. business and economics. The group, along with Northwestern business department faculty and global initiatives staff, will visit ten major corporations in the Twin Cities metro including Medtronic, General Mills, Best Buy, Fairview and more.

In addition, the group will attend various seminars and workshops on campus and review case studies put together by business department faculty.

"It was almost serendipity that the trip was established," said Alford Ottley, Ph.D., Vice President for Global Initiatives. Ottley and Northwestern President Alan Cureton, Ph.D., were at Daystar University to discuss partnering opportunities, when a Daystar Commerce Department faculty member casually mentioned that a student group would be going to New York to study U.S. business.

"We invited the commerce group to the Minnesota instead," said Ottley. "The Twin Cities is a powerhouse of national and global business headquarters. There is so much opportunity here for the Daystar students to learn from some of the most influential organizations and leadership in the U.S."

The two-week visit is focused on teaching students:

  • Logical reason regarding management, legal concerns, business issues, and economic matters
  • Practical international business skills, especially as they relate to American culture
  • Traits of American competitiveness in international markets
  • The effect of technological change in American firms and entities

Ottley has high hopes for the program and the Daystar students. He foresees this two-week exchange as an opportunity to equip students with the business knowledge and tools they need to better serve and work in their home country.

"We want to see other countries grow and develop," Ottley said. "We encourage students to work in their country-to better their country. There are many students that would be interested in an opportunity to work in the U.S. and maybe they will have that opportunity in the future. During the interim we would love to see the students go back home and provide the resources and talent to build their country."

The Northwestern/Daystar exchange program is the beginning of other similar opportunities as Northwestern focuses on global outreach and partnerships with colleges, universities and organizations across the globe.

"As a result [of the Daystar visit] we are reaching out, to provide not only exchange opportunities but also sending opportunities," said Ottley. "We want our students to go out into the world as much as we want other students to come here, to Northwestern. It has to be a two-way street."

Daystar University, a Christian university located in Nairobi, Kenya, seeks to make a significant impact on today's world by providing its students with effective skills, knowledge, and training. An inter-denominational institution with high standards for teaching and research, Daystar welcomes students from around the globe and has one of the highest graduate employment rates in Kenya.

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About Northwestern College

Founded in 1902, Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college in St. Paul, Minn. offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, two master's degrees and several associate degree and certificate programs. More than 3,000 students representing 31 states and 28 countries are enrolled in Northwestern's traditional undergraduate and graduate and continuing education programs in North and South America. Northwestern College exists to provide Christ-centered higher education equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community, and world. Visit www.nwc.edu.